Steripen-- have worked in outdoor shop for 10ish years. The steripen basically does what chemicals do (kills but does not clean), but does it more like a filter (piece of gear that needs care). There have been a few improvements in the design over the years, and while I have only used one sporadically, i have friends who have used them exclusively for months at a time in developing countries. They swear by'em. Just keep in mind that dirty water is still dirty after treatment-- so it is a good idea to use some type of pre-filter (like a bandanna over the mouth of the bottle). Also keep in mind that it treats the water in the bottle, not the water on the edges of the bottle, so be careful. Using it is a leap of faith--- nothing looks different, but suddenly the water is safe.
A side note on filters: I wouldnt make to much of "field serviceable" for a filter. There is one particular filter from a company that is famous for making stoves, which seems to have it all-- long lasting filter, fully field serviceable, good reputable company-- but the ceramic filter can quickly get clogged and take forever to filter. Lotsa people just stop using them and take their chances. Another company that sounds like a mountain in Maine makes filters that arent field serviceable, but work and work fast consistently. They can still be taken apart and fixed. I think it is more important to know how your gear works than have any field serviceable moniker on the package. That is usually enough for emergency repair. Chemicals: try'em before you need'em. Some people can't stand the taste. Non-iodine seem work best for most. If you do use chemicals, brining something to flavor the water can be helpful--there are tons of options out there. Bring some type of chemical treatment even if you plan to use another method-- emergencies happen. And lastly, read the warning labels/ talk to you Doc if you are gonna be ingesting any chemical for any period of time. Rivendell content: Loving my new Bleriot. Cheers! cm -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
