How much water?

[Adi007]

How much water do you carry with you on ventures into the outdoors?

Generally, I have 1 or 2 NATO water bottles (2 pints or just over 1 litre each). Anything more than a day hike and I plan with water in mind and have watering holes planned along the way and use a Katadyn Mini to clean and purify the water I/we need.

How much water do you carry?
How do you carry it?
How does water figure in your trip planning?

 

[Fallow Way]

I also carry 1 or 2 nato`s for anything up to a day and night trip.

I may also add my drom bag if i have a light pack anyway. If I am travelling for more than that would see me through, then water goes to the top of the list. If i`m in a wood i know, obviously just plan to camp nearby to water. Atherwise I plan to find a water source waaay before I think i`ll need it and unless i`m getting from a-b, then i`ll stick nearby while i explore, or keep nearby to a water course on my route. Obviously camp allows for a production line over a fire otherwise if i want to keep moving i take my pre-mac

 

[TheViking]

Hi...

1-2 litres. Depends on trip length, terrain (is there any water supply on the route)... :biggthump

 

[PC2K]

i usually don't stay to long in the woods, so just a liter in a dutch army waterbottle or my 2 liter camelbak bladder. i did carried more on a multiday hike.

 

[Carcajou Garou]

A 2 ltr hard bottle and a 1 qrt canteen while hunting, on long canoe trips 2- 2 ltr hard bottles in canoe and a 6 ltr dromedary (empty) at camp to be filled with MSR waterfilter, when out and about a 1 qrt canteen. Always have water purifying tablets along.
just a thought

 

[Ed]

I only carry 1-2l of water with me, but I have the capacity for 3-4l so if i camp up for a few days I can have a store to save me those extra trips to the stream.


Ed

 

[ChrisKavanaugh]

I always "tank up" regardless of any trip duration. This translates into drinking until I have to urinate. To many people walk around in perpetual deyhydration just in the city, substituting coffee, carbonized softdrinks and alcohol which all actually contribute to the problem. I always have a pilot's survival flask in a large pocket , two 1 qt canteens on my lightweight combat harness or 2 in my rucksack. Waters heavy, but I've been short once and once only. When I watch ZULU with Michael Caine I have to keep a bit handy. Every time the buglar's mouth is dry and hes ordered to "spit boy" I automatically do the same. :tongue-ti

 

[Lithril]

I must admit I tend to drink quite a bit (water that is) and get headaches quite quickly if I'm getting dehydrated so I normally carry a 2L Flexiflask as a minimum.

 

[RovingArcher]

It depends on where I will be and how long I will be gone, but generally I carry a US quart canteen and a 1 liter diet pepsi bottle along with a couple of 1 gallon ziploc freezer bags for additional water storage. I have chemical treatment and a PUR Hiker filter with me and a map marking usable watering holes. Lots of heavy metal springs around these parts, so care has to be exercised when takng water from the land.

 

[MartiniDave]

I like 2 litres per person, with a spare bottle in the car.

Dave

 

[JFW]

I generally tank up on water till I'm full, proir to going out for a day in the woods, and then I take a 2 litre fizzy drinks bottle washed and fill with tap water. This generally does me but I also carry potassium permanganate (spelling) for emergency purifacation, or boil water.

Cheers

JFW

 

[Stuart]

I carry a minimum of 2lt of water in an MSR dormary though i'm much more comfortable if i have 3lts

If i'm on a longer outing i also carry a 7lt dormadry empty to fill up for camp

 

[Tvividr]

Depends on where I'm travelling. In Norway I rarely carry more than 1 liter (sometimes 2) in an old danish army waterbottle as it usually is easy to get nice clear and fresh water almost anywhere in the mountains or woods. It's usually not even necessary to use any filters, purifying tablets or boiling to clean the water.
When in Africa I carry anything between 1 liter of clean water and a water filter (+ tablets as backup) and up to 6 liters depending on the area, availability of water etc.
That is if I'm travelling on foot. Travelling by car into extreme arid areas demands a lot more water

 

[Batfink]

I only carry 1-2l of water with me, but I have the capacity for 3-4l so if i camp up for a few days I can have a store to save me those extra trips to the stream.


Ed

That kinda methodology is ringing true here too! Anything for the easy life! ):

 

[Douglas]

3l Platypus with minimum 1.5-2l in it. For a long trip I take 3 liters, that always does me the day. I'll start carrying some sort of purifier now, after what happened on thursday. (I'll do a post about it when I have time, probably now).

Not exactly on topic, sorry: I've heard that after 50m of rolling over rocks and stuff water from a stream is safe to drink. That would be for a non-polluted mountain stream, with possibly some animals living higher up. Is it true?

 

[Adi007]

Not exactly on topic, sorry: I've heard that after 50m of rolling over rocks and stuff water from a stream is safe to drink. That would be for a non-polluted mountain stream, with possibly some animals living higher up. Is it true?

I doubt it ... you could have a dead sheep in the river 51 meters upstream, or worse still, someone using it as a toilet ... :smiley-fa

 

[TheViking]

Hi...

As far as i'm concerned, it's not directly safe to drink water from streams where animals live/drink of it higher up. (it's the same as if you get bitten by a dog for example, it's a very good idea to get the Tetanus injection) Animals mouth is not very clean.

I find that the best way to take water from a stream is where stuff will have the least tendency to be stuck. Collect the water in a container by 'shooting' the container fast in the water and take it, so that the opening of the container, is in the direction the stream flows. In this way, you don't get that much stuff in your water.

In my opinion anyway.... :biggthump

 

[Douglas]

The stream I was thinking of only potentially had "bouquetins" higher up, actually 400m higher (atlitude, not distance) and were on the other side of the mountain. Plus the contamination wouldn't go directly in the water, because it had it's source much lower down than they were. But I didn't drink it because I still had some left.

Would that have been safe?

P.S: For filling up it had lots of mini waterfalls so that wouldn't have been a problem.

 

[Andy]

I tend to be on a bike or backpacking so in summer take atleast 3litres and fill up where I can, may have to take more for the big trip this summer

 

[alick]

I have a variety of platypus containers ranging from 0.5 to 3 litres and don't use hard bottles at all anymore. I take 1 litre in a bumbag when mountain biking and fill up along the way. Typically 1-2 L plus top ups on a day out. I'm looking for a 6 litre MSR dromedary for overnight / family use as they have a good reputation and I have a miniworks filter that will screw directly onto it for easy filling.

Cheers