Good stuff other than water

[Chaco Taco]

I am looking for efficiant and tasty substitutes for water. I drink and need lots of it but want some variety. What are some good mixes and ideas for drinks that are easy and lightweight to carry especially in hot weather.

[Freeleo]

emergen-C (spelling) packets

[Footslogger]

Something I recently added to my food/beverage bag are the tubes of "Propel" powder. Available in 3 - 4 flavors and definitely add a spark to water ...which can get old at times. Decent flavor and even a little sugar to boost energy levels (albeit temporarily). Light and don't generate much trash.

Actually, there are quite a number of drink powders available now. Was scanning the shelf at WalMart the other night by the Crystal Light and I was amazed at the number of alternatives and the variety of flavors.

'Slogger

[iesman69]

Try the single serving Kool-Aid type drinks(Crystal Lite, flavored teas).

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

I like Crystal light. It is compact, light, wide variety of flavors and easy to find - makes two liters. Some flavors of sugarfree Koolaid are good as well.

[Footslogger]

I like Crystal light. It is compact, light, wide variety of flavors and easy to find - makes two liters. Some flavors of sugarfree Koolaid are good as well.

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Only problem with the 2 Liter variety is that often I am not interested in that large a quantity. Maybe that's just me though ...

'Slogger

[Appalachian Tater]

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Only problem with the 2 Liter variety is that often I am not interested in that large a quantity. Maybe that's just me though ...

'Slogger

It comes in single-serving packs as well.

[Tumblerisk]

I love the little Propel packets. I found that for a standard size Nalgene (what's that, a quart?) I needed two packets, but that's just my preference. My only complaint is that the easy open notch at the end of the packet is too close to where they seal it, so that when you rip it open, there's only a big enough opening for a trickle of the powder. It's been like that on several different lots of the packets, so I've just kept my knife handy so I can cut it open. If you hike without some sort of blade, you're going to be aggravated at the packets.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Only problem with the 2 Liter variety is that often I am not interested in that large a quantity. Maybe that's just me though ...

two dinos - one liter each. Other hikers could share with each other.

[Footslogger]

two dinos - one liter each. Other hikers could share with each other.

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Yeah ...didn't think of that in your case. Makes sense. I carry a 20 gatorade bottle and use that for mixing the flavored water stuff so the little single serving tubes work great. My larger capacity container is my platypus and I don't put anything but water in it.

'Slogger

[hopefulhiker]

Sometimes I carried the Gatoraid powder, its heavy, carried it in the summer. used a weak dilution to make it last longer..

[Footslogger]

Sometimes I carried the Gatoraid powder, its heavy, carried it in the summer. used a weak dilution to make it last longer..

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Carried the orange "tubs" of Gatorade on my thru and would still be carrying them if it weren't for the little tubes. All the sugar in Gatorade makes it pretty heavy though ...

'Slogger

[RockStar]

I like Countrytime Pink Lemonade. Has 90 calories per serving.

[Seeker]

crystal-light in those little tubes, or artificially sweetened kool-aid powder for me. i just like enough to get a taste of something different once in awhile. a packet of kool-aid will stretch to about 3-4 bottles. and there are SOOOO many flavors.

be careful if you use it a lot though. too much of one of those fake sweeteners can give you the runs. aspertame rings a bell as the culprit, and i'm pretty sure it's not saccharine, but somebody smarter than me will have to remember which one it is. seems like there was a thread about that once.

[Footslogger]

crystal-light in those little tubes, or artificially sweetened kool-aid powder for me. i just like enough to get a taste of something different once in awhile. a packet of kool-aid will stretch to about 3-4 bottles. and there are SOOOO many flavors.

be careful if you use it a lot though. too much of one of those fake sweeteners can give you the runs. aspertame rings a bell as the culprit, and i'm pretty sure it's not saccharine, but somebody smarter than me will have to remember which one it is. seems like there was a thread about that once.

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Might not be the one you are thinking of ...but Sorbitol is an artificial sweetner that reeks havoc on the digestive tract if over consumed.

'Slogger

[Nest]

crystal-light in those little tubes, or artificially sweetened kool-aid powder for me. i just like enough to get a taste of something different once in awhile. a packet of kool-aid will stretch to about 3-4 bottles. and there are SOOOO many flavors.

be careful if you use it a lot though. too much of one of those fake sweeteners can give you the runs. aspertame rings a bell as the culprit, and i'm pretty sure it's not saccharine, but somebody smarter than me will have to remember which one it is. seems like there was a thread about that once.

I think sacchrine is sweet n low. I know a few diabetics that use it to replace sugar for everything, and never complained about the runs. I would guess that it is the aspertame that is the problem. Of course sweet n low "is known to cause cancer in laboratory animals." (saw it on the packet once.)

[Ridgerunner50]

Crystal-light teas and lemonade works for me and every now and then a shot of hooch in the lemonade makes a nice nightcap

[aaroniguana]

www.sturmfoods.com/products.html

Some have caffeine, some have electrolytes, some are just artificial juice, but I've tried most of them and they work GREAT. I use the morning spark in place of coffee when the weather is warm. They mix with 500ml water. You can buy most of their stuff online at Target or WalMart or you can get it cheaper in bulk (as I do) online at DiscountCoffee.com

[aaroniguana]

PS_ Take it easy on the Power Edge. One per day unless you like spending time in the CCU.

[damush]

try 'totally light 2 go' individual packets. magically lightly carbonates your water, tastes pretty good( all these power drinks/gatorades kinda taste funny) adds taurine and is sugar free. citrus and berry flavors so far. tea is also available in individual packets, no sugar and blueberry white tea is flavorlicious. wally world carries all these.