This review covers CamelBak All Clear water purification system. We purchased this item from a retail merchant, and we have no relationship with CamelBak. We will discuss how the CamelBak All Clear system works, and the pros and cons of the product. The CamelBak All Clear retails for $100. Street prices should be between $75-100. The optional filter has a list price of $15. The product can be purchased from a large variety of sources.
How does the light purify the water?
Water can be purified by exposing it to 5 hours of direct sunlight. Not exactly efficient if you are a hiker or need water on a cloudy day. Both the Steripen and the CamelBak accelerate this process by using an intensive light source. The CamelBak All Clear does it in 60 seconds instead of 5 hours.
Almost all light sources (sun, light bulbs, TV's, etc) emit UV light (UltraViolet). The CamelBak uses UV light to prevent harmful organisms from replicating. Visible light ranges from 400nm to 750nm wavelengths. Visible light is Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Brown, Indigo, and Violet (ROYGBIV for short). Red is at the 750nm wavelength range. Violet is at the 400nm wavelength range. Any light waves below 400nm wavelengths are NOT visible. When you get below 100nm this is called X-ray light wave energy. UV has wavelenghts longer then X-rays and shorter then visible light (ROYGBIV). It turns out that UV light at the wavelength of 254nm is the optimal wavelength to prevent harmful organisms from replicating. We call this wavelength spectrum UVC. It is not powerful enough to kill the micro organism, but just powerful enough to prevent it from replicating. This method of disinfecting water has been around for over 100 years, and is the preferred and recommended method by the United States EPA. It is now used by many public water supplies, like New York City.
UVC light causes two adjacent molecules in the DNA of the bacteria, viruses, etc to bond together. They call them dimers. If enough dimers are created this can keep it from replicating. In normal and larger life forms, enzymes within the organism can self-repair the bond between the thymines, uracil, cytosine, adenine, and guanine and remove the dimers. If you can prevent or slow down the harmful organisms from replicating you can prevent yourself from getting sick. It is the massive replication of these organisms within your digestive tract that cause you to get sick.
Standard fluorescent lights does use UV in the process to make fluorescent light. When the tungsten wire inside the fluorescent light tube is charged with electric it emits UV which colides with the phosphor coated on the glass. This makes the phosphor glow with light. The large majority of the wavelengths emited from fluorescent lights are in visible light range. Almost all the other wavelengths outside of the visible range stay within the fluorescent light tubes.
The CamelBak All Clear uses a special Fluorescent Lamp to purify the water. It doesn't have phosphor coating the inner glass of the fluorescent tubes. And, it uses thick quartz glass instead of standard glass. The tungsten will heat up to a very high temperature (3800k) and emit wavelengths in the UVC range and in the visible light range. The extremely small florescent light in the CamelBak All Clear is about 1/8" in diameter and maybe 2" long. Probably one of the smallest florescent lights you will ever see.
Is the Light Source Safe
UV light electromagnetic energy is emitted by the sun, light bulbs, tanning beds, televisions, heat lamps, computer screens, etc. As with anything, too much UV light or too little UV light can be harmful to humans. UV light can also be harmful in the wrong amount. Humans need UV light to activate Vitamin D. Without UV light we could not survive on earth. Too much UV can also cause sun burns. We tried to obtain the amount of UV light from CamelBak, but they don't supply this information on their web site. But, with our calculations, you will get drastically more UV light from your hike then from using the CamelBak.
We also know that UV lights used residential and commercial water sources recommend that you do not expose yourself to the light for an extended period of time. But, these UV light devices are dramatically bigger, and can disinfect 500-600 GPM. Many of these devices are 100x larger then the CamelBak All Clear. Tanning beds also use similar technology, and their UV light sources are also dramatically larger, and the exposure is substantially longer.
Fluorescent light loses half of it's light intensity after 25,000 hours of continuous use. If the light is switched on-and-off, this number is reduced. Lose of light intensity can lead to water that is not purified completely. So, CamelBak limits the life of their system to 10,000 cycle or 166 hours. Our calculations show that the CamelBak All Clear should be able to greatly exceed 10,000 cycles. But, better to error on the side of safety. If you use 1 gallon of water per day, the CamelBak All Clear will last 5.5 years of continuous hiking per person. 99% of consumers will never get to the 10,000 cycles. So, the short life of 166 hours is not unreasonable.
According to the EPA, one problem with using UV light sources for disinfecting water is that if there are particles in the water, any water behind the particles will not be disinfected. This causes a significant concern for proper disinfection of the water. And, the EPA points this out. Dirty water or water with particles will not be properly disinfected, and you may get sick for drinking the water. CamelBak requires that you agitate the water to prevent this problem from occuring. From 3rd party laboratory test done for CamelBak, this agitation appears to get around this problem. You can also buy an OPTIONAL filter for the CamelBak to filter your water before disinfection. We STRONGLY suggest that you buy this optional filter. We are perplexed why this filter is optional.
The OPTIONAL filter also prevents water from getting on the threads of the CamelBak All Clear bottle. Water on the threads of the bottle will NOT be disinfected during the process. ONLY the water inside the bottle will be disinfected. If water on the outside of the bottle (including the threads) comes in contact with the water inside the bottle, ALL the water will be contaminated. And, this is a concern. The filter solves this problem.
Is the Water Purified Enough?
CamelBak tested and programmed the All Clear to meet or exceed the EPA water standards. But, that doesn't mean the process is not fallible. If there are particles in the water, then the light source can be blocked from sterilizing all of the water. CamelBak recommends that you lightly agitate the bottle as it is purified. CamelBak also has an OPTIONAL filter cap to filter larger particles, turbulent water, and muddy water.
One other common problem is that you sometimes need to dip the bottle into the water source. This leaves water on the outside of the bottle and the threads. Water droplets on the threads and outside of the bottle will NOT be purified. You would need to overcome this problem. You can use a clean and dry rag to clean off the threads. Or, you could use another container to scoop of the water with. I personally used a plastic soda cup from Dunkin Donuts or McDonalds. It is light and cost nothing. Or, you could wait for the water on the outside of the bottle to evaporate. You just have to remember that water on the outside of the bottle will always be contaminated.
Temperature Limits of the CamelBak All Clear?
The CamelBak All Clear can be used between 39F to 140F. You cannot easily use the product below 39F. There is a procedure to purify water below 39F. CamelBak recommends that you store the cap in the case in your jacket pocket so that it warms up higher then the 39F. This will allow you to purify water between 32F to 39F. You cannot purify water with ice particles. The ice particles will block the light and will not fully disinfect all of the water. You then need to store the head in a warm place to keep it from freezing.
You cannot use the CamelBak All Clear above 140F. Fluroescent light is less efficient when the termpertures are higher, and will not sterilize the water. In most cases, you will not encounter water sources above 140F. One situation may occur. If you are boiling water, and you run out of fuel, you should not pour the partially heated water into the bottle. Either get new water, or let the water cool down.
Battery Limits of the CamelBak All Clear?
The CamelBak All Clear can be used for 80 cycles of 750ml per cycle. 750ml is approximately 3/4 of a quart or 25 oz of water. This will provide close to 16 gallons of water. But, this is under ideal conditions. Under colder weather, the number of cycles will be reduced. CamelBak feels that most hikers will use about 75 oz of water per day, and that the CamelBak All Clear will last 26 days. We believe that most hikers will use 125 oz of water per day.
It would be our recommendation for long backcountry trips that hikers carry an extra solar recharger. This will allow you to recharge your CamelBak All Clear, cell phone, GPS, etc. We recommend that you get a solar recharger that has a USB A-type output. That way you can use the standard CamelBak USB cable. Some solar rechargers require that you use a USB gender changer. The CamelBak will work with many rechargers (solar, hand-crank, USB, etc).
General Features of the CamelBak All Clear?
Time - Water is sterilized after 60 seconds of activating the switch. There is a countdown LCD display to tell show you the seconds during the countdown. The water needs to be agitated during the sterilization process.
Amount - You can sterilize up to 750 milliters per cycle. 750ml is approximately 3/4 of a quart. You have to be careful to not exceed the maximum water limit.
Battery - There is a battery charge indicator in the LCD display. The battery is a large lithium battery that is permanent. It cannot be replaceds or serviced. The battery will last approximately 80 cycles (15.85 gallons). But, this is under ideal conditions. When it is colder, the efficiency of the batteries will be reduced. The batteries are designed to last the life of the product.
Charging Batteries - Batteries can only be charged using a USB cable (included). There are two lithium batteries at 3.8 volts. They are charged with a USB connector at 5.5 volts. The batteries can only be charged from a USB port. Chargers can be a computer, USB/cigarette-lighter adaptor, solar recharger, or anything with a 5.5volt USB port (1.0 to 3.0 USB A-type). The port on the sterilizer cap is a special 5-pin micro USB connector. 4-pin and 6-pin micro USB connectors are common, but the 5-pin is not common. CamelBak alleges that the cable is "special". Our evaluation shows that it isn't special (other then the 5-pin connector). It takes approximately 4-5 hours to fully charge the lithium batteries. It can take 10-15 hours to charge it from a solar recharger (depending upon the size of the solar panels).
Warranty - It comes with a "Lifetime Warranty". This means that if something goes wrong with the product before it has been used less then 10,000 cycles, they will repair or replace the product.
BPA-Free - The caps and bottle are made with BPA-free polymers. The bottle and closed cap can be put in the upper part of the dishwasher. The Fluorescent Light Cap CANNOT be put in the dishwasher or placed under water or under a facet.
Switch - The unit can be turned on by pressing the button on the top of the cap. Some hikers have been concerned that the switch can be accidently turned on inside your pack by something pressing aganist it. We have the same concern. We would recommend that you put something over the switch to prevent this. Future models will probably have a different switch.
How does the CamelBak All Clear compare to other Water Purification Systems?
The Steripen uses the same technology as the CamelBak. The Steripen appears to be less reliable, shorter life, and doesn't have a way to get around particles. I consider the CamelBak All Clear superior to the Steripen.
Water filtration systems are usually lighter then the CamelBak, but will not purify the water as completely has the CamelBak All Clear. But, they are harder to use, and can be fallible to filter failure.
The CamelBak All Clear is the heaviest product of all the water purification systems. This is mainly because of the large permenent Lithium internal battery. If you are an ultralight hiker, you may not like this product. The CamelBak All Clear is 17oz with all the accessories. The weight can be partially reduced. While the Steripen is lighter, it does increase with weight as you have to carry more batteries.
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CamelBak All Clear
Water Purification System |
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CamelBak All Clear
Water Purification System
Included Accessories |
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CamelBak All Clear
Light Source |
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CamelBak All Clear
OPTIONAL Water Filter |
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Solar Charger |
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Solar Charger
Input/Output panel |
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Cable Gender Changer |
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