By Kev the snowboarder from jersey from Clinton, NJ on 9/10/2008

Used it for 2 days in backcountry with use in pretty clear water. It has been a week and i haven't gotten sick yet.

By David van Erk from Brooklyn, NY on 5/8/2008

A very good tool for filtering but I shouldn't call the water filtered unless a pre-filter is used. Especially on water from lakes/ponds taken from the shore it can still hold silt and such things. Good for using clear water from streams though.
For my use I'd prefer a waterfilter and i'm contemplating returning it. Also with regard to the need of batteries. We had around freezing temps at night and having to put the batteries and spares in my sleeping bag to prevent them all from being drained isn't all to comfy.
Also: it fits in a 1L Nalgene bottle you can use to clean the water in.

[4 of 4 customers found this review helpful]

I took this product to the Annapurna sanctuary in Nepal this August.
It is spectacular. I had a limitless supply of incredibly pleasant water to drink, and did not get ANY gastro-intestinal problems.
Some tips about using it.
#1. You MUST use the pre-filter. It gets rid of particulate matter that would shield bacteria and viruses that were in its UV shadow. When he saw the amount of particulate matter removed by the pre-filter, my guide remarked "Are you telling me that I am putting all of that in my body?"!
#2. You need to have a collapsable container that will take a full liter of water. It is ONLY used to gather unprocessed water. That liter is poured through the pre-filter into a solid plastic 1 liter Nalgene bottle.
#3. You insert the UV light, activate it and 70 seconds later you have one liter of water that is fit to drink, AND THAT TASTES GREAT.
#4. Personally, for convenience I transferred that liter to a back pack that had a two liter bladder.
#5, On my return to the USA, preparing for a trip to Ireland, I asked my wife if I should take the water purification system. She thought it completely unnecessary. the first thing our guide in Ireland advised us was not to drink tap water in the hotels!!!
#6. Friends, who are much more adventurous than I, want to use this device. They cannot stand the taste of the chemically purified water thay have to drink

By Hawaii backpacker from Oahu, Hawaii on 11/17/2007

The SteriPen was the easiest water purifier that I have ever used. I would recomend this product to any backpacker.