Go Back   Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB > Planning, Trip > Staying Healthy on the Road
Staying Healthy on the Road Medical info, e.g. malaria, vaccinations, travel medical tips, medical insurance, where to find a doctor.
Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance.

Like Tree2Likes

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 7 Feb 2011
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Posts: 368
Steripen to purify water?

Am heading to southern africa soon and was thinking I might need some water purifying tablets. Came across this - the steripen. Used ultraviolet light to kill bugs. Does it work? Has anyone used it? What advice would you have for getting safe drinking water in southern africa.

[url=http://www.ellis-brigham.com/kit-list---kilimanjaro/steripen/265351/steripen-adventurer]SteriPen Adventurer by SteriPen for
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 8 Feb 2011
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Colorado
Posts: 313
I used a steripen through Turkey, the 'Stans, Russia and Ukraine.

I mostly used it on water from hotels and other sources where the water was clear but not necessarily fit to drink. I used it a few times on water taken from streams- again clear water.

The unit is easy to use (read the directions!) and worked reliably- at least I did not get sick from water on the 3 month trip.

Take a few sets of extra batteries, the size they use (Lithium CR123A) were not easy to come by.

..........shu
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 9 Feb 2011
Registered Users
HUBB regular
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Bedfordshire UK
Posts: 54
They work fine on perfectly clear water, but if there is any particulate matter at all; sand, silt, twigs etc then you would need to filter first.
__________________
Kev
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 9 Feb 2011
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Aus. Qld. Mackay
Posts: 474
Steripen

I have been using the Steripen for about 3 years now, the Australian Army uses it, as well as some hosipitals. I have found it excellent. But I don't really think you would need one in Sthern Africa as you can buy good bottled water everywhere.
Cheers
Paul
__________________
....rather Die Living.....than Live Dying !
www.globetrekkers.net.au
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 10 Feb 2011
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Posts: 368
Thanks for the comments. Still haven't made up my mind but I did come across this:

Eco 100% stainless steel micro purification filter pure water bottle with dustcap 1600 litre: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors

a filter water bottle. Looks like it would do.
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 10 Feb 2011
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: St Louis, MO
Posts: 124
Quote:
Originally Posted by shu... View Post
I mostly used it on water from hotels and other sources where the water was clear but not necessarily fit to drink. I used it a few times on water taken from streams- again clear water.

Take a few sets of extra batteries, the size they use (Lithium CR123A) were not easy to come by.

..........shu
If your filtering just tap water which is clear and you suspect is tainted. Could you just use simple chlorine bleach, to kill the bugs, then use a DIY filter to improve the taste?

YouTube - Make it yourself water filter

daryl
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 10 Feb 2011
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Colorado
Posts: 313
Quote:
Originally Posted by dlh62c View Post
If your filtering just tap water which is clear and you suspect is tainted. Could you just use simple chlorine bleach, to kill the bugs, then use a DIY filter to improve the taste?

YouTube - Make it yourself water filter

daryl
Yes, you could. The advantages of Steripen are: you have drinkable water in 90 seconds. Using chemical treatments you are often told to wait as much as 4 hours contact time before drinking.

I'm not a doctor so you should do your own research- mine tells me that chlorine may or may not be effective against some pathogens. Also there seems to be a general recommendation against ingesting water treatment chemicals over a long period.

For example, this: Ultralight Backpacking Water Treatment

Treating with bleach should be thought of as an emergency method. Although countless websites list this method of treatment, they do not show data for effectiveness against giardia, cryptosporidium, and other pathogens. And these sources do not list the effects of long-term use on the body.

Whether this is true or not, the Steripen does not seem to have these disadvantages.

My traveling partner solved the problem by buying all his water in bottles. I didn't want to be throwing away 4-5 plastic bottles everyday, or spending my travel money on water (though the price of the steripen probably makes that statement ridiculous.)

Anyway, no clearcut answers I think. I was happy using the steripen.

.........shu
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 11 Feb 2011
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: St Louis, MO
Posts: 124
Quote:
Originally Posted by shu... View Post
The advantages of Steripen are: you have drinkable water in 90 seconds.

Anyway, no clearcut answers I think. I was happy using the steripen.

.........shu
I didn't know that the original poster had a specific time limit regarding the treatment of water. It may take 4 hours to kill the big stuff, but less for the small stuff.

It wouldn't be a waste of time to view some of the You Tube videos on DIY water filters. The more you know the less you need to carry. What knowledge one stores in their head weights nothing.

This is what I carry: YouTube - Ultralight Gravity Pro Water Filter.

Its not perfect either, but it's light, small and compact. Doesn't need batteries and has no moving parts. But it does have a 50 gal limit. I hoping to push that, if I need too, by frequent back flushing.
YouTube - AquaMira Frontier Pro UQC (military version)

daryl
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 12 Feb 2011
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Calgary AB
Posts: 1,028
Went the steripen route as well. Haven't used it yet though. I find I usually buy water as it's almost everywhere. I always used to travel with a filter but got sick of carrying it around when I nearly never use it as it's really only as a back up. So for those instances the pen is the way to go. You really don't end up drinking out of muddy streams anyway. At least I never had to. AA batteries are everywhere as well, and on a bike you always have power for rechargeables.
__________________
Tacos Tyring Travels.com
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 15 Feb 2011
Gipper's Avatar
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Saltspring Island,Canada/Poole,UK
Posts: 1,081
We have been using a Steripen in South America, every day for 3 months for 2 adults daily water. (minimum 4 litres a day - often much more)

There are 2 models, one that works on CR batteries or the one we have which works on 4 AA batteries.

I use recharchable batteries and carry a small wall/12v charger.

As mentioned it will only purify clear water.

We have not been sick from any water on our trip and it has worked fine.

It has also saved a lot of plastic bottles from the garbage where there is no recycling and has easily paid for itself over the course of our trip
__________________
Cheers
Grif

'11 KTM 450 EXC
'09 Suzuki DR650
'00 Discovery Series 2 V8
'95 Defender 90 300 Tdi Overlander
http://gipperstravels.blogspot.ca
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 15 Feb 2011
Super Moderator
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Bellingham, WA, USA
Posts: 3,969
I used a gravity feed Platypus brand system all last year. I got bored watching the video linked above, so I don't know how the one I bought pre-assembled might differ from the home-made one shown, but it sure looked similar: two 3 or 4 liter Platypus water bags, connecting tubing and a filter; pure gravity feed, i.e., no pumping. I used no chemicals, although I do understand the theory that says you need chemical treatment to deal with viruses; I don't know who gets sick from waterborne viruses, but apparently it's not (yet) me.

I ran two, three, four or more liters of clear water through it per day for most of the year. I never had to backflush or clean it. I never got sick....except when I left it behind to go trekking in famously-pristine Torres del Paine. Wrong choice; I should have brought it and kept using it.

I bought it at REI. I've used a lot of filters over the years, and this one is by far the most convenient and versatile for long motorbike trips: virtually no effort, no waiting, and no maintenance. Also no taste, no batteries, and essentially limitless capacity. Also cheap.

YMMV.

Mark
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 27 Aug 2011
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: in the saddle
Posts: 297
Coffee filters

I use a SteriPen a lot on hotel/hostel/suspicious water...and if I'm using water with sediment or dirt I just pull out my drip coffee thingy, bung a #2 filter in and pour slowly...and wait...and wait...it's slow but since I'm already carrying filters I just use them...or a shirt, anything to get the chunks out...I don't mind a little duff.

Zig
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 13 Jan 2012
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Kamloops, BC Canada
Posts: 109
Just recently went to the local travel clinic to get some of my vaccinations brought up to date and the nurse asked me what I used on my last trip (including Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey) for water treatment. I rather sheepishly told her that I used a SteriPen... half expecting her to start laughing... but her response was "Excellent!". She felt it was the best way to go. At least for relatively clear water. I was surprised. I really only used it for hotel or campground tap water.
__________________
Samuel Longiaru
Kamloops, BC Canada
1975 BMW R60/6
http://thetwilightproject.net
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 13 Jan 2012
Registered Users
HUBB regular
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Germany (near Hamburg)
Posts: 67
Chlorine should kill most bacteria provided you give it enough time. Cold water will take much longer than in warmer water. A lot of chemical reactions are so called first order and with these, the reaction time is double for every 10 deg C drop in temperature.

Filtering will not remove the taste of chlorine from the water. Add some Vitamin C to the treated water and that removes the chlorine taste, cheaply available at the chemist's shop. The reason chlorine is considered bad in treated water is that the chlorinated by products of the sterilisation reaction can be dangerous/carcinogenic, but they will only be present in tiny quantities and unlikely to be a problem for a short period of time. Certainly better than not treating the water against bacteria.

I think iodine is frowned upon and now banned in Germany for water sterilisation in filters.

I have made up a survival kit/first aid kit and will carry chlorine dioxide tablets plus Vit C tablets. I also bought a Lifesaver UF 4000 Water Filter, which apparently does not require any chemicals. It is self contained, but a little bulky - size of a one litre bottle of water. Can filter 4000l of water before a main cartridge change, but you need to take care of the supplemental activated charcoal filter, as these are a potential breeding ground for bacteria.

My local outdoors shop assistant was luke warm on the SteriPen units, although they did sell them. OK for hotel and camp site clear water, but you would always have the option of buying bottled water there (check seal is in tact).

Grey Beard

Last edited by Grey Beard; 14 Jan 2012 at 00:12. Reason: Correction
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 13 Jan 2012
Gold Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 381
A course I did covering a variety of stuff including filters suggested a steripen kind of disables any bugs, to the extent that hopefully they won't still do you any harm. However dead they may or may not be, they're still in what you're drinking!

PreMac filters use iodene, but then the carbon bit takes it out again.

The filter on the Lifesaver bottle has small enough holes to not allow any bugs through at all, and I believe there is a cleaning process to flush it within the filters lifespan? If there is nothing left after these holes, what is there to grow on the carbon bit? I'd not heard that before? Is that specific to a Lifesaver or generally?

Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 Registered Users and/or Members and 1 guests)
 

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Water filter teflon Equipment Reviews 2 25 May 2008 22:52
Steripen water purifier Pumbaa Equipment Reviews 5 27 Jan 2008 22:06
Water containers roamingyak Equipping the Overland Vehicle 17 14 Sep 2006 23:11
Water filtration roamingyak Staying Healthy on the Road 3 29 Apr 2002 20:29
Water Filtration Renate North Africa 9 29 Sep 2001 05:07

 
 

Announcements

Thinking about traveling? Not sure about the whole thing? Watch the HU Achievable Dream Video Trailers and then get ALL the information you need to get inspired and learn how to travel anywhere in the world!

Have YOU ever wondered who has ridden around the world? We did too - and now here's the list of Circumnavigators!
Check it out now
, and add your information if we didn't find you.

Next HU Eventscalendar

ALL Dates subject to change.

2025 Confirmed Events:

  • Virginia: April 24-27 2025
  • Queensland is back! May 2-4 2025
  • Germany Summer: May 29-June 1 2025
  • CanWest: July 10-13 2025
  • Switzerland: Date TBC
  • Ecuador: Date TBC
  • Romania: Date TBC
  • Austria: Sept. 11-15
  • California: September 18-21
  • France: September 19-21 2025
  • Germany Autumn: Oct 30-Nov 2 2025

Add yourself to the Updates List for each event!

Questions about an event? Ask here

See all event details

 
World's most listened to Adventure Motorbike Show!
Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...

Adventurous Bikers – We've got all your Hygiene & Protection needs SORTED! Powdered Hair & Body Wash, Moisturising Cream Insect Repellent, and Moisturising Cream Sunscreen SPF50. ESSENTIAL | CONVENIENT | FUNCTIONAL.

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)



Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance.

Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.

Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.

Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!


 

What others say about HU...

"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia

"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK

"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia

"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA

"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada

"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa

"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia

"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany

Lots more comments here!



Five books by Graham Field!

Diaries of a compulsive traveller
by Graham Field
Book, eBook, Audiobook

"A compelling, honest, inspiring and entertaining writing style with a built-in feel-good factor" Get them NOW from the authors' website and Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk.



Back Road Map Books and Backroad GPS Maps for all of Canada - a must have!

New to Horizons Unlimited?

New to motorcycle travelling? New to the HU site? Confused? Too many options? It's really very simple - just 4 easy steps!

Horizons Unlimited was founded in 1997 by Grant and Susan Johnson following their journey around the world on a BMW R80G/S.

Susan and Grant Johnson Read more about Grant & Susan's story

Membership - help keep us going!

Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.

You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.




All times are GMT +1. The time now is 12:12.