Field Report

Field Report

AquaStar Plus UV-C Water Treatment System
by Lynne Durham
December 12, 2005

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Reviewer Bio	Product Information
Field Conditions	Performance
For Further Testing	This Is Cool
This Could Be Improved

REVIEWER BIO

Name	Lynne Durham
Gender	Female
Height	5' 10" (1.78 m)
Weight	155 lb (69 kg)
Age	Probably 44 by the time this posts
Email	lynnedurham AT yahoo DOT com
Location	Benton Harbor, Michigan USA

BACKPACKING EXPERIENCE

I have hiked and car camped all of my life, mostly in the relative flatlands of the lower and upper peninsulas of Michigan, but also in areas east of the Continental Divide, such as South Dakota, New England, Kentucky, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, and more. I have been backpacking since 2002. I keep my pack weight to 25% of bodyweight. However, I am always trying to lighten my load further to enhance my comfort and enjoyment as I like to hike big mileage. I also put in extensive miles trail running and road running, so I am always looking for lightweight solutions for carrying or treating water.

My most-often used water treatment method is filtration. I have also used chlorine tablets and iodine tablets.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Manufacturer	Meridian Design, Inc.
Web site	http://www.uvaquastar.com
Assembled in	USA
EPA Est.#	82431-CO-001
Method of purification	UV-C rays
Claimed weight	8.5 oz (241 g)
Actual weight	8 oz (227 g)
Claimed time until water is cleaned	80 seconds
Actual time until water is cleaned	84 seconds (Note: I timed the amount of time the UV light stays on. I do not have access to laboratory equipment to actually measure the presence [or lack] of pathogens.)

More information about the product can be found in my Initial Report.

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FIELD CONDITIONS

The AquaStar has seen usage under a variety of conditions during the test. Thus far, water has been treated mostly from moving sources including:

Bright Angel Creek in the Grand Canyon
Virgin River in Zion National Park
A variety of streams, creeks and rivers in Michigan's lower peninsula
Lake Michigan

During the usage opportunities, weather conditions have ranged from air temperature highs of 85 F (29 C) to lows around 50 F (10 C). Water temperatures have not been measured. However, because the manufacturer recommends cycling the system twice in cases where the water is below 50 F (10 C), I have done so whenever I guessed the water might be as cold as -- or colder than -- that temperature.

The manufacturer suggests use of multiple methods when water is unclear. I've found it to be a pain to pre-filter through anything if I'm only carrying one container, so I've only scooped from relatively clear sources thus far. In cases where I was carrying an extra polycarbonate bottle, I pre-filtered through a bandana by pouring slowly from one bottle into the AquaStar bottle.

I estimate that during the field testing period, the system has treated approximately 5 gallons (19 L) of water -- through approximately 24 cycles.

PERFORMANCE

Function
No pumping, no waiting, no boiling. Could anything be easier than using the AquaStar Plus water treatment system? Thus far I have found the system to be a convenient alternative to other forms of water purification. Fill the bottle, turn it on, invert and swirl. Less than 2 minutes later you're drinking cool, refreshing water.

I had several functional questions that I wanted to address throughout the testing period. First and foremost, how reliably does the system work? Overall, the AquaStar Plus has functioned very reliably. Twice when I have pressed the button to start the cycle, the UV light has turned on briefly, then the "on" button light flashed red and the UV light turned off. However, after each of these occurences, I was able to immediately begin a cycle by pressing the button again.

Also from a functional standpoint, I'm trying to discover how long the batteries last and determine how many cycles I can get out of a set. Thus far, I have not experienced any signs of battery failure.

Prior to beginning the test, I wondered if AquaStar Plus treatment would affect water taste in any way. Throughout the test, I have noticed no discernable taste from AquaStar treatment. To verify this, I have also treated tap water with the system. It tasted exactly as it always does from the tap.

And the most important -- but totally anecdotal -- functional test: during the field testing period, I have not experienced any stomach distress or other signs of water-borne pathogen infection after drinking water treated by AquaStar Plus.

Convenience
In my test plan, I suggested that I would be interested to find how easy replacement batteries (CR123A 3-volt lithium cells) can be found. Although I have not had a need to replace the batteries yet, I have had no trouble locating the batteries locally. The batteries are relatively inexpensive as well.

One concern I had from a convenience standpoint was how well AquaStar would fit in my backpacking, hiking and trail running styles. I tend to be a bladder/hose user and while I sometimes carry polycarbonate bottles (like the one supplied with AquaStar Plus), I usually use them for mixing drinks in.

For the most part, I have not found AquaStar to be incompatible with my preferred styles. For backpacking, AquaStar was as easy fit, because that is when I am most often carrying a polycarbonate bottle. I just carried two instead -- so I always had one just for water.

For day hiking with a pack, again, AquaStar was an easy fit. The day packs I use most often both have bottle pockets, and popping AquaStar into a pocket was not a problem.

For shorter day hikes or trail runs without a pack (10 miles [16 km] or so), however, I was ambivalent about carrying AquaStar. On the one hand, it wasn't as easy to carry in my hand as my usual hand bottle is. On the other hand, in some cases, AquaStar allowed me to go farther without a pack because I didn't need to pack a bladder -- I could easily and quickly scoop up water along the way.

For my usage, however, AquaStar works best when I am using a pack.

Durability
Okay, so I admit it: I tend to be a klutz. I fall. I fumble. I...drop things. Never on purpose -- I wouldn't want to purposely abuse gear just for the sake of testing! But my klutziness pretty much guarantees that gear will get a good, rough workout from me and this test has been no exception. I've taken a trippy tumble while carrying AquaStar in a pack pocket. It slid out and hit the ground, but was no worse for the wear. I've also dropped the bottle twice, once on a relatively soft forest trail and once on a rocky section of the South Kaibab in Grand Canyon. Other than a few scuffs that one would expect to see on any polycarbonate bottle, the AquaStar has sustained no damage.

I have not dropped the UV tube while it was not in the bottle. Yet.

FOR FURTHER TESTING

During the long-term testing phase, I will be most interested in discovering the following:

I've not yet used AquaStar in cold temperatures. At what temperature does the unit fail? Can I prevent failure by keeping the water inside my jacket or otherwise warming it slightly?
How long will the batteries continue to hold out?
Am I able to find batteries near my favorite trailheads?
How is the continued durability of the product?

THIS IS COOL

I love the lantern feature. Whenever I can make one piece of gear act as two, I'm a happy camper
Kills viruses -- something my filter (and most filters) does not do
It's so fast! While other folks wait for the chemicals to kick in, I'm sipping away

THIS COULD BE IMPROVED

I love to read about my gear. I wish the user's manual had come with it...but I suspect that it will for the full production models. My understanding is that the testers received some of the very first AquaStar Plus models available

Thank you to BackpackGearTest.org and Meridian Designs for the chance to evaluate this very cool water purifier.

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Read more reviews of Meridian Design gear
Read more gear reviews by Lynne Durham

Reviews > Water Treatment > Ultraviolet > AquaStar Plus Water Purifier > Lynne Durham > Field Report

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