Say bye to bad bacteria with UV water pen

If you’re thinking of going camping or travelling overseas this holiday season, but aren’t sure you can trust the water supply with your troublesome stomach, there’s a new gadget aimed at making sure what you drink won’t hurt you.

Called the “SteriPen,” it’s a small water dropper with an ultraviolet light strip built into the body that acts as a form of disinfectant, killing 99 percent of bacteria and viruses by holding and stirring the UV light in water for a little under a minute.

The SteriPen runs on four AA lithium batteries and fits in small luggage, with the battery able to last through 200 treatments of half a litre of water, while the ultraviolet lamp lasts 3,000 treatments.

In Australia, the SteriPen is hitting various retailers normally responsible for camping and outdoor supplies, including Mountain Designs, Anaconda, Ray’s Outdoors, and plenty of others.

If you know someone who loves the outdoors, and can’t work out what to get them this holiday season, this could be a neat idea.