I am trying to figure out what to do that will make getting
a water supply from a very small stream fast and efficiently
using a StriPen.

What kind of containers would you recommend to treat and store
at least a two day water supply for cooking and hydration?

What would your system of collection treating and storing be?

I have read endless threads on water and have no idea what I want
to do or if I should even stick with the StriPen.

(Edit) // I will have no water source in that two day period to get water from.

Edited by ctracyverizon on 03/29/2011 14:02:18 MDT.

I'm a Steripen user but if you are planning on carrying 2 days worth of water you may not be using the Steripen to it's best potential and might want to look for something else.

I use the Steripen because it is fast and allows me to effectively treat as I go. I carry smaller amounts of water between water stops and that offsets the extra weight of the Steripen. If I was going to carry two days of water I would probably treat it with chemicals.

That said, I use a water scoop (cut off the bottom on a platypus container) and have put a 500 ml and 1 liter marks on the side. I can scoop out of shallow water sources and treat as needed, right in the scoop. Then I pour it into whatever container I happen to be using (small or wide mouth). The scoop weighs .7 oz. and I generally pour the water through a 1 micron filter cloth (dudadiesel filter material).

The Steripen will treat only one liter at a time (or a half liter, but that won't help you much). Each liter will take a minute and a half to treat. Multiply that by however many liters you plan to take with you, and that's the minimal amount of time you'll spend actively treating your water.

As a Steripen user, in your situation I might decide to go with a gravity filter enhanced by a chemical treatment. I'd probably use some sort of hydration bladder (likely Platypus) to carry the water in.

Whatever you decide, be prepared for the weight - "A pint (half liter) is a pound, the world around." Two pounds per quart/liter, eight pounds per gallon. Be sure to have a pack that can deal with the weight.

Any chance you can cache a water supply half way through?

Edited by grampa on 03/29/2011 14:26:48 MDT.

Hey Mike -

That's pretty much what I had come down to and was going to strain it through a coffee strainer or the 0.1 micron filter into two bladders and water bottles.

I found your post with this picture and think that's a good way to go.

Anyone have a better idea?

Edited by ctracyverizon on 03/29/2011 14:36:13 MDT.

Thanks for that Stephan,

The SteriPen is new for me.

Maybe I should do a combo of getting what I need for the day with the SteriPen and using chemicals on the next days water and just straining the day two water through the 0.1 micron filter and treating, since it will have plenty of time to work before I need it.

I don't know ... I start thinking too much about it and wonder if I should just switch to a sawyer gravity filter.

Osprey Aether will likely be what I take instead of my jam.

Edited by ctracyverizon on 03/29/2011 15:02:26 MDT.

Carry untreated water and treat it as you need it

If you need 16 liters it would take about 30 minutes to treat it

If you treat it as needed you can spread it out

Also, water that you heat for cooking doesn't have to be treated

If you're dead set on using the steripen, then I would either:
a. collect your necessary water supply in a dirty water container. Pour out what you need into a separate container and zap it with the steripen as you need it. this would require you to have a seperate "clean" water container that is compatible with the steripen; or
b. use the steripen to treat just immediate water needs and chemicals for the long-term "stored" water that you're carrying for the next day, etc.

Or just switch out to some other treatment method for this trip... pump, gravity, chemicals, etc.

Jerry & Nicholas, the more I think about your comments the more that makes sense to me.

I can get what we need at the stream, throw in chemicals (why not) and go and then just SteriPen what we need to drink as we need it.

If anyone has more ideas please share them.

Edited by ctracyverizon on 03/29/2011 19:50:35 MDT.