gentlemen taking a hunting trip to idaho for elk in october it was recommended to me to get a steripen. would like to get some input on it or other products looks like their is a lot to choose from i would like one to carry in my pack.
- Thread starter afv338
- Start date
The steripen is good to go and is all you really need, but it won't remove the very small amount of harmless dirt you will drink. If you need to drink floaty free water, the MSR trailshot is also light weight and gets the job done, but it is more labor and time intensive to use.
For what it's worth, I carry a steripen.
For what it's worth, I carry a steripen.
Sawyer also makes a great purifier. You can use them as in inline with a dirty bag to make it good to go.
Xdeano
Xdeano
Lifestraw is interesting, but the Sawyer mini is a better filtration system & you can use it easily to bulk bag water for later.
Sawyer mini. More versatile and can filter a great deal of water. Lifestraw is ok, but can't fill your camelbak
I have actually used one in an emergency situation while on a multi day hike. seemed to get the job done just fine.
I carry a Sawyer mini and a method for boiling if need be. The MSR pump is a very nice filter too. But read this:
https://thesummitregister.com/water...942.967768694.1534073304-951150231.1534073304
https://thesummitregister.com/water...942.967768694.1534073304-951150231.1534073304
Lifestraw in your pack and their new gravity feed for camp. Price and performance can't be beat and they provide clean drinking water for those without the World over with your help. Win/Win.
I like the platpus gravityworks system. Fill one bag, hang it up and let it filter while you do something else.
Yes the lifestraw is great for "emergency" situations and the original model is small, compact light as a feather and easy to carry as well as cheap. So it makes it almost a no brainer to throw one in.
However the Sawyer has a much finer filter and lets you quickly grab up a bunch of water when available, then process it at your convenience to another storage device for later on.
Now if you are packing a much bigger load and possibly looking at waste water / brackish water etc, then you need a good high volume pre-filter setup, an actual RO filter & then toss in a UV pen. However using an RO filter is a major pain in the ass and you don't want to unless you are stuck with waste water / brackish water as you'll pump for an hour just for a glass of water.
That Sawyer is light and small....
Not saying it is perfect for you and your wants but I have a Katadyn Pocket water filter. It uses a silver impregnated ceramic filter that you pump the water through. It is a little heavier, but I don't worry about dropping it and cracking it. You should be able to find these for @ 1/3 less than what is advertised.
Everyone should have a good travel waterpurifier filter and a good multi fuel stove.
Not saying it is perfect for you and your wants but I have a Katadyn Pocket water filter. It uses a silver impregnated ceramic filter that you pump the water through. It is a little heavier, but I don't worry about dropping it and cracking it. You should be able to find these for @ 1/3 less than what is advertised.
Everyone should have a good travel water
Last edited:
Make sure to understand the difference between Purified and Filtered. Big difference. Far fewer purifiers than filters available.
The Katadyn pocket filter is my favorite, they’re very durable and the filter can be cleaned rather than needing replacement. For an occasional user it will probably last you the rest of your life. I have used them extensively in 3rd world shit holes and never gotten sick from a waterborne parasite.
ahahahahahaha $369.95 That must be the arcteryx of hiking/hunting filters
Gentleman, this guy is going on a hunting trip. Not a fucking 7 month deployment to the jungles of belize.
At most we are talking about something that is for individual emergency use. Not for a family of 7 in a bug out situation.
I think a street price is closer to $240, and can be even better if you look hard.
In fairness, Trebek is 100% right. Also in fairness, in the Western US, beaver fever or giardia isn't a super common thing in flowing water in the back county - esp now that grazing on public lands has been stopped by Obummer.
Ponded or puddled, a corner off an old T-shirt is great first line filter if it is skanky.
Worst case you can always use your stove to boil it.
In fairness, Trebek is 100% right. Also in fairness, in the Western US, beaver fever or giardia isn't a super common thing in flowing water in the back county - esp now that grazing on public lands has been stopped by Obummer.
Ponded or puddled, a corner off an old T-shirt is great first line filter if it is skanky.
Worst case you can always use your stove to boil it.
Last edited:
The wife and I have used the Lifestraw Go Water Filter Bottle on numerous backcountry backpacking camping trips and it works great, no weird tasting water and no sickness. Used over numerous days in Idaho and Colorado backcountry, filling the bottle in streams and rivers as we went. I also carry MSR model that fits over the Nalgene bottles for filtering a larger amount of water.
I don't think the price is so outrageous considering that it will keep you from getting sick, there are less expensive options that will probably work fine.
This is the AI of water filtration.
The Katadyn is $254 on Amazon, if you want something that will last 20 years it's totally worth it.
msr with a hand pump, you need to squeeze the water through a clogged up filter sometimes.
the problem with some of the small ones is the micron size.
filtration needs to pass NSF P248 standards, that pulls out everything.
i think the MSR is .02 which is smaller than virus.
you need less than 1 micron, to pull out bacteria and viruses.
the small cheap filters pull out the big stuff easy but you dont know if there is a dead elk 1/4 mile up the waterway with its intestines leaking out sh!t in your water. (you should always scout up stream for that type of stuff anyway)
thats where the virus and bacteria get you.
if water just had protozoa (bever fever etc) you usually dont get sick until you get back from the trip, the other stuff can knock you on your ass in 12-15 hrs.
the problem with some of the small ones is the micron size.
filtration needs to pass NSF P248 standards, that pulls out everything.
i think the MSR is .02 which is smaller than virus.
you need less than 1 micron, to pull out bacteria and viruses.
the small cheap filters pull out the big stuff easy but you dont know if there is a dead elk 1/4 mile up the waterway with its intestines leaking out sh!t in your water. (you should always scout up stream for that type of stuff anyway)
thats where the virus and bacteria get you.
if water just had protozoa (bever fever etc) you usually dont get sick until you get back from the trip, the other stuff can knock you on your ass in 12-15 hrs.
This will be my third year in Idaho elk hunting in October. I have a msr pump and a steri pen. Like and use both thing with the pump is it CANT FREEZE or it will not filter any thing any more. So keep that in consideration on opening day last year it was 6 degrees when we left the pick up for a week. So i had to plan accordingly to make sure i did not let it freeze after using it. I use the steri pen alot more now if there are to many floatys just use a scarf as a little screen.
Steripen can only de-activate the micro-organisms in water (bacteria, viruses). Surface water can have high concentrations of nitrates, arsenic and other impurities, toxic for the human body. I would carry a compact reverse osmosis filter system in the vehicle as it's the most effective emergency water filter available.
Have you actually tried using a real hand pumped portable Reverse Osmosis filter (boat rated)?
While they are good, you'll probably also want something much quicker / easier for the average water that doesn't need RO.
Pumping for half an hour for a single glass of water is no joke with a real RO portable hand pumped system.
Another vote for Sawery
gentlemen thanks for all the replys as always the hide has a lot of good people with a vast amount of knowledge. when i posted this i had no idea what was made and what to buy. after some research and and your input i bought a katadyn pocket and a life straw the life straw was a no brainer ane the katadyn i found was 240. and i think a good investment as it can be cleaned and dose not have plastic and will last me until i will no longer need it, thanks again for all your reply's.
