Water carry

Chris Pierce

Chris Pierce

Joined
Nov 15, 2006
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Is it just me or does it seem like people aren't carrying enough water when hiking?
I usually drink more than 2 liters of water everyday, if i'm doing anything strenuous or if its warm out i'll drink a gallon or so.
Am i drinking way too much water or am i missing something?
Help me out here
Thanks
 
For a daytrip I would carry 2L during winter and 3L during summer. These amounts usually cover the day with about a half litre reserve in case im out longer than expected. A usual day would be a 15-20km track or an untracked bushbash over a shorter distance.

Andrew
 
Everyone has different metabolisms... I drink about 1 - 1.5L max a day. Some people can go less some people find it difficult to even move without a lot to drink.
 
water is heavy.except for ammo it has to be the heaviest thing pound for pound one can bring but that is no excuse for not having any.

i got caught out their once without enough water and an extremely hot day doing a rigorous hike and swore i wouldnt let that happen again.

i make sure i have enough to drink for my personal need but that may be more or less than the next guy.

if i am going to be out over night or going a long distance and/or in hot weather instead of lugging all that liquid i will just bring my katayden water filter and nalgene bottle.where i live i never have problems finding good streams.this has to be one of the handiest pieces of kit i own and have two now.

if its a short trip and i feel i only need a bottle or two i dont even take water,i take POWER-AID.it just tastes better and water gives me cotton mouth.i always leave an extra bottle in the car also in case i run out on the trail.i also keep energy bars in the car also.sometime i look at my car as a "forward observation post" in away.i always no if i need something bad enough i can hike back to the car as far as it may be and it will be their though.

their is also bottled water in my trunk at all times in case i was to ever be stranded by myself or with my son.digging a car out o a snowbank can make you thirsty.
 
I usually don`t carry any water with me in the woods. Water is abundant and most of it clean.
In winter when the snow is deep and everything is frozen I sometimes carry a vacuum flask with hot water or tea.

Tor
 
I'm a firm believer in having a decent supply of water on hand. A few times being caught without made a deep impression on me.

Hiking the backcountry in South Dakota's Badlands was one place. We carried 30+lbs of the stuff because potable water is nonexistent out there and we still ran out by the last day. 100 F degree days makes you drink like you never thought possible.

Another time was in the high peaks area of the Adirondacks. We didn't get as far as we thought and had to camp higher up than we expected. No water at all made for a difficult night's sleep. To top it off my filter got gunked up and stopped working so on a blazing July morning I ended up boiling the first water we encountered. I must've neglected to clean out the pot well enough (no water, remember?) and I had to suffer through a morning of hot bean water to quench my thirst.:barf:

Now I carry a 2 liter camelback and a couple quart Nalgene containers and treat water whenever I can along the way.
 
In areas where water is a factor it is also important to make sure you have enough water carrying capacity to deal with a difficult situation. I typically use a US Army canteen but I also carry a pair of 2 liter Platypus bags for holding water in camp. That gives me five liters.

In my belt pouch PSK I also carry a five liter water bag. I have used this type of bag many times to cache water either in camp on somewhere along my return route in places where I'm likely to run low on water. The bags are light, low-cost, and if I don't go back for them it isn't the end of the world.

Many times if I'm headed away from camp for a day hike and will be near water at some point I will dump all my water in the water bag and leave it in camp. That way I have an additional five liters of carrying capacity on me and arrive back at camp with several liters of treated water waiting for me in addition to the haul I just brought in.

rcaguaemgalodeemergciapf0.jpg

Fiver liter water bag. This was a rainy season trip so water was not a problem. This water had been collected as rain run-off in an open field.

img4238lt0.jpg

My water haul from my recent three day solo trip. There was no water near camp so I had left my leftovers in the water bag and refilled on a day hike to a waterfall.

Mac
 
I carry what I believe will be enough, and also an Aqua Mira filter. I always hike near a decently clean water source and have no problem using the filtered water for cooking or drinking if I have to.
 
With living in the rainforests of the Wet Coast of BC, why carry all that weight when i can simply dip my cup into the hundreds of thousands of many streams and rivers here in BC. (and for those who might ask about purifying, I've never purified my water: A) our water here is some of the cleanest in the world, B) any water that has made my city folks poor stomachs upset has'nt affected me. I grew up in the mountains and drank hand drilled well water. Its extremely rare that i treat water.

when I head into the Interior of BC though, where it is more desert like (temps of 40 - 50 degrees celcuis) i carry water on my truck as well as a Cambelback Storm when hiking away form the truck.
 
ac1d0v3r1d3 said:
Is it just me or does it seem like people aren't carrying enough water when hiking?
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Like you, I tend to drink lots of water while hiking or backpacking, especially in hot weather. Its the "carrying" that is variable. If I'm backpacking in a well watered area (such as the SE US), I will often only "carry" 1L at a time, but re-fill that container on a regular basis during the day. If I am just day hiking, where the weight is not as much of a consideration, I may carry more just to save the trouble of collecting and treating water during the hike. ;)

If I am backpacking during late summer, or in dryer areas of the country I will "carry" at least 2L, perhaps more (I still remember my first backpacking trip to the SW US, when the first day out every stream we crossed that we exepcted to have water was bone dry :().

Am i drinking way too much water or am i missing something?
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Its really hard to drink too much water, and I find most people really don't drink enough (especially during strenuous activities).
 
Whose water are you carrying? I thought the moderators were pretty clear yesterday about NO POLITICS ON THIS FORUM. I assume Avatars are included.
 
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Middle of the woods, miles from nowhere, backpacking miles from civilization.
There was nothing to compare with finding a cool bubbling brook on a hot summer's day, coming out of a seam in the side of the mountain, cascading over moss-covered stones into a clear basin. I'd just drop my pack and lay down on the side of the brook and bury my face in the water and drink. Nectar of God! Did it for years.....

Then I got hit with giardiasis. I'll NEVER drink unfiltered water again. Once was enough. How could this happen? There was nothing around. The water wasn't stagnant; it was coming right out of the ground. Of course, I didn't know there was a beaver living in the brook just about half a mile uphill from MY brook. Once was enough. I carry all my water now.

Stitchawl
 
In the Army, I got used to carrying two one-quart canteens. While only one was issued, I scrounged an extra. Any time I was near a lister bag, I would dirnk down what I had left, if I was down at a quart or more, or I would drink a quart and top off. I can easily drink a quart at once if I have not had a drink for a little while so, I think it varies from one person to the next. I tried some other things once I was "out" but these just seem to work well for me. I got lucky recently and found some of the Nalgene canteens online.

NALGENECANTEENS.jpg
 
I drink a LOT of water, especially in hot weather (I'm a heavy perspirer). I'm a big fan of packs with 100oz. hydration reservoirs. If packing light, I bring a filter bottle in addition to my Nalgene.

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
I carry 100 oz. in the MULE and my AquaMira Frontier filter, good for 20 gal, and usually some iodine tablets and a 1L water bottle. Many years of competitive sports taught me that dehydration sucks. I usually only drink 3 or 4L while hiking though...I just would rather be prepared. I also carry extra for when I get stuck having "help" :rolleyes: while I am hiking...
 
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I would have to say it will vary from person to person. I sweat a lot and have to drink a lot. When we hike my wife takes a 32 oz bottle and barely touches it; I'll finish off a 100 oz reservoir easily.
 
Symptoms by percent body weight water loss:

* PERCENT WATER LOST --------- SYMPTOMS
* 0% --- none, optimal performance, normal heat regulation
* 1% --- thirst stimulated, heat regulation during exercise altered, performance declines
* 2% --- further decrease in heat regulation, hinders performance, increased thirst
* 3% --- more of the same (worsening performance)
* 4% --- exercise performance cut by 20 - 30%
* 5% --- headache, irritability, "spaced-out" feeling, fatigue
* 6% --- weakness, severe loss of thermoregulation
* 7% --- collapse likely unless exercise stops
* 10% -- comatose
* 11% -- death likely

[Nutrition for Cyclists, Grandjean & Ruud, Clinics in Sports Med. Vol 13(1);235-246. Jan 1994]


For my body weight 4% water loss is about 2L. I usually carry a 3L Camelbak. When I went into the Maze in the Canyonlands I carried about 7L.
 
In the north GA mountains I carry one liter, dip and chemical treat as needed. When I am out west, I carry a one liter bottle and a one liter colapsible platypus to save space when not in use for day trips. Two one liter bottles for overnight trips.
 
Thomas_J said:
Symptoms by percent body weight water loss:

* PERCENT WATER LOST --------- SYMPTOMS
* 0% --- none, optimal performance, normal heat regulation
* 1% --- thirst stimulated, heat regulation during exercise altered, performance declines
* 2% --- further decrease in heat regulation, hinders performance, increased thirst
* 3% --- more of the same (worsening performance)
* 4% --- exercise performance cut by 20 - 30%
* 5% --- headache, irritability, "spaced-out" feeling, fatigue
* 6% --- weakness, severe loss of thermoregulation
* 7% --- collapse likely unless exercise stops
* 10% -- comatose
* 11% -- death likely

[Nutrition for Cyclists, Grandjean & Ruud, Clinics in Sports Med. Vol 13(1);235-246. Jan 1994]


For my body weight 4% water loss is about 2L. I usually carry a 3L Camelbak. When I went into the Maze in the Canyonlands I carried about 7L.
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I usually carry between 2 and 4.5 liters in containers. If I only bring the lower end of that scale, it's because I know there is p,enty of water available at a location and I intend on picking up what I can. In the past, I've let myself get to about 6%, and it really sucks. Not something I ever want to repeat- EVER.
 
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