Clean water is arguably the most essential element to a safe comfortable backpacking trip.  In many places in Southern California packing in all the water required for the duration of a trip is the only option available.  Water weighs in at approximately 8 pounds a gallon.  and you need at least a gallon a day in moderate conditions to function without getting dehydrated and loopy (more if it is hot, or you are exercising a lot).   Like most backpackers, weight is a concern to me, and carrying 32 pounds of water sends shivers down my overloaded spine.  The good news is there is often a better way.  Many of the places I backpack have plenty of water in streams, ponds, puddles and any many other creative sources.  The bad news is these water sources are often contaminated, and can be hazardous to your health.  A water purification device is the solution to this problem.

Over the last 4 months, I have had the fortunate opportunity to carry and use the Steripen Journey LCD, which is a water purification device that uses UV light to destroy the pathogens in untreated water sources.  In the past I have always carried a mechanical filter to purify my water in the backcountry.  While I have no complaints about the functionality of my mechanical filter, I have always wondered if there is a lighter simpler solution.  The Steripen Journey is that solution in a number of situations, but has some limitations that one must be aware of before chucking out that mechanical filter.

The The Steripen Journey LCD is a lightweight (4.5 oz including batteries) electronic device with a sturdy glass probe housing a UV element.  The probe is shaped in a way that it is easy to fit into the mouth of a Nalgene bottle, where the UV element is activated by a button on the handle end of the unit.  The Journey LCD is unique in that it has a small LCD screen that indicates that the process has been successful through a series of universal symbols (happy and sad faces).  The process of purification is better explained through this description taken directly from the Steripen website;

” UV purification works as the ultraviolet energy emitted by the light is absorbed by the cells of the microbe, preventing cell enzymes from ‘reading’ its DNA. Without intact DNA, microbes can’t reproduce to make you sick. The process is simple but effective, destroying over 99.9 percent of harmful microorganisms.”

I have used the Steripen Journey in a number of backpacking situations, and can confidently say I have yet to get a water born illness in the time I have been using the unit.  While I am not conducting a scientific test of it’s effectiveness, the six or so trips in which it has been the primary purification method, it has been successful, so I am confident it works.  The light weight simple unit has yet to break or be damaged, but I do tend to baby it as I do with any electronic unit that I bring into the backcountry.  The unit is an elegant solution for purifying water.  The unit does not have any moving parts, and when enclosed in its sheath it is a compact unit that is easy to pack and carry.  The case even included a belt loop for easy access on those really thirsty days.  The unit uses CR123 size batteries which are powerful, long lasting, and easy to come by most everywhere.  They do appear to last a long time, as I am still working on my first set after nearly 4 months of use.

The Steripen Journey relies on batteries and electronics to function and this is a minor (and perhaps unfounded) concern of mine.  Any longer trip, one must be very confident that the electronics and power of the unit will maintain it’s integrity during the course of the trip.  While the same hold true with a mechanical filter, I am more capable of fixing a mechanical part in the field than I am diagnosing and fixing a circuit board problem.  To be fair, the unit has never given me a reason to doubt that it will work regularly and consistently, but is a factor when deciding one what type of unit to pack for a given trip.

My primary concern with the Steripen technology has more to do with the terrain I often hike in than the functionality of the unit.  While my trips to locations with clear free flowing water sources have proven the Steripen Journey LCD the ideal companion for zapping the nasties from the water, a recent trip was less than ideal for me while using the Steripen.  I was backpacking through San Mateo Canyon Wilderness on a recent very rainy weekend, and set camp, and went to the stream down the hill for water.  The copious amounts of rain had filtered through the oak trees, and the oak leaves littering the area, and had picked up a significant amount of tannins from the trees, staining the water an unappetizing brown yellow.  While the water was not what I would call cloudy,  it certainly was not clear.  The Steripen recommends that if the water is not clear that you use a prefilter to filter out the suspended particles.  I tried the bandanna that I had carried for this purpose, and was not able to completely clarify the water.  I worried a little about the effectiveness of the UV light in this type of water, and really did not enjoy drinking the unappetizing color, but did not get sick, so all is right in the world.

The Steripen Journey LCD is a great lightweight solution to purifying water in a great number of situations.  In addition, it would be a fantastic tool to bring when you are traveling outside the country, and water contamination is a factor.  The small discrete unit would be a perfect way to assure clean drinking water wherever you may be.  The Steripen has been reliable throughout my testing, and I have remained free from water born illness after a number of times using the unit.  The Steripen has proven to be reliable and durable enough to survive the rigors of backpacking.  Be sure to have an effective method of prefiltering water if you expect to encounter cloudy or stained water sources, as these conditions can render the UV light ineffective.  Overall I am very happy with the Steripen Journey LCD, and plan to continue making it a part of my water purification arsenal in the future.