How much water?

[mountain squid]

Well, I concur with Panzer (although I prefer the lighter Platypus') and disagree with PapaD. From your list the only problem I've had with hydration bladders is the freezing one. And, that is easily avoidable by blowing the water out of the tube. I've never needed boiling water to stay warm, so I don't know about that one.

Nalgenes are heavy and bulky.

See you on the trail,
mt squid

some observations

[Red Beard]

Completely have to disagree with Panzer1 - hydration tubes and camelbacks are so deficient when really thought through - they are a pain in the butt to pull out of your pack and re-fill - the tubes grow green mold, the things slosh back and forth in your pack, the tubes freeze quick if it's below freezing, when you cook, you have to pull the whole show out of your pack to fill your pot, you can't fill them with water and use for a hot water bottle at night if your sleeping bag is maxed out, etc. etc. - why not just two light steel (or nalgenes) bottles full of water? You just reach back, grab it and drink - really so simple.

I never have to take my Platypus out of my pack in order to fill it. I have a quick release valve that directly attaches to my water filter.

Also, when I stop in town, I run isoprophyl alcohol through the drinking tube... no mold. When cooking, again I don't have to pull it out of the pack, I simply remove the bite valve from the quick-release, and open the valve. No worries about the tubes freezing, mine are insulated.

I do carry a small .5 liter Nalgene for hot water/coffee/tea/hot jello though. In the end, it's what works best for you that really matters.

[Papa D]

I have a camelback pack that I run with on day hikes and stuff - for long distance backpacking, I just find nalgene's so much more useful - I make up some drink mix, wash it out, make a protein shake, wash it out, drink water, etc. - just my style, I guess - there is nothing wrong with the Platypus and other tube affairs Mountain Squid, I just don't find them as versatile. A nalgene is more bulky - I'll give you that, but it packs more compactly and doesn't slosh around - and it's easy to see how much water you have without sucking ..... all this is splitting hairs, BUT ..... if you haven't ever done the hot water nalgene bottle on a sub-zero night, you are missing something that has literally kept me alive (and could keep you really comfortable some night) - boil water before you sleep and put in your water bottle, Stow it in your crotch area at night and sleep well. I've done this at -10F in a 0 degree bag and I promise it works. -the water is still warm in the morning.

[Papa D]

Red Beard - I love hot coffee and tea, but hot jello??? what the heck is that? is it good? huh?

[Red Beard]

Red Beard - I love hot coffee and tea, but hot jello??? what the heck is that? is it good? huh?

You pretty much just follow the Jello recipe on the box, and drink it like a tea while it's still hot. Works wonders for my knees.

[garlic08]

Very handy post! Thanks all. I had planned a 3liter platy for the thru but 2 gatorade bottles looks like the way to go.

Actually, carrying a larger platy for the capacity is a good idea. Just don't fill it up every day. I used one gatorade bottle (easily reached while hiking). My 2L platy (just over 1 oz) stayed empty in my pack except for a dry stretch in PA and some hot days in NY and a few planned dry camps. I lost the gatorade bottle once for a few hours (until the next road crossing where they're free on the ground) and it was nice to have the "spare" capacity in the pack.

A good, flexible system for the AT is one liter bottle for drinking, but a total of three liters capacity. And don't ever rely on one single bottle for all your water (at least if you're more than a day's hike from a source). Containers fail, get lost, you drop the cap in a running stream, etc. I've done all those things.

Drinking tubes left my pack after my first desert hike. I had nothing but problems over 700 miles of desert. It only takes one bite valve failure and the loss of a liter you can't afford to make you long for something simpler and more reliable. I had three different bite valve/tube failures over two months and that was too much for me. But some people make them work, usually in more benign conditions.

[sheepdog]

You might want to get one of those light collapsible buckets. I don't go hiking without mine. If the spring is a long way from camp; it's nice to only have to make one trip.

[Sassafras Lass]

Tami, glad to see your weight is around 22 lbs, knew you could do it!

DH is carrying only one Gatorade bottle as well as a 2L platypus. I'll probably carry 2 Gatorades + 2L platypus, which should be sufficient for our camp needs. Since you're going by yourself, you will definitely want to consider a larger capacity bladder of some sort for camp, since you'll not only want to cook with it, but clean your pots, maybe sponge bathe, etc.

[flemdawg1]

I use all the above. A 2l hydration bladder, a gatorade bottle or Nalgene it I think I want a hot bottle for my sleeping bag. And I also carry a 4 liter nalgene cantene, so I basically only have to fill up once a day when I reach camp. Using the full 7 liters I can eat dinner and breakfast, take a bandana bath and leave camp with 3 liters the next morning.

[Sunshine Tami Jo]

Tami, glad to see your weight is around 22 lbs, knew you could do it!

I'm so happy!!!!! Thanks for the words of encouragement! I hope to become the poster child for learning things the hard way but persevering. I really hope to help others along the way as I have been helped by all of you. WB rocks, which is why I became a donating member. Without all of your help, I would have floundered for sure. Now I actually believe I have a chance!!!!!

[Slo-go'en]

I have two problems with hydration bladders.
1. It take up valuable space inside my pack
2. I've seen too many of them leak inside packs for one reason or another

I use (2) 20 oz solda bottles, one in each of my side pockets. For me, this is pleanty of water, except for the dry sections of trail like PA and NJ during the summer, where I switch to quart bottles. I always leave town with a freash 20 oz bottle of Coca-Cola anyway.

I also carry a water bag which can hold a gallon to lug water from a spring back to camp. (Made from a Wal-Mart dry bag) There are many places where you don't want to make that trip to water more than once!

[Berserker]

Since this kinda became a discussion on water "systems" I'll throw my 2 cents in. I carry two 1 liter platy bottles and a 4 liter platy tank. One bottle is used with a hydration tube, and sits in the outer pocket of my pack so that it is easily accessible. I normally carry 1/2 to 1 liter on me, and will fill up the second bottle if I anticipate a decent length waterless stretch. I always "camel-up" at the water sources so that I don't have to carry a lot on me...it seems to be needless weight on a trail that usually has water everywhere. The 4 liter tank is used for camp.

I can't comment on thru hiking using a hydration tube, but it's worked well for all of the hiking I've done. Also, keeping the bottle in an outside pocket on the pack eliminates all the previously mentioned issues (having to pull it out of the pack, having to pull the tube out, not being able to see how much water is left, etc.). To fill it all I have to do is pull it out of the pocket, unscrew the tube leaving the tube in place on the pack, fill up the bottle, re-screw (if that's even really a word ) the tube on and put it back in the pocket...easy as pie.

[flemdawg1]

I have two problems with hydration bladders.
1. It take up valuable space inside my pack
2. I've seen too many of them leak inside packs for one reason or another

I use (2) 20 oz solda bottles, one in each of my side pockets. For me, this is pleanty of water, except for the dry sections of trail like PA and NJ during the summer, where I switch to quart bottles. I always leave town with a freash 20 oz bottle of Coca-Cola anyway.

I also carry a water bag which can hold a gallon to lug water from a spring back to camp. (Made from a Wal-Mart dry bag) There are many places where you don't want to make that trip to water more than once!

Bladder goes in one of my side pockets along with a peice of house wrap groundsheet. Packs side strap secures the top and the drinking tube up and thru/around the shoulder strap. The other pocket has my Nalgene/Gatorade bottle & my TP & hand san bag.

[leaftye]

when you're hiking the best way to hydrate yourself is with a hydration tube. That's because you can take little sips all day long without having to stop. With bottles you have to stop and take a big gulps. While your doing that you won't be able to keep up with your hiking partners. So bring your camelback and ditch the bottles.

Panzer

I'm faster overall when I take small breaks. I can hiker nonstop for hours, but I get so slow. Taking breaks allows me to hike much faster and cover more miles.

[Panzer1]

Completely have to disagree with Panzer1 - hydration tubes and camelbacks are so deficient when really thought through - they are a pain in the butt to pull out of your pack and re-fill - the tubes grow green mold, the things slosh back and forth in your pack, the tubes freeze quick if it's below freezing, when you cook, you have to pull the whole show out of your pack to fill your pot, you can't fill them with water and use for a hot water bottle at night if your sleeping bag is maxed out, etc. etc. - why not just two light steel (or nalgenes) bottles full of water? You just reach back, grab it and drink - really so simple.

Wow... how did you manage to get so many problems with a camelbak?

Panzer

[Happy Feet]

I agree with some of the others. We each had the capacity to carry 2-3 liters, depending upon the stretch of trail, but usually only carried one full of water -- two if it was a dry section (like when the springs were drying up in PA). Word spreads quickly up and down the trail about water sources in the registers and by hikers going the opposite direction. An empty bottle or bag doesn't weigh enough to worry about, but is worth it when water is scarce.

[Papa D]

Well, Panzer1 - I suppose that I just like simple and they are specific for sucking water through a tube - I like to pour water into things including my mouth so I just tried to remember all the problems that I have had with camelbacks over the past 15 years or so (is that how long they have been around?) and tried to numerate them. This is sort of a pointless post because how you carry your water matters so little anyway. FYI, sometimes, I do carry an MSR Dromedary bag for short trips and camping and groups too. Anyway - here is a platypus bag story:

I climbed an 11 pitch rock-climb in the sun with a partner 9 or 10 years ago who carried our water that hot day in a platypus bag - somehow, it broke inside her pack on about pitch 3 - we literally sucked water out of her wet fleece sweater (also in the pack) for minimal hydration that day -the word "misery" I assure you doesn't come close to describing that dehydration episode.