Switching from Squeeze filter to steripen

[Johnksully]

I really want to ditch my squeeze filter and go to a steripen setup but I love my bladder in my pack. I have the inline adapter to fill my bladder without removing it from my pack. Anyone use steripen in a nalgene and transfer to a clean bag to fill bladder? Trying to decide what's going to be easiest to fill my bladder without removing it.

 

[ljalberta]

I don’t use a bladder. I typically hunt with a 1L Nalgene and some 2L Platy soft bottles when I need to haul some water to camp. I’ll either drop a couple pills in the soft bottles, or I’ll just steri in the Nalgene and then pour into the soft bottles.

It wouldn’t be hard to pour from the Nalgene into a clean bladder bag, it just might take awhile if you’re only filling 1L every few minutes based on the time to sterilize the water, pour it into the new bladder, and then transfer it into the bladder in the pack.

 

[CB4]

I plan on using both a bladder and nalgene this year. Refill both each night. Use the time after the sun goes down to get everything set for the next day. Thats if you have a relatively close water source.

 

[BRTreedogs]

I tried a steri pen and idk what I was doing wrong but I couldn't seem to get the hang of it and never really thought it worked, ended up using tablets that trip, and Ended up back with the squeeze.

Next season I think I'm gonna try the be free with a cnoc bag, as long as I can put a quick fill on it.

 

[ramsdude47]

Anecdotally, steripens don’t work very well. The backpacking community refers to them as Scary Pens.

They also won’t remove any particles/chunks.

 

[ljalberta]

Anecdotally, steripens don’t work very well. The backpacking community refers to them as Scary Pens.

They also won’t remove any particles/chunks.

As a member of the backpacking community, my impression is the exact opposite. I don’t know anyone who has ever gotten sick when using a steripen.

 

[SHTF]

Anecdotally, steripens don’t work very well. The backpacking community refers to them as Scary Pens.

They also won’t remove any particles/chunks.

I would have to disagree. I know alot of folks that use the Steripens and swear by them. They are easy to use and as long as you follow the instructions you can test your water after use and I have never had any issues. I carry a Steripen and a water tester with me. You cant beat the convenience of them. I will say if your a bladder person then a filter like Sawyer or gravity feed would make more sense. for those that like to use bottles the steripen is what I would recommend.
I own and use every type of filter on the market. some situations dictate different options sometimes just depends on where Im going. Is there a River/Lake or just a seep coming out the ground. My normal load out if I dont know the situation is a Steripen and a Sawyer Squeeze. Carrying both is super light weight and gives you options.
As far as prefiltering for Steripen I would highly recommend the Steripen prefilter. Its works like a champ for me

 

[Johnksully]

I don’t use a bladder. I typically hunt with a 1L Nalgene and some 2L Platy soft bottles when I need to haul some water to camp. I’ll either drop a couple pills in the soft bottles, or I’ll just steri in the Nalgene and then pour into the soft bottles.

It wouldn’t be hard to pour from the Nalgene into a clean bladder bag, it just might take awhile if you’re only filling 1L every few minutes based on the time to sterilize the water, pour it into the new bladder, and then transfer it into the bladder in the pack.

Yes, I'm thinking that was how I will need to do it. With a 3 liter bladder filling 3 times would pretty much be the same as the sawyer...

 

[Desk Jockey]

I use a sterile when solo. Purify in nalgene and transfer to bladder.

I prefer a gravity filter for ore than one person.

 

[Pigdog]

My steripen never leaves the house. I tried to like it, but just more haste than it’s worth. I go with the befree when I’m solo and the platy gravity when with a group. But to answer your question you could absolutely steripen water in a bottle and then transfer to a bladder. But why?

 

[beachbunny]

What kind d of water tester?

 

[carter33]

I tried a steripen and was not a fan. I imagine even if I decided to continue using one I would need to bring some sort of cloth or other solution to strain water first to discard of particles. I have drank from some stagnant puddles on muskeg before with both bugs and particles and I would not feel comfortable at all with the steripen if I didn't first strain it in some way. I have used a couple larger gravity solutions for multiple people when hunting from a basecamp and am a fan of the be free when hunting from a backpack. If water is scarce I bring an MSR dromlite and typically fill it with "dirty" water and then filter that as needed into a nalgene.

 

[ElkArcher918]

I primarily use the Sawyer squeeze system with a quick connect adapter to refill my 3L bladder in moderate weather. Cold weather is a different story then I use a Steripen/insulated 1L Nalgene/bandana. Sawyer type filters freeze and crack in cold weather. The bandana is used to remove to remove large particulates/chunks before they enter the Nalgene.

 

[rcb2000]

I can’t stand the sawyer squeeze, hate having to fill up that little bag multiple times.

Tried a msr hiker pro last year and it clogged up after a few days.

Going with a steripen and aquatabs this year.

 

[Subliminal1]

I prefer Steri/Nalgene approach

 

[2mas]

Tried to make this same switch and my steripen didn’t work the first time in the field. After that I dropped iodine tablets for aqua tabs and put the sawyer back in the pack


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[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

I started out with the Steripen, went to the Sawyer squeeze and won't go back. Went on a trip, battery was good at home the day before, dead on the mountain a couple days later. Getting water from non-running sources sucks, and the UV light takes forever and error's out all the time. You're sitting there stirring the dang thing and your buddy is packed up ready to go. Always questioning whether it really worked or not...no thanks.

 

[StuckoYota99]

I use my steripen year around and haven't had issues. I also started using a hard side hydration kit last year with a half a smart water bottle for scooping water from seeps.

Hardside Hydration - Dependable & Rugged for Backcountry Adventures

Turn a dependable Nalgene bottle into a hydration pack. Use the Swig 63 and a Nalgene bottle to make an awesome Swig Rig that will keep you drinking deep in the backcountry. No more broken bladders to leave your bag wet and your throat dry.

www.hardsidehydration.com

 

[Ehiggins]

I’ve been using a Sawyer squeeze for years. The first couple were just with a squeeze bag either filling a bladder through the quick connect on the hose or squeezing into a Nalgene. Squeeze filtering water for a week sucks.

A few years ago I added a couple sections of tubing, fittings and a couple MSR bags to make it a gravity filter setup. Didn’t add much weight and now I can run it as a gravity filter in camp which is really nice. Then I take just the filter and a single 2L evernew or cnoc squeeze bag in my day pack incase I need water during the day or stay out over night. Best of both worlds.


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