KATADYN Steripen Classic 3 UV Water Purifier, Camping, Travel, Hunting, Preparedness (STE60110077)

This was quite handy to have for my Amazon Adventure in Ecuador! Super lightweight and easy to use

I bought my unit when they first came out for backpacking and trips to less developed areas of the world and it served me very well. I got sick and had to stop travelling for 5 years. I recently brought the unit out for travel again and it is still fully functional. I tested the result on an agar plate and got no growth after 5 days.I admit they are fragile and you can't rely on it in rough country as your sole purification just because it is glass, but with much travel behind me it's never brokenI am really happy with the product, though recent editions may have changed.

I tested if this product works as advertised. I added 5 ml of log phase EColi culture to 495ml of water. Took a .5ml sample and plated it (1st plate) as a control, untreated sample. Next I sterilized the water in the bottle with the steripen exactly according to instructions once (2nd plate), twice (3rd plate) and three times (4th plate), using the same procedure and plated 0.5ml from the bottle after each “sterilization” cycle. There was every indication, according to instructions, that the sterilization procedure worked. After incubating the plates for 24 hrs at 37C I concluded that the steripen did NOT affect the bacterial culture at all. As you can see from my second picture, there is no difference in the bacterial growth in the treated and non treated plates.I have NO confidence that this device works.

This is my 3rd or 4th Steripen. If I recall, at least one of the unit's UV bulb burned out, which is to be expected after thousands of uses. Others I damaged, including the one just replaced. The turnaround from order to receipt was 24 hours, shipping from Colorado to New York with standard shipping. Hats off to Certified Brands!My product comment refers to the original pen having flatter sides, rather than the newer models being somewhat rounded. This doesn't affect me too much for household use, but I wonder about outdoors people trying to treat water drawn from a stream, and while gathering the water, the pen rolls off the streamside rock it was resting on. The old flat-sided design would be more stable at rest on irregular, tilted surfaces.

I bought the Steripen classic 3 because it seemed a convenient way to sterilize water. I kept it in storage as a part of my emergency supplies and stored it with no batteries for about 3 years. Took it out for an upcoming trip to Mexico, and the UV light would not come on. It would operate as though it thought it was working but no UV light. Useless. Do not depend on this device.

I bought the Steripen classic 3 because of the compact size and nice design. I used it about 10-15 times on a few trips and it seemed to work fine. Then I stored it, climate controlled, with no batteries for about 3 years. Took it back out for a backpacking trip and the UV light would not come on. It would operate as though it thought it was working but no UV light. Useless. Do not depend on this device.

I have used 2 of the previous versions. I need to irrigiate my sinsues twice a day. I purify 5-6 Gallons of water per month.Each of the previous versions lasted 5+ years. This one lasted 1 yr, 8 months.It is a piece of junk.