SteriPEN – Portable Water Purification

Sometimes we take for granted just how important it is to have clean water. Many of us have water treatment plants delivering a constant stream of drinkable water straight to our homes. There are times, though, we may need to use untreated water. That’s where SteriPEN comes in.

SteriPEN uses ultraviolet (UV) light to clean untreated water by killing bacteria, viruses, giardia, salmonella, parasites, and more. Does it work? Experts have found that it does and SteriPEN has even been given the seal of approval from the Water Quality Association (see http://www.steripen.com/ultraviolet-light). You can use SteriPEN products when spending time outdoors, while traveling, and in emergency situations. Here’s a comparison of a product from each of those main categories:

SteriPEN Freedom is a new item to join the SteriPEN family. It is smaller and lighter than other SteriPENs and is rechargable. A USB cable and AC adaptor are included but you can also connect to your computer or to a compatible solar charger. One full charge should be enough for up to 40 treatments.

There are no buttons. The SteriPEN Freedom automatically senses when the bulb has been immersed in water and begins working right away. All you need to do is stir the water around until the indicator light turns green, letting you know it’s safe to drink. This takes about 90 seconds There’s also an LED light (on the end where the mini USB port is) that can be used if you need some extra light. To activate that, you just hold the Freedom and twist your wrist back and forth. Do the same to turn it off. This feature is just too cool! A case is included and has a mesh pocket on the back to put the USB cable in.

As you can tell by the name, SteriPEN Adventurer Opti was specifically designed for those spending a lot of time in the great outdoors. This battery-powered item is extremely portable and can be used while hiking, camping, or doing anything else that might require using river, stream, creek, or lake water. It feels more sturdy and durable than the Freedom. With the push of a button, you can purify up to 1 liter of water. Once turned on, you only need to stir the water until the light turns green.

This item uses two CR123 batteries (included) so there’s no need for an external power source. Adventurer Opti is also available for purchase with a Solar Charging Case that uses rechargeable batteries. There’s also an LED light on this SteriPEN but, since it’s on the same side as the UV bulb, the light is amplified and focused by the clear case. That means it can actually be used as a backup flashlight. The Adventurer Opti a bit larger longer and heavier due to the batteries but is still less than 4 oz. The included case has a belt loop on the back so you can bring it wherever you go.

You’ll want to include a SteriPEN Sidewinder in any emergency kit you have. This system comes with a hand crank to power the UV light. After filling the bottle, screw on the crank, flip it, turn the handle for about 90 seconds until the LED flashes green. The Sidewinder will also let you know if you are not cranking fast enough. You can pause for a few seconds at any given time to switch off arms or people as those 90 seconds can feel like forever. Even the mom and daughter featured in demo video look exhausted from turning the crank. Still, it’s great to know that you don’t need to rely on electricity or batteries in such a situation. A one-liter BPA-free bottle and SteriPEN Pre-Filter (used if there are ‘things’ in the water) are included.

SteriPEN purifiers range from $50 to $120. All the items I received were very good quality and VERY easy to use. While you can always boil water to clean it, the UV light gives that extra assurance of making sure water is clean and free of harmful contaminants. I also liked that the directions were printed on the items themselves for easy reference. These were only a few of the products SteriPEN makes so make sure to check their site for more product info, including how-to videos.

Now it’s your turn to win a SteriPEN Classic Safe Water System ($79.99 value) which includes SteriPEN Classic, a Water Bottle Pre-Filter, and Nalgene® BPA-Free wide-mouth water bottle.

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