> I'm very suspicious about the effectiveness of the portable UV devices: i haven't tested one in the lab or anything,

Well, if you haven't actually tested one of the devices in the lab then you don't have much data to go on. For the vendors to be able to claim compliance with EPA purifier requirements means the devices have to have been tested in independent test labs able to meet the EPA lab requirements. I have seen some of the Test Reports.

As for the exposure time and industrial UV systems - that's simple maths. The industrial systems run the water through at high speed. Their exposure time is far, far shorter! But it all depends on the product of exposure time and UV flux (amount of radiation). Double the flux and you can halve the exposure time.

Cheers

after boiling, then you have to wait for it to cool.

I have that same feeling about the UV - I'm waving this magic wand but I wonder if it's really doing anything

After the magic wand treatment I don't get sick, but 99% of the time the water's fine without treatment

And if you get sick the other 1% of the time, well, maybe it was food poisining

However, I have faith that they test this and it actually works, but still I have this feeling...

"I'm waving this magic wand but I wonder if it's really doing anything"

[Sigh] So many openings. So little time.....

Yeah, I was living up there about 35-40 years ago, doing carpentry mostly. Building camps, hotels, motels and doing repair work before I went back to school. I watched some of my favorite places die off. Some have recovered, now. I won't say where, though. The Oswagatchie was hit fairly hard. The fishing went from a lot at 8-12" to a few 15-18" to none over about 4 years. No breeding was taking place. Three years ago my daughter and I went back and we caught a bunch of 6-7" brookies. Soo, that's comming back. The Indian River was about the same. The upper Moose River was bad into the Moose River Plains. It is also comming back. This year my son in law and I caught a bunch of horned dace...still only a few trout, though.

Anyway, I think we are way off topic.

Jerry, I agree 100%. It is hard to say from NOT getting sick.
Ha ha, maybe I'll let you go without it??? ;-)
Nahhh, that won't work....different water....

"I dont know if i would like the idea of having to wait for camp to refill water."

I filter on the go all the time. It doesn't take that long. A few minutes tops, and there's usually something I want to do like check my map or put away the clothes that were drying on my pad roll.

"I also have concerns of a .2 micron gravity filter clogging easily?"

I've always filtered water that's pretty clear. The filter does slow down a little after a few days, but it's easy to backflush in the field if you filter from a dirty bag to a clean bag. You just wait until the dirty bag is empty, then give the clean bag a squeeze to force some clean water back through the filter to clear it. That restores the flow.

Edited by herman666 on 01/30/2011 18:53:28 MST.

Chlorine Dioxide tabs while hiking. I use a Camelback with a charcoal filter along with the tablets for drink as I go. As for the time in camp, I use my Steripen and go from there. I hate the taste of chlorine dioxide and this is the way I deal with it. I hate waiting around on the trail to get my water and this works for me.

Edited by kennyhel77 on 01/30/2011 19:16:02 MST.

OK, looks like I will be setting up something with an inline fiter.

Any input on which to get? Looks like MSR, platy, and Sawyer all make something that looks pretty similar.

I use the Sawyer with a Platy Big Zip. . I also just found some 1/32" wall tubing at usplastics that I'm going to try. I ordered some so i'll report back when it arrives, but 1/16" is the thinnest wall I've seen previously.

Does it work ok to just "suck" the water through the filter?

The MSR and Platy are the same thing (Cascade Designs is the parent company of both). Sawyer is a unique brand. They all have similar hollow fiber technology with similar flow rates and effective filtration levels (0.1 OR 0.2 microns). Go with whichever one you can find cheapest. Note that MSR/Platy just switched to a new design on the casing in the last couple months. You might be able to find the 2007-2010 model pretty cheap.

Sorry, I haven't hooked it up as a simple in-line (suck it) system, so I have no idea how long that takes.

I live in SoCal. Most of the places I go to the water is flowing fast and I've just filtered with a Hiker Pro and started drinking immediately. I really want to lighten up my load and so have been looking around at all these water-related threads and hoping to find a good solution or solutions. Until recently, I had pretty much decided to go with a SteriPen Opti (3.6 oz) and some tabs as backup. Now, SteriPen has the Freedom as shown at the recently passed Outdoor Retailer event that several BPL staffers attended and reported on. Anyway, this newer model is 1.0 ounce lighter at 2.6 ounces and is shorter as well. See this link and look at the seventh photo down for this newer model. http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/orwm_2011_day_2_new_interesting_gear.html

SteriPen also have a cool filter that is coming out. Its called the FitsAll Filter, (meaning it fits many differnt bottles) see it here on the third photo down. http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/orwm_2011_day_3_awesome_gear.html

Even though Will didn't like the "heavier" weight of this filter, a Freedom and a FitsAll Filter are still less than 5 ounces total. That's pretty good. Throw in a few drops or tabs and you've got a decent water strategy and probably under 6 ounces total. I don't pretend to know more than many that have posted here, but I feel this is one way to skin that cat. Keep us posted on what you wind up going with and good hunting.

Bummer about new lighter model

I've been using Adventurer Opti the last couple months and now it's obsolete

Warren, I have the Steripen fits all filter. It is ok but maybe needs tweaking. It does not fit bottles as well as the advertizing suggests. They are available at REI right now.

Scott thanks for this link! I also have been intrigued by that youtube video and have been looking into this type of solution. All the bags I could find on ebay/elsewhere were more expensive. Under $5 and now I can try this out. Thanks!

Any other input on sucking water straight through an inline filter?

I think i like this method the best because I could eliminate the 2nd bladder and not have to wait for the water to gravity feed when im on the run.

I will probably rig up some kind of prefilter on whatever I use to gather and pour the water into the bladder as an extra measure without too much weight.

platy hoser 2L - 3.5
inline filter - 2 oz.
gatorade bottle w/ prefitler - 1.5 oz.

7 ounces gets me water storage and collection, plus a microfilter and prefilter. I dont think i will be able to get much lighter than this with a similar system.

"Anyway, I think we are way off topic."

Just a little :)

That experience is probably one of the reasons that I'm now becoming a conservationist; it made a significant impression on me when I was in my early teens, and he pointed out a crystal clear lake, and told me it was basically dead due to acid rain (probably oversimplified, but it was sufficient to get the point across). That stuck with me, because even though I'm on the opposite coast now, I still love the Adirondacks.

And now back to our regularly scheduled chatter :)

I have one also. It's fine on the bottles I use, my frustration is that it doesn't fit the newer Steripens because of their oblong shape. That makes using a Steripen with a Nalgene Cantene somewhat more awkward than it should be, since you can't flip the bottle over with the Steripin in it, like you could with the cylindrical-shaped Sterpens.

Ken, thanks. I'll have look next time I'm by there.

Jerry, ya, that's what I thought too. We'll see if they release this before I need it. May continue on with my buddies Hiker and wait till the Freedom hits.

The new filter I mentioned above is supposed to allow the SteriPen to be used in conjunction and upside down for easier use. I think it showed a picture of that on the packaging label. I'd assume both items will be reviewed around here fairly soon. I know I hope so on that score.

Edited by WarrenGreer on 01/31/2011 20:47:12 MST.

I hope so too, because I like the fits-all idea, just not the fact that it doesn't fit all Steripens.