The SteriPEN Adventurer Opti UV Water Purifier pays for itself!

I bought my SteriPen before I left for Asia. I backpacked for 6 months and I used it practically on a daily basis. In that sort of climate you’ve got to hydrate, especially if you aren’t a native and your body isn’t used to the extreme heat.

Sure, I still bought bottled water, let’s get serious, I’m no Bear Grylls. But I had also packed a Nalgene that I used quite frequently. The SteriPEN Adventurer is discreet enough that I could use it at restaurants that only served tap water, without receiving any odd stares. I used it every evening at my Couchsurfers house (instead of awkwardly boiling water) so I’d have drinking water through-out the night. I’ve disinfected river water as well, but have yet to experiment with any murky water sources.

I’ve used my SteriPEN literally hundreds of times and never gotten sick – knock on wood! I have went through several batteries, but this has never caused issues for me, as I can generally get to a store and pick up a few whenever I think I may need them.I usually carry an extra anyway, so that I’m not stuck in a thirsty situation!

The money I saved from not buying 4 or 5 bottles of water a day paid for my SteriPEN and more.

It’s essentially foolproof. You fill up your container from whatever water source you have (it’s pretty hardcore and can be used to purify stagnant water if you’re more of a camper/hiker), hold the UV light down into the container and stir.

When the light turns off, you’re done. It takes around 90 seconds to complete it’s cycle.

This pen is super lightweight and compact and comes with a warranty.

After 8,000 treatments SteriPEN will replace your pen – that’s over 7 years of daily use!

I did my research before making this purchase, and I’m happy I did as there are quite a few knock offs out there. This pen also doubles as a flashlight which never hurt anybody!

Check out this quick video for more information!

 Okay, so how about the cons?

• The LED light is a bit hard to see unless you’re in the shade. Not a huge deal, but a little annoying in the moment.
• No way to charge – runs solely on batteries which can potentially mean extra weight if you’re on extended thru-hikes.