STERIPEN JOURNEY LCD
Ultraviolet Handheld Water
Purifier
Initial
Report - September 22, 2008
Field Report - November 25,
2008
Long Term Report -
January 26, 2009
Tester
Information:
Name: Pam Wyant
Age: 51
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 5 in
(1.65 m)
Weight: 170 lb (77
kg)
E-mail
address: pamwyant(at)yahoo(dot)com
Location: Western
West Virginia, U.S.A.
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Backpacking Background:
Pursuing
a long-time interest, I started
backpacking four years ago, beginning with day-hiking and single
overnights. Currently I’m mostly a ‘weekend warrior’, hiking and
backpacking mainly in the hills and valleys of West Virginia, but have
started
a project to section hike the Appalachian Trail (AT), accruing a little
over
200 mi (300 km) in the last two years. My usual shelter is a
hammock, but
occasionally I use a tent. In general my backpacking style is
lightweight and
minimalist and I try to cut as much pack weight as I can without
sacrificing
warmth, comfort, or safety.
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Initial Report - September 22, 2008
Product
Information:
Manufacturer: Hydro-Photon Inc.
Year of manufacture: 2008
Model: SteriPEN Journey LCD
Website: www.steripen.com
MSRP: US$ 99.95
Listed weight: 4.5 oz (128 g)
Measured weight: 4.5 oz (128 g)
(includes batteries and lamp cover)
Measured accessory weights:
Neoprene case: 0.9 oz (26 g)
1 Liter water bottle: 4.9 oz (140 g)
Prefilter & assembly: 1.5 oz (42 g)
Pair of extra CR123 batteries: 1.2 oz (34 g)
Listed dimensions:
Length: 7.3 in (18.6 cm)
Width: 1.6 in (4.1 cm)
Measured dimensions are
consistent with those listed.
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Product Description:
The SteriPEN Journey LCD is a portable ultraviolet water purifier
designed to treat up to 1 L of water at a time. In addition to
purifying water in outdoor situations such as hiking and backpacking,
it can be used to treat water while traveling in areas where water
might be suspect. The size and shape are convenient to pack, and
the Journey weighs less than typical water filters. The actual
product is consistent with what I expected from the website description.
The SteriPEN website has some interesting and useful information on how
the SteriPENs work, using UV-C light to render harmful micro-organisms
sterile so that they cannot create reproduce to create havoc in the
human digestive tract. Of interest to me is how the SteriPEN is
more effective on a wider range of micro-organisms than other methods
of water treatment. Filters often will not screen small viruses,
while the SteriPEN is effective against them. Chemical treatment
can take up to 4 hours to incapacitate some protozoa such as
Cryptosporidium, while the SteriPEN renders them sterile in 90
seconds. Another simple option, boiling, takes time and extra
fuel. Hence, the SteriPEN seems like a great solution for
effective, fast, easy, and relatively light weight treatment.
The Journey has a dark blue handle with a gray battery compartment
cover at the lower end, which is held in place with a single screw that
can be twisted open and closed with a coin or screwdriver. A
small semi-rectangular O-ring is positioned around the battery
compartment area to help seal it when the lid is screwed in
place. An orange colored section on the front surrounds the LCD
screen and the on button. The screen is used to display several
symbols to let the user know if the Journey is working properly, is set
for the correct water volume, needs new batteries, etc. Above the
rubbery gray treatment button are the words "Push once for 1 L Push
twice for 0.5 L". And that is pretty much how simple it is to
treat water.
Two small sections of a gray rubbery material are inset into the sides
of the handle, which provide a good gripping surface. The rear of
the handle has the company logo and the product name imprinted.
The lamp unit is positioned at the upper end of the handle. The
lamp has a thin elongated U-shaped tube that glows bright blue when
treating water, covered by a larger clear optical grade quartz tube
(similar in size and appearance to a test tube). Quartz is one of
the few materials that UV-C light will pass through, hence its use to
protect the lamp. At the base of the lamp are two small metal
sensors embedded in a tapered rubbery base. The sensors must be
immersed fully for the lamp to work.
SteriPEN's website indicates that the lamp is safe when used with
metal, ceramic, glass, and nearly all plastics since they and the
surface of the water contain the UV light, and the lamp can even be
looked at when in use. It should not be use with quartz
containers or some fluoropolymers in the Teflon family, both of which
they state are unlikely to be used for drinking containers.
 An orange colored
hard plastic protector snaps in place over the UV lamp and sensors to
protect them when the unit is not in use. A black Neoprene case
with mesh sides and a hook and loop fastener to go over a belt is also
included with the Journey. The manufacturer website indicates
that the SteriPEN can be taken on a plane with carry-on items,
recommending that the user manual be taken to show what it is.
SteriPEN also sent me a Pre-Filter unit and a 1 L Nalgene style bottle
imprinted with the SteriPEN name and directions on using the SteriPEN
and Pre-Filter on one side and graduated measurements on the other
side. The directions appear to be for the SteriPEN classic or
Adventurer since they refer to an indicator light that the Journey does
not have. The Pre-Filter unit (shown disassembled at the left)
consists of a plastic fitting that screws onto a standard wide mouth
bottle such as the one provided, and has a small filter insert with a 4
micron screen and a pull-top cap that fits into the center of the
fitting. The pull-top cap is used to allow air to escape while
the water is trickling into the bottle from the filter. The
filter insert can be removed and the SteriPEN Journey will fit into the
hole for treatment. This allows the bottle to be held upside down
and gently rocked instead of having to stir with the pen. It
seems this will be an advantage to help ensure the sensor pins remain
immersed during treatment. The Pre-Filter also will cover the
threads on the wide-mouth water bottle and can prevent them from being
contaminated if it is in place when the bottle is filled. The
Pre-Filter will sit on top of an energy drink style bottle, but will
not screw into place. It does not fit with a narrow mouth bottle
such as the Platypus bladders.
Trying it out:
 SteriPEN was kind
enough to ship the unit to me with a set of batteries already in place,
so trying it out was very simple after a quick reading of the included
instructions. The hardest part was pulling off the orange plastic
protector, which pulls off rather than being threaded, and has a very
tight fit. The first time I took it off, I was afraid I would
break the lamp before getting it loose. This has gotten slightly
easier as I've used it a few times, but it still seals very tight.
Basically, the button on the handle is pressed once for 1 L and twice
for 0.5 L then the SteriPEN is inserted into the water container.
As soon as the button is pressed, the company's logo comes up for a
brief period and then the dosage size and an empty timer ring
appear. I first used the included 1 L bottle with the Pre-Filter
fitting in place, and simply inserted the pen in the middle and then
turned the bottle upside down and rocked it gently. The LCD
screen then displayed and counted down the seconds remaining to
complete the treatment in the center of the timer ring. On
completion of treatment a happy smiley face appeared at the top of the
LCD screen indicating successful treatment. The bottom of the LCD
screen indicated a smiling cylinder, indicating good battery life.
I next tried it inside a 0.5 L Platypus bladder. The pen fit
perfectly inside the narrow mouthed opening, and the tapered base
creates a seal that allows the Platypus to be turned upside down to
allow the water to contact the sensor pins fully. About an inch
(2.5 cm) or so of the lamp tube protruded into the container past the
bottle neck, so I was a little worried as to whether it would work, but
I swirled the upside down container and the water seemed to treat
properly, based on the happy smiling face symbol.
Preliminary Impressions:
No water treatment system that I have found is completely perfect, but
so far I am very impressed with the SteriPEN Journey LCD. It was
very simple and fast to use, and being quickly effective against all
nasty organisms means I can be assured my drinking water is safe
without the need to both filter and chemically treat for maximum safety.
A few cautions will be needed when the unit is in the field, which are
detailed in the directions. First, water needs to be clear to be
effectively treated, hence pre-filtering may be necessary. This
should be relatively easy with the neat Pre-Filter unit, although the
website
indicates that water with silt too fine to filter out may need to
settle before being treated.
An additional caution is to keep the
batteries warm since their performance can be adversely affected in
cold weather, and to bring the Journey itself to a temperature above 32
F/0 C before using. So, I won't be able to plan on filtering
water first thing after a sub-freezing night and will need to plan to
warm the unit up a little before using it. The provided Neoprene
case clipped onto my belt may be just the thing for that.
Neither of these cautions are that unique, since filters also have to
be protected from freezing and cloudy or dirty water should be
pre-filtered when either a filter or chemical treatment is used, so
they should not really be a down side to using the SteriPEN Journey LCD.
The one thing that I would like to see available is a Pre-Filter that
would thread onto energy drink style bottles and narrow mouth bladders,
since these are the types of containers I typically favor while
backpacking. I gave up carrying Nalgene style bottles long ago
due to their weight, but I do plan on using the included bottle for at
least part of the test due to the nifty Pre-Filter unit. I will
also be testing the SteriPEN Journey LCD with a variety of other water
containers in order to determine my favorite method considering both
ease of use and weight savings.
More To Come:
This concludes my Initial Report.
Field Report - November 25, 2008
Field Conditions and Use:
In early October I used the SteriPEN Journey on a 5 mi (8 km) day hike
in central West Virginia. I packed the SteriPEN and pre-filter
unit in a large pocket on the front of my daypack along with my snacks
for the day, and carried the Nalgene bottle provided in the body of the
pack. Temperatures were in the 60 F (15 C) range. I used
the Nalgene bottle and pre-filter to filter 1 L (1 qt) about a third of
the way into the hike at a small clear running stream. I found
the bottle easy to fill, and the SteriPEN easy to use by removing the
pre-filter from the threaded top that holds it, and inserting the
SteriPEN in the resulting hole, turning the bottle upside down, and
gently shaking it.
In late October I used the SteriPEN Journey on an overnight backpacking
trip on the Kanawha Trace Trail. Temperatures were in the high 40
F (9 C) range during the day, falling into the high 30 F (4 C) range
during
the night. The hiking was relatively short, only about 5 mi (8
km)
on the first day, and about 1 mi (1.5 km) on the second. Due to
the
cooler temperatures and the short distance hiked, I didn't use a lot of
water, and having carried in about 3 L (3 qt), I only treated 1/2 L (1
pint). I opted not to bring the Nalgene bottle or
pre-filter. I tucked the SteriPEN in its Neoprene case on the
inside of my pack between my food stuff sack and my ditty bag stuff
sack which contained a few odds and ends as well as a hat and
gloves. It was easy to carry and relatively protected and arrived
at camp intact.
The water came from a hand-pumped well near a shelter, and was slightly
discolored in appearance. I first started to treat the water in
the energy drink bottle I normally carry, but found that the SteriPEN
would not work well with this type of bottle. The mouth of the
bottle was not wide enough to insert the pen far enough to cover the
sensors for stirring, and yet it was too large to form a seal
around the pen in order to turn it upside down to shake. I ended
up borrowing a friend's 1/2 L Nalgene bottle, which
had a mouth wide enough to insert the pen, immerse the sensors, and
stir the water.
Experiences and Conclusions:
So far the SteriPEN has worked reliably each time I have used it.
I think it is a little more secure to use with the Nalgene bottle and
pre-filter assembly since I don't have to be as careful to make sure
the threads stay in contact with the water while shaking an upside down
container as I do while stirring the water in a right side up
one. It's also probably a bit more effective since untreated
water does not touch the threads of the actual bottle when the
pre-filter assembly is in place
The SteriPEN Journey has been easy to carry. At first as I
worried about it being fragile and needing to be carefully packed, but
while I've been cautious not to pack it where it is likely to suffer a
direct impact if I casually toss my pack down, I've found it easy to
tuck into a space between a couple of stuff sacks or in with my snacks
for safe transport.
I really like the way the sloped base of the lamp fits snuggly into the
pre-filter assembly once the filter is removed, or into the mouth of a
standard 0.5 L (1 pint) water bottle. I do wish it worked with an
energy drink bottle though, since I prefer their light weight over a
heavier Nalgene. These seem to be pretty popular with other light
weight hikers too, so Hydro-Photon may want to consider making a
pre-filter unit to specifically fit this type of bottle.
The LCD display is clear and easy to read, and so far has been all
smiley faces. I also really like that the directions are printed
right above the on button - "push once for 1 L, push twice for 0.5
L". This means right from the start I never needed to carry the
instructions, which I appreciate. I also like that the protective
lamp cap is bright orange. This is a nice touch that makes it
easier to spot the cap when I've laid it to the side among duff and
small sticks or a clutter of other gear. The cap remains a bit
tight, which is probably a good thing as it does not accidentally
dislodge in my pack, but thankfully it is a little easier to pull off
than it was the first time I tried it.
Summary:
So far the SteriPEN Journey seems to provide a nice balance of ease of
use, quick effectiveness, and reasonable carry weight. The unit
has been well designed for convenience, from little details like the
easy to spot color of the lamp cap and the way the base of the lamp
slopes to fit snuggly into a bottle mouth to more integral parts of the
design such as the easy to read screen, conveniently located
directions, and easy to press on button.
The provided pre-filter assembly is an ingenious idea that makes the
Journey simple to treat a liter/quart of water with minimal fuss.
It's great to be able to drink safe water as quickly as 48 seconds
after filling my water bottle, without the tiresome process of pumping
a filter.
The one recommendation I have for improvement is to make a pre-filter
assembly to fit standard energy drink bottles.
More to Come:
This concludes my Field Report. Please check back in early
February for final testing conclusions.
Long Term Report - January 26, 2009
Field Conditions and Use:
 In
mid-December I used the SteriPEN with the provided Nalgene bottle and
pre-filter unit on an
overnight backpacking trip of approximately 9 mi (14 km) in the Wolf
Gap/Big
Schloss area along the border of Virginia and West Virginia. It
was definitely a
frosty trip, with temperatures hovering just above freezing during the
day and falling to around 20 F (-7 C) during the night. There was
about 1 in (2.5 cm) of snow on the ground and a lot of ice on the
tree branches. With temperatures so cold, I was worried about
keeping the SteriPEN and batteries warm enough to work properly, but
this turned out not to be a problem. Due to the cold conditions I
did not use as much water as I would on a summer trip, so I found I
didn't need a lot of water. I only treated 1 L (about 1 qt),
obtained from a flowing spring, for dinner the first day. I used
a shallow cup to collect the water and poured it over the pre-filter
into the Nalgene bottle for treatment. After filling the bottle,
I took the pre-filter unit out, turned the SteriPEN on, inserted it in
the opening, then turned the bottle upside down and gently rocked it as
the SteriPEN treated the water. In spite of having been in my
pack all day in temperatures just above freezing, the SteriPEN worked
reliably the first try and I got the happy smiling face symbol on the
LCD screen.
To keep the batteries in the SteriPEN from potentially draining during
the night in temperatures around 20 F (-7 C), I wrapped the SteriPEN
inside my hiking pants for cushioning and placed the bundle in a stuff
sack that I placed beside me in my hammock. At first I put the
stuff sack under my sleeping quilt, but this kept the insulation too
far from my body in that area for comfort, so I moved it out from under
the quilt. I was pleased that when I treated 2 L (about 2 qt)
from the same spring the next morning the unit still worked
great! About the only problem I had was determining what to do
with the various pieces I used in the treatment process since the
spring was on sloping ground and anything I laid down had the potential
to roll down into the stream and become contaminated. It's a bit of a
juggling act to handle the treatment bottle, the bladder from my
hydration system, the pre-filter unit, the SteriPEN, SteriPEN cap, and
the neoprene holster, especially when wearing a jacket with the pockets
already stuffed with my warm gloves, and while standing on a sloping
hillside.
 In mid
January I took the SteriPEN on two day hikes. One was to Charles
Fork Lake in west/central West Virginia. Since this hike was
relatively short at only 4 mi (6.5 km), and I knew I could access the
lake at several points, for my water needs I carried only an empty 0.5
L (about 1 pt) water bottle and a knee hi stocking to use over the top
of it as a pre-filter when I filled the bottle from the lake. The
SteriPEN fit handily inside the main compartment of my relatively small
fanny pack. Not having to carry water made me feel like I could
just fly up the trail unencumbered, which was a really good
feeling. I purposefully hit the trail a little thirsty, and soon
dropped down to the lake to fill my bottle and treat it. Here I
ran into a few problems.
The day was about 20 F (-7 C) and it had been this cold for several
days, so the lake was partially frozen around the edges. I had to
find a somewhat deep area along the bank and break ice to get to liquid
water underneath. This stirred up a little sediment from the
larger pieces of ice moving around and touching bottom, so I chose a
deeper spot and again broke ice to get to the water. I proceeded
to dunk the bottle, covered by the knee high, into the icy water.
The stocking really slowed down the speed of the water filling the
small-mouthed bottle, so I had to help it along a little by pushing on
the stocking at the top of the bottle to make it flow better.
This was still pretty slow, and my hand was getting pretty cold holding
the bottle under the water, so I called it quits with the bottle about
2/3 full and decided that was enough to treat.
Although the stocking kept out the larger sediment, the water still
looked a little cloudy. I pushed the button twice to get the 0.5
L setting, but apparently didn't push it quickly enough in between, so
the setting stayed at 1 L. I decided treating the water longer
wouldn't be harmful and considering its cloudiness might be a good
thing, so I went ahead and inserted the SteriPEN into the bottle
mouth. It snugly fits this size bottle, so I could turn the
bottle upside down and shake it without worrying about drenching
myself. At the end of the treatment I got the happy smiley
face. I was still a little leery of the cloudy water, so I
decided to treat it again for the proper time at the 0.5 L
setting. This time I pushed the button twice in rapid succession
and it changed from the 1 L to 0.5 L properly, and I treated the water
in the same manner and got the smiley face again, indicating proper
treatment.
 Ah,
ready to drink. What I hadn't counted on was that the lake water
simply tasted nasty. It had an earthy taste, and I wasn't sure if
this was from stirred up sediment, fish living in the water, or
something else. I took a couple of sips to give it a proper test,
but poured the rest out. I was glad it was a short hike in cold
weather and the couple of sips were enough to get me through.
The second day hike was about 3 mi (5 km) in a nearby State
Forest. Temperatures were around 30 F (-1 C) I took a 0.5 L
(about 1 pt) water bladder, and was able to obtain good drinking water
from a small stream, using a small plastic cup to fill the
bladder. I did not use any sort of pre-filter since the water was
clean and clear. This worked much better than my previous
experience of dunking the small mouthed bottle. Again, the
SteriPEN worked reliably and soon I was contentedly sipping nice cold
stream water.
Experiences and Conclusions:
From the trips I've taken, I've learned that even though it's so easy
and fast to treat water with the SteriPEN, I want to make sure I have a
good tasty water source before I decide not to pack at least a liter of
water. I'd never really had to treat lake water before because
stream water is so prevalent in West Virginia, and I simply had not
thought that the taste of the water might be so objectionable that even
if a water source was present I might not want to drink it after
treatment. So while the SteriPEN could in theory save me from
having to carry any water, in some areas I hike that simply isn't
practical. When there are good sources, the ease and convenience
of the SteriPEN means I can carry a lot less water than I normally
would if I am using a filter or chemicals. With a filter the
inconvenience of having to assemble, pump, drain, clean, and pack it up
means I try to carry enough water to last through most of the day, or
not have to filter more than once while hiking. With chemicals I
have a wait period, which means I am carrying extra water so that I
always have
some in reserve to use while the chemicals treat the new batch.
I was really pleased with the battery performance of the
SteriPEN. I did not get to use it as much as I had hoped due to
the time of the year the test ended up spanning, but I did not have to
change the batteries at all, even using it in cold temperatures and
leaving the batteries in the unit over the entire test period.
Apparently the SteriPEN does not drain the batteries when not in use,
so it's good to know that unless I am storing it for more than a few
weeks I don't have to take the batteries out to spare them.
The SteriPEN works most conveniently with a Nalgene bottle and
pre-filter assembly since that's the easiest way to get rid of the
floaties and make sure that threads of the bottle aren't contaminated
and the water is swirled thoroughly to expose all the nasties to the UV
light. It also works pretty conveniently with a standard 0.5 L
(about 1 pt) water bottle or a small mouthed water bladder as
long as the water doesn't need pre-filtering.
The SteriPEN Journey has been very easy to pack and carry. On the
backpacking trip I carried it in the front pocket of my pack, tucked
between the folds of my hammock tarp. The Neoprene holster has
been sufficient padding when carrying it in my fanny pack or day pack
and the rigid protective cap has kept the lamp safe and unbroken.
The design makes the SteriPEN pretty sturdy and I've found no need to
worry about treating it as if it were made of eggshells and
likely to crack at the slightest provocation.
I also like how the LCD display makes it simple to make sure the
treatment is for the right length of time for the amount of water, and
to make sure the treatment was effective. The directions printed
right above the on button as a reminder are also very handy. And,
as I found before, having the cap that protects the lens in bright
orange makes it a lot easier to find when I've laid it down somewhere
on the ground as I'm treating water.
Summary:
 Over the
course of the test I only needed to treat about 6 L (about 6 qt) of
water during my hiking and backpacking, mainly due to using less water
in colder weather and a lack of water in some areas where I hiked which
meant I had to carry in my water in these areas. I also treated
about 3 L (about 3 qt) trying the unit at home. While I had hoped
to treat more, I found the SteriPEN Journey was really convenient to
use, easy to pack and carry, and efficient. It also worked much
better in sub-freezing temperatures than I expected it would. I
was really pleased that even with lows at 20 F (-7 C) I did not have to
spend a lot of effort getting the unit warm before I could use
it. The simple precaution of wrapping it in some clothing that I
kept by my side during the night kept it warm enough to operate
effectively the next morning.
I really like the way the base of the lamp fits snuggly into a small
mouthed water bottle or bladder and the center of the pre-filter
housing making it convenient to rock or shake the water while it is
being treated instead of having to stir it. I only wish that
SteriPEN made a pre-filter unit that would fit an energy drink style
bottle since I prefer using that type of bottle for the weight
savings when I am backpacking.
I have also enjoyed being able to drink safe water so quickly after
collecting it, with minimal fuss and effort. Being able to check
the LCD screen to make sure the proper treatment time is selected for
the volume of water and that the treatment was effective has been very
reassuring.
I plan to continue using the SteriPEN Journey for all my future
backpacking trips and on longer day hikes. I'm sold on its
convenience, light weight, and efficiency.
This concludes the test series.
Thanks to Hydro-Photon and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity
to
test the SteriPEN Journey LCD.
Read more gear reviews by Pamela Wyant
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