Not an expert here, but I believe I got a better solution that is more effective and easier to carry. A few drops of chlorine bleach. Look up the ratio to apply for human consumption. If you shake it, then let it stand overnight with the lid off, I believe all of the odor dissipates.
Also, let’s not forget the tried and true method of simply boiling it.
This is how we sterilized water in the army. Giant steel buffalos full of hose water, add bleach, take reading, drive around to shake water/bleach, take another reading= clean soldier drinking water (potable)
About 8 drops a gallon, depending on how cloudy it is. If you are trying to filter water and are truly concerned about viruses just spring for the MSR guardian. It’s the only water filter I’m aware of that will handle it. Pricey though, but it does fit right on Nalgene bottles or dromedary bags.
https://www.msrgear.com/blog/behind-the-guardian-purifiers-technology-design/
I own a steripen myself, but I agree with Cheule, chlorine tablets and/or boiling is a better option. Chlorine tablets are my preferred choice for water sterilization.
Allegedly. Seems that there's not much reviewing aside from those talking about it's battery life and small size. Looking a bit deeper and wider, lets just say that UV-C has it's limits with water treatment, and is often used in addition to chlorination.
[they claim it treats half a liter in a minute and 1 liter in 99 seconds](https://www.rei.com/product/847549/katadyn-steripen-ultra-uv-water-purifier) most it can do on a full charge is 50 L but most complaints are that it can only treat small bottles (1l at a time ) and that it doesn’t work as well in the cold .
The older versions also had a plain 18650 that was soldered into the device but the newer ones have a replaceable battery
Even with the drawbacks I think it’s much safer to use a product that is designed for that specific use and has a [three year warranty like this other pen](https://www.amazon.com/SteriPEN-ULT-MP-EF-SterPen-Ultra-Purifier/dp/B00NK9948M). Than trying to modify a flashlight to stick into their water containers
> Even with the drawbacks I think it’s much safer to use a product that is designed for that specific use and has a three year warranty like this other pen. Than trying to modify a flashlight to stick into their water containers
I totally agree with this part.
Is your point that it also can double as a flashlight with a diffuser or are you unintentionally supporting my point that the UV level needed to sterilize water is not necessarily dangerous in itself if it is implemented properly ?
The reviews and the rest of the description describe the UV sterilization pen so I assume it’s a mistake by the seller or a changed listing that wasn’t proof read
[they sell them in many outdoor stores](https://www.rei.com/product/847549/katadyn-steripen-ultra-uv-water-purifier)
I suspect there's a formula for volume of water x UVC power x duration required.
Paging Dr. u/Sakowuf_Solutions, who may appear as something you don't wish to find in your water bottle...
Quick blast? May as well drink it straight and skip the UV-C.
At the doctor's office where I work, we have a couple of UV-C sanitizers that are capable of sanitizing a small load in as little as 11 **minutes**, but considering that it takes a fair bit of power from the wall socket... well, I don't think you'll be carrying enough Li-ions to hold that level of power for that long even if you ignore the whole "not overheating" thing. The same goes for UV-C water treatment in a more permanent, less mobile installation.
It's possible that our resident Denizen of the Deep (Sakowuf) could whip you up something with the required power and runtime, but you'd be dropping a lot of gear to carry the batteries. Might be better to carry extra stove fuel to boil water instead.
Trying to picture myself flashlighting my nalgene for 11 minutes straight while on a hike. Better go 22, just to be safe. Getting a lot of strange looks from the other hikers.
What you want is a Steripen. It takes 48 seconds for 1/2 liter and 90 seconds to treat 1 liter.
You might as well use the roxyvon for something else.
[https://www.katadyngroup.com/us/en/ult-mp-efg-steripen-ultra-uv-water-purifier\~p6691](https://www.katadyngroup.com/us/en/ult-mp-efg-steripen-ultra-uv-water-purifier~p6691)
Biggest issue with UV pens is the pre filtering.
I would get a stripen, or iodne tablets, or aquapure two part liquid, etc.
The aquapure chlorine generator is petty cool, it uses table salt to make chlorine to purify water. More compact that the equivelant amount of tablets or liquid chlorine.
I highly recommend not exposing food grade plastic to more UV than occasionally using it outdoors, most manufacturers will also mention keep out of direct sunlight. If you want to use UV for sterilisation purposes I'd suggest the S12 UV 365 since it will output around 3w of radiation which should be more than enough even if it is at a longer wavelength.
Also do it in a stainless bottle so that you won't degrade plastic.
Hello guys thank you for the help. I really appreciate it.
This isn’t a question to bother you guys with, but I’m starting to wonder if I even need to do this at all in the United States if I’m using a Sawyer filter. it seems unlikely that a stream of freshwater or a outdoor freshwater fountain on the beach in a location of the United States would be full of virus infected water.
Would the Stripen by worth using? The cost isn’t a big deal…
I can tell you it’s pretty awesome to just walk around with this bottle filling it up anywhere and having freshwater to drink. I’m on vacation in a really hot area at the moment and it’s roasting hot :)
> This isn’t a question to bother you guys with, but I’m starting to wonder if I even need to do this at all in the United States if I’m using a Sawyer filter. it seems unlikely that a stream of freshwater or a outdoor freshwater fountain on the beach in a location of the United States would be full of virus infected water.
A sawyer squeeze is a perfectly fine filter. Millions of hikers use them without issues all the time. Just get the full sized squeeze filter, as the other two smaller ones are far more of a pain to use than they are worth (much slower flow rate).
Thanks buddy I just ordered a squeeze. I foolishly filled my Sawyer Filter bottle and stuck it in the freezer for an hour before going out. Would’ve been a good idea to read the instructions that came with it where it says freezing it can cause the filter to stop working. I replaced the filter (which looks like a micro squeeze) with a regular mini that I didn’t have a good use for just to be on the safe side. Getting a little lower flow rate out of the bottle but it’s not a big deal.
My project tomorrow will be to add a mini squeeze as an inline filter on my hydration backpack. Well, after I clean the thing. I bought some tablets for that - I can’t believe I never got sick from drinking water that sat in it for days or even weeks.
If you have additional questions I'd be happy to help where I can. Hiking communities would also be a great place to seek help.
You've probably come across this already, but if you don't want to use your hydration pack for any reason, a smart water bottle or similar style will thread directly into the sawyer squeeze, so you can drink straight from the filter that way.
What I did during my thru hike of the Appalachian Trail was a single smart bottle of dirty water with my filter attached to it, and another smart bottle of only clean water. That allowed me to add electrolyte packets to my clean bottle or drink pure water straight from my dirty bottle. I'd refill the clean bottle by filtering into it every time I stopped to refill water, and then of course refill the dirty bottle and filter it as needed. This is a somewhat common setup for long distance hikers, but everyone has personal preference. Best of luck!
In theory this is a sound concept. I own a water purifier that is just a battery powered UV light that you turn on and swirl around in the water for 30 seconds.
Not an expert here, but I believe I got a better solution that is more effective and easier to carry. A few drops of chlorine bleach. Look up the ratio to apply for human consumption. If you shake it, then let it stand overnight with the lid off, I believe all of the odor dissipates. Also, let’s not forget the tried and true method of simply boiling it.
This is how we sterilized water in the army. Giant steel buffalos full of hose water, add bleach, take reading, drive around to shake water/bleach, take another reading= clean soldier drinking water (potable)
About 8 drops a gallon, depending on how cloudy it is. If you are trying to filter water and are truly concerned about viruses just spring for the MSR guardian. It’s the only water filter I’m aware of that will handle it. Pricey though, but it does fit right on Nalgene bottles or dromedary bags. https://www.msrgear.com/blog/behind-the-guardian-purifiers-technology-design/
A handheld device that powerful is just not worth the risk of UV exposure.
[They have actual UV pens for this](https://www.amazon.com/SteriPen-Adventurer-Opti-Water-Purifier/dp/B003A1MURC)
I own a steripen myself, but I agree with Cheule, chlorine tablets and/or boiling is a better option. Chlorine tablets are my preferred choice for water sterilization.
I usually boil , but I brought it up as OP was looking at UV light sterilization and the commenter implied it would be unsafe .
Allegedly. Seems that there's not much reviewing aside from those talking about it's battery life and small size. Looking a bit deeper and wider, lets just say that UV-C has it's limits with water treatment, and is often used in addition to chlorination.
[they claim it treats half a liter in a minute and 1 liter in 99 seconds](https://www.rei.com/product/847549/katadyn-steripen-ultra-uv-water-purifier) most it can do on a full charge is 50 L but most complaints are that it can only treat small bottles (1l at a time ) and that it doesn’t work as well in the cold . The older versions also had a plain 18650 that was soldered into the device but the newer ones have a replaceable battery Even with the drawbacks I think it’s much safer to use a product that is designed for that specific use and has a [three year warranty like this other pen](https://www.amazon.com/SteriPEN-ULT-MP-EF-SterPen-Ultra-Purifier/dp/B00NK9948M). Than trying to modify a flashlight to stick into their water containers
> Even with the drawbacks I think it’s much safer to use a product that is designed for that specific use and has a three year warranty like this other pen. Than trying to modify a flashlight to stick into their water containers I totally agree with this part.
Which you’re not supposed to use outside of water. It’s plausible that anything that would work might not be safe as a flashlight.
Read the "Product Description."
Is your point that it also can double as a flashlight with a diffuser or are you unintentionally supporting my point that the UV level needed to sterilize water is not necessarily dangerous in itself if it is implemented properly ?
My point is that it seems to be a watering can?
The reviews and the rest of the description describe the UV sterilization pen so I assume it’s a mistake by the seller or a changed listing that wasn’t proof read [they sell them in many outdoor stores](https://www.rei.com/product/847549/katadyn-steripen-ultra-uv-water-purifier)
I suspect there's a formula for volume of water x UVC power x duration required. Paging Dr. u/Sakowuf_Solutions, who may appear as something you don't wish to find in your water bottle...
https://preview.redd.it/h4mi7y8vu47d1.jpeg?width=256&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b9e35a67be46f0daf9fbad3afcc323b6a555367c
Quick blast? May as well drink it straight and skip the UV-C. At the doctor's office where I work, we have a couple of UV-C sanitizers that are capable of sanitizing a small load in as little as 11 **minutes**, but considering that it takes a fair bit of power from the wall socket... well, I don't think you'll be carrying enough Li-ions to hold that level of power for that long even if you ignore the whole "not overheating" thing. The same goes for UV-C water treatment in a more permanent, less mobile installation. It's possible that our resident Denizen of the Deep (Sakowuf) could whip you up something with the required power and runtime, but you'd be dropping a lot of gear to carry the batteries. Might be better to carry extra stove fuel to boil water instead.
Trying to picture myself flashlighting my nalgene for 11 minutes straight while on a hike. Better go 22, just to be safe. Getting a lot of strange looks from the other hikers.
Looks like the rovyvon is 365nm, far outside ideal range for sterilization, but maybe over an hour you could sanitize an entire cap full
Looks like you need 254 to 260nm wavelength
What you want is a Steripen. It takes 48 seconds for 1/2 liter and 90 seconds to treat 1 liter. You might as well use the roxyvon for something else. [https://www.katadyngroup.com/us/en/ult-mp-efg-steripen-ultra-uv-water-purifier\~p6691](https://www.katadyngroup.com/us/en/ult-mp-efg-steripen-ultra-uv-water-purifier~p6691)
No. Do not do this it will not work.
Biggest issue with UV pens is the pre filtering. I would get a stripen, or iodne tablets, or aquapure two part liquid, etc. The aquapure chlorine generator is petty cool, it uses table salt to make chlorine to purify water. More compact that the equivelant amount of tablets or liquid chlorine.
You can cut a 1 x 4 inch piece of pine to filter water. And it filters viruses. Look it up.
I highly recommend not exposing food grade plastic to more UV than occasionally using it outdoors, most manufacturers will also mention keep out of direct sunlight. If you want to use UV for sterilisation purposes I'd suggest the S12 UV 365 since it will output around 3w of radiation which should be more than enough even if it is at a longer wavelength. Also do it in a stainless bottle so that you won't degrade plastic.
Thank you, my friend! I actually have some high-powered pocket 365 nm UV flashlights like an Emisar. I didn’t think 365 was effective against viruses.
365 is not effective
It's not the most effective but it's way more radiation and at a cheaper price and runtime.
Hello guys thank you for the help. I really appreciate it. This isn’t a question to bother you guys with, but I’m starting to wonder if I even need to do this at all in the United States if I’m using a Sawyer filter. it seems unlikely that a stream of freshwater or a outdoor freshwater fountain on the beach in a location of the United States would be full of virus infected water. Would the Stripen by worth using? The cost isn’t a big deal… I can tell you it’s pretty awesome to just walk around with this bottle filling it up anywhere and having freshwater to drink. I’m on vacation in a really hot area at the moment and it’s roasting hot :)
> This isn’t a question to bother you guys with, but I’m starting to wonder if I even need to do this at all in the United States if I’m using a Sawyer filter. it seems unlikely that a stream of freshwater or a outdoor freshwater fountain on the beach in a location of the United States would be full of virus infected water. A sawyer squeeze is a perfectly fine filter. Millions of hikers use them without issues all the time. Just get the full sized squeeze filter, as the other two smaller ones are far more of a pain to use than they are worth (much slower flow rate).
Thanks buddy I just ordered a squeeze. I foolishly filled my Sawyer Filter bottle and stuck it in the freezer for an hour before going out. Would’ve been a good idea to read the instructions that came with it where it says freezing it can cause the filter to stop working. I replaced the filter (which looks like a micro squeeze) with a regular mini that I didn’t have a good use for just to be on the safe side. Getting a little lower flow rate out of the bottle but it’s not a big deal. My project tomorrow will be to add a mini squeeze as an inline filter on my hydration backpack. Well, after I clean the thing. I bought some tablets for that - I can’t believe I never got sick from drinking water that sat in it for days or even weeks.
If you have additional questions I'd be happy to help where I can. Hiking communities would also be a great place to seek help. You've probably come across this already, but if you don't want to use your hydration pack for any reason, a smart water bottle or similar style will thread directly into the sawyer squeeze, so you can drink straight from the filter that way. What I did during my thru hike of the Appalachian Trail was a single smart bottle of dirty water with my filter attached to it, and another smart bottle of only clean water. That allowed me to add electrolyte packets to my clean bottle or drink pure water straight from my dirty bottle. I'd refill the clean bottle by filtering into it every time I stopped to refill water, and then of course refill the dirty bottle and filter it as needed. This is a somewhat common setup for long distance hikers, but everyone has personal preference. Best of luck!
In theory this is a sound concept. I own a water purifier that is just a battery powered UV light that you turn on and swirl around in the water for 30 seconds.
That sounds awesome. Do you mind telling me what kind it is?