Community Blog

“The theme of this year’s Oregon Outdoors Christmas gift guide is water: Playing in it, drinking it, staying dry from it. And because we have plenty of it around — from the salty version in the Pacific to the running kind in the Rogue — the outdoorsy types on your gift list will be able to use at least one of the items described below.

STERIPEN

Sometimes water in the backcountry will make you sick, which is where this tight little device comes in. SteriPEN’s Adventurer Opti is a lightweight unit that uses ultraviolet light to purify water. You insert the device into any water bottle or container to ensure safe drinking water. It exceeds U.S. EPA guidelines, destroying more than 99.9 percent of bacteria, viruses and protozoa when used as directed. Operation is easy: Just press a button and wait for the device to indicate it has completed the purification process. The optical sensor can also double as a flashlight. The Adventurer Opti weighs 3.6 ounces. It includes a UV lamp (good for up to 8,000 treatments), two nonrechargeable batteries and a neoprene case with belt loop. The price is $99.95 at Northwest Outdoor Store in Medford, which carries four other SteriPEN models, including the new Sidewinder, which includes a hand crank instead of batteries.”

http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111209/LIFE/112090309/-1/life