Anyone ever try one of these for water purification?

Someone here has and said they liked it. I think it was in a water filter thread recently. Someone else commented that it's still nice to pour the water through some type of filter, like a coffee filter, to get the "gunk" out, and then use the steri pen. I saw it at Canoecopia and thought it looked neat. If I didn't have a pump filter already, I would probably get it.

I use one and love it. Obviously in places outside the BW where you might be scooping mucky water, there are better alternatives.

here is the current thread where it's mentioned a few times: Water filtration thread

I hate to hijack every SteriPEN thread with a question about AquaStar Plus!, but they both use UV to sterilize water. The AquaStar looks basically like a SteriPEN contained in a screw-top bottle, which seems very convenient. Anyone with experience with these?

And, where are you guys collecting your water that "gunk" is such a factor? Paddle out 100 feet or so from camp to fill your containers.

I used a SteriPen during last year's solo trip. Very convenient for one or two people.

The pre-filter removes all grit but if you are at a lake with stained water, it will remain stained. Note the treated water in the Platypus bag.

SteriPEN is intended for use in clear water.

Used one last year. Did not get sick. But then, lots of people drink untreated BWCA water with no problems.

Used one for 2 years now. Love it. Takes a bit to get used to simply putting untreated water in the water bag... then empty into water bottle as needed, treat and use.

I paddle with kids, so MUCH easier for me to get them to go scoop a bag of water out of the lake and then even my youngest can use the steripen. With our old filters (will keep for non-BWCA trips, like muddy rivers) I could never trust that the kids hadn't contaminated the clean line, etc.

Love it.
-k.

snakecharmer,
Stained water won't hurt anyone. It's the microscopic critters with which we are concerned.

drifterdj,
An added benefit of the SteriPen is that you can take it with you when you travel to third-world countries. You can sterilize that glass of water on your restaurant table and lower the risk of Montezuma's revenge (you might still get MR from the salad or fruit).

Jeriatric,

Trust me, I've drank my share of stained water. That statement in my post was a direct cut and paste from SteriPen's website (Question #8 under the FAQs). The point being, the SteriPen is not as effective in discolored water and may fail to kill our little microscopic friends. I see you are a user and are probably aware of this, but someone else might not be. Again, since the manufacturer made the statement on their website, I thought it was worth mentioning :)

I don't believe the presence of tannins in the water in the BW lakes is severe enough to prevent sterilization of the water. When a narrow container such as a regular Nalgene (the usual choice for sterilization) is filled, the stain is barely noticeable in most cases.
I think that all BW water is stained. It is just a matter of degree, which changes when you move from one lake to another. However, I don't think dissolved tannins block light on the same order of magnitude as mud particles.
I own a nice microscope. If I were living in northern Minnesota, I'd do a before and after check of a water sample, with sterilization by a SteriPen. The test could be done with lightly stained water from one lake and more heavily stained water from another lake. I could, at least, verify that the larger microbes were, or were not, being zapped. Surely, there is an "inquiring minds want to know" type of BWCA Message Board member there in NE MN.

Until I hear of SteriPen test failures involving BW waters, I'll continue to use my SteriPen in those waters.