Water purification with the Steripen Adventurer Opti ultraviolet gentle is a straightforward solution to kill the micro organism, viruses, and cryptosporidium present in pure water sources when day mountaineering, tenting, or backpacking.
It’s simple to make use of, very dependable, and works in all temperatures, together with under freezing, which is able to break most water filters made with hole fiber filter components. The Adventurer Opti will also be used with all sorts of water containers, offered you possibly can insert the sunshine aspect far sufficient into them together with wide-mouth Nalgene or Hydro Flask aluminum bottles, CamelBak water bladders, and zip-top reservoirs from Osprey, Gregory, CNOC, HydraPak, and Platypus.
Note: Katadyn, which additionally manufactures water filters and purifiers, purchased the corporate that makes Steripens a number of years in the past. This explains why the Steripen Adventurer Opti is usually listed because the Katadyn Steripen Adventurer Opti at retailers.
Like all backcountry water therapy options, the SteriPEN Adventurer Opti, have their professionals and cons and are usually not appropriate in all circumstances. They work finest with sediment-free water from mountain streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes which are free from the chemical or mineral pollution discovered close to agricultural, city areas, and mining operations.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Neutralizes organic organisms | Does not work with all bottles or reservoirs |
| Very quick | Battery dependent |
| Non-mechanical, no pumping | Does not take away chemical or mineral contaminents |
| Effective in chilly or freezing climate | Not efficient with cloudy or murky water |
| Does not have an effect on style | Does not neutralize bigger organisms, i.e. worm eggs |
The Steripen Adventurer Opti weighs 3.6 oz together with batteries and might purify 50 liters of water as much as 8,000 instances. That’s greater than sufficient for weekend journeys the place you’d drink 4-5 liters per day. If you utilize it in temperatures underneath 32 levels, it’s finest to retailer it close to your physique to maintain the battery heat, however it may be packed anyplace in hotter climate.
The SteriPEN Adventurer Opti can be utilized to purify 1 liter or half-liter of water at a time. You can use it with any plastic, steel, ceramic or glass bottle so long as it has a large sufficient opening so you possibly can submerge the Opti’s gentle aspect in it. While a wide-mouth 1 liter Nalgene bottle may be very handy to make use of, there’s no cause you possibly can’t use a cooking pot too.
Once submerged, you stir the water gently with the SteriPEN till the UV gentle goes off, which alerts that your water is purified. It takes about 90 seconds to complete. It is so simple as that. The ultraviolet gentle destroys the DNA that lets micro organism, viruses, or cysts replicate in your intestine which is what makes you sick. If you’re frightened about water remaining on the threads of the bottle or container you used, wipe them dry with a clear fabric. This isn’t an enormous concern since your immune system can often deal with the small variety of organisms remaining on the threads if any.
The Adventurer Opti is powered by two CR123 lithium batteries, that are comparatively cheap in the event you purchase them in amount at Amazon. They’re lithium batteries so that they’re good in chilly climate and gained’t freeze when the temperature drops under 32 levels, like alkaline batteries that include water. If you’re taking longer journeys, the SteriPEN Classic is perhaps a greater answer as a result of it might probably purify 150 liters on a single set of AA batteries though it’s about twice as heavy because the Adventurer Opti, with batteries.
Like all water therapy options, it’s vital to hold a water purification backup in case your major methodology fails. For instance, I at all times carry Katadyn Micropur Chlorine Dioxide Tablets as a backup water purification methodology in case my major methodology – be it a Steripen, a gravity filter, a pump filter, or squeeze filter – breaks, clogs, the batteries die or it fails by some means. I don’t use Micropur tablets on a regular basis as a result of I want the style of non-chlorinated water and so they’re a reasonably costly answer, however they reliably purify silt-free water saved in any container and at any temperature.
Recommendation
The Steripen Adventurer Opti is an easy-to-use water purification answer that may deal with as much as 50 liters. It’s powered by two lithium batteries and good for weekend journeys with a pair, assuming you drink 4-5 liters of water per day or carry spare batteries for even longer-term use. Water purification with ultraviolet gentle is a really protected and efficient solution to purify pure water sources for human consumption, it’s very quick, and doesn’t depend on arduous squeezing or pumping to work. It can work with any water container that has a big sufficient opening to submerge the sunshine aspect corresponding to a wide-mouth Naglene bottle, a Hydro Flask bottle, and most hydration bladders with zip-tops.
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Disclosure: The writer bought this product along with his personal funds.
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