[pct-l] Steripen Problem

[Trekker4 at aol.com]

My Steripen lasts 3-4 weeks, at about a gallon a day, on one set (4) of  
non-rechargable lithium AAs (abt $21 for 12 at Sam's).
 
Bob  "Trekker"
Big Bend Desert Denizen
Naturalized Citizen - Republic of  Texas

Government cripples you, then hands you a crutch and says, 'See, if  it 
wasn't for us, you couldn't walk.' 
-- Harry Browne

"If you think  health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs 
when its free."  
-- P. J. ORourke



In a message dated 3/9/2008 10:34:07 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  jhamon@
mit.edu writes:

My  biggest problem with the Steripen is the relatively short  battery
life.  Run out of batteries and you run out of water.   That doesn't
seem like an acceptable water treatment solution to me.   I've heard
mixed reviews about the solar chargers... in cloudy weather it  could
take days to charge up.

--pebbles

On Sun, Mar 9, 2008  at 6:43 PM, katherine becksvoort
<kabecksv at hotmail.com>  wrote:
>
>  Hey all,
>  Here's something I've  never understood about using a Steripen. Now, this 
is me speaking from never  having used one...but thought about them alot.
>
>  So, if  you dip your water bottle into the stream of choice to get water, 
then use the  steripen to purify the water inside the bottle...what happens to 
the water  that clings to the lips of your bottle of choice and touches your 
lips when  you drink? Giardi and Chrypto are super small little buggers...and 
they will  gladly perch on the sides of your lid of your bottle. Steripen 
cleans the  water INSIDE your container, but what about the water clinging to the  
threads?
>
>  That's why all of us "bleed" our threads with  our treated water....to 
wash those little buggers outta there with treated  water....right?
>
>  Just a thought.
>
>  I  digress....I've been using Aquamira for years (have guided with several 
 companies and they have gradually switched to Aquamira also, over the past  
five years or so-none of these companies use water pumps as they can't  
support/produce enough water for larger client groups over an extended  backcountry 
trip). I DID get something on my AT thru---kicked me in the butt  (I think my 
record was 19 poops in one day)! I got repeatedly tested, but came  up 
negative for Giarda. I actually started Springer with it...before I had  ever been on 
the trip (thank goodness my trail name became MoonPie and not  Giardy, as 
some suggested!) I took it to Maine with me.
>
>   Went thru three intense doses of flagil (sp?), that last dose being 21 
days  long. Ugh. I think it'll probably reappear this year on the PCT, no matter 
 what I purify with. But I'll be using Aquamira.....
>
>  Any  thoughts on the Steripen?
>
>  And hopefully this won't start  a discussion about record poop days....
>
>   MoonPie
>
>
>
>
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