View Full Version : What's the longest/furthest you "accidently" had to go without water?
Ricky&Jack
05-25-2014, 13:47
I know that on average, you should run into water every few day on the A.T.
But im looking for stories/examples of times you may have found yourself screwed for water.
Has anyone here showed up to a shelter for the night with the last few drinks of your water because you thought there was water there to re-fill, only to find out that the water dried up and you cant get water for another 10miles etc?
Im just wondering, because when i did Amicalola to Black Gap shelter last week, I carried only 36oz of water with me, and when i arrived I was almost out, and durring the whole hike, int he back of my head I was worried "oh crap. what if the water spring is dry?" (but luckily there was 2 good water sources nearby).
Anyone had to go a full day with only a few sips of water in your bottle because of unexpected dry sources?
ChinMusic
05-25-2014, 13:55
It is pretty rare to have a water issue on a traditional NOBO. The only time I carried for than 2 liters was on the climb up Lehigh Gap. Once in PA I paid closer attention to water so I didn't get stuck walking a half mile off trail to reload. Bottom line: water in NOBO season is usually not an issue.
Later in the season the "seasonable" water sources may be dry. You have to think about water more. I did get surprised on a section hike to find the water source at Walnut Mountain Shelter to be dry. I dug a hole and was able to get enough. It was horribly muddy, but the sediment settle out with time.
Kerosene
05-25-2014, 15:11
I started south from Loft Mtn. Campground (SNP) on a week-long section hike in October 2002 with 2 quarts of water at 11 am. Upon reaching Blackrock Hut I was informed that the water source was dry, with the next known water in Rockfish Gap 20 miles away. I had not asked about water conditions before I left and learned that Virginia was experiencing their worst drought in 70 years.
I attempted to flag down a car with an empty water bottle near Wildcat Ridge, to no avail, so I was very careful with my remaining quart that evening. Fortunately, I found a water seep just north of Calf Mtn. Shelter that allowed me to fill-up. I was a bit dehydrated, but not as bad as I was during a weekend hike in August 1978.
Starting out from Wawayanda Road on the NY/NJ border, the unusually muggy day had us drinking more water than normal. The only spring in that section turned out to be dry, so we had to walk another 4+ miles to NY-17A where we begged water from a nearby home. To this day, I can point to that one uncomfortable situation for why I tend to carry more water than other people.
Ricky&Jack
05-25-2014, 15:19
I think I was a little dehydrated when I did Amicalola to black gap. But that was my fault. I was "too careful" with my water since it was my first overnight hike.
I rarely drink soda or carbonated drinks..... but when i came back home the next day, i drank a 12 pack of diet dr pepper in about 4 hours because that was all that would "quench my thirst". Water was just making my stomach feel full, but the dr pepper was satisfying my thirst.
ChinMusic
05-25-2014, 15:25
I think most of us are somewhat dehydrated from time to time but that is not because we are short of water, we just don't drink enough. I can often think of times that I got into town to have a meal and drank a couple pitchers of soda. It wasn't because I couldn't find water on the trail.
On the descent off Wesser toward NOC.... it felt like it would never end.
I remember a desperate search for water.... at Sweetwater Gap. No kidding.
PA was seriously dry in August 2007. Many times I had to walk what seemed like halfway down the ridge just to get water. Trail angels had left gallon jugs of water at one or two road crossings. (Thanks!)
In the Whites, you can be fairly sure of not finding water on the high ridges.
bamboo bob
05-25-2014, 15:53
I know that on average, you should run into water every few day on the A.T. Really there is water every day at least. There is a 17 mile stretch around Catawba? I think and PA has some stretches that require getting off the ridge. But really, it's the AT, one poster above said he had to ask at a house! So the AT is never dangerously dry. I like a liter for every five miles so sometimes I may carry an extra liter. Just requires some planning from time to time. But for over 2000 miles carrying a liter is the most you actually NEED. Unless you PLAN on a dry camp which I often do.
Cookerhiker
05-25-2014, 17:00
I recall a Fall section hike back in the 80s in Virginia along the Blue Ridge Parkway when we found no water during the day and the shelter's source was a trickle. It was a drought period in that the leaves didn't turn colorful but brown.
I think most of us are somewhat dehydrated from time to time but that is not because we are short of water, we just don't drink enough. I can often think of times that I got into town to have a meal and drank a couple pitchers of soda. It wasn't because I couldn't find water on the trail.
Amen to this. On my Allen Gap-to-Damascus section hike, I was in pretty good shape by the time I hit the Tennessee Highway from Watauga "Lake" on. The weather was perfect, I was striding along, I felt great, I thought I was drinking enough...until my pee came out red around the TN/VA border. Fortunately I was close to Damascus so I drank everything up and headed straight there.
MuddyWaters
05-25-2014, 18:40
Backpacking with scouts at Philmont scout ranch N.M., we had to go just 7 miles with a 1900 ft elevation gain, 90F temps. So naturally my son and I were figuring about 4 hrs tops, I brought 1L, and he brought 1.5. In our experience, plenty for that distance considering we had just drank well before leaving. The other people probably had 4 L each.
Did not consider how poor shape the other people were in and how slow and whiney they would become once they started uphill. They wanted to break every 20 minutes, and walk at a snails pace . My son drank all his water after about 3 hrs. I gave most of mine to him. (I had not drank any at that point. ). After about 6.5 hrs, we reached the destination, in the sun a lot of the time. I had drank only about 1" out of a liter bottle, I was still saving what little I had for my son if he needed it. My saliva was getting pretty thick.
Odd Man Out
05-25-2014, 19:26
... There is a 17 mile stretch around Catawba?...
I'm doing that in July. Where exactly is that stretch?
Good thread. Hiking doesn't take much brain power, it's true (why I like it) but what brain power it takes is often spent dealing with water. The stuff's really important, really more so than food. (Most of us won't die if we go a day or two without food.)
To address your other questions... most shelters have water but some don't. Reliability of water at certain shelters.. is iffy. Especially in a dry year, and especially later in the season as summer wears on. The trail guides may mention whether the shelter's water source is reliable or not. Also, check the shelter registers, they may carry information about the next shelter north or south.
There's a broad range of attitudes concerning how much water to carry. I choose to err on the side of "too much." If I'm heading up onto a long dry ridge on a hot day, I take three quarts. Maybe that's just me. I'm sure there are some very fit ultra-lighters who'd say that's too much weight to be haulin'.
If you're well stocked up with water late in the day, camping options open up since you're not reliant on finding water at a shelter. Your home for the night can be anywhere.
Ricky&Jack
05-25-2014, 21:01
Good thread.
well yeah.... that's how I roll/hike :)
im still very new (only really doing a small local trail and my first overnight was last week Amicalola to Black gap) so im very much still in the "paranoid and ask a ton a "what if's" :)
ChinMusic
05-25-2014, 21:35
Water is something to always be somewhat worried about. On other, more dry, trails it is paramount.
Once you find water you have to stop and access the distance/time to your next water source. It just becomes a normal part of your routine.
modiyooch
05-25-2014, 22:49
I hiked in a drought. We literally had to drink from the Shenandoah River coming into town due to lack of water. That evening we used pitchers for glasses. That's the thirstiest I have ever been.
modiyooch
05-25-2014, 22:51
I recall a Fall section hike back in the 80s in Virginia along the Blue Ridge Parkway when we found no water during the day and the shelter's source was a trickle. It was a drought period in that the leaves didn't turn colorful but brown.
.this is the same year and same section that I quoted
I forget where it was, but I once saw a stick that was sticking out of a muddy bank and one tiny drop of water was steadily dripping off the end of a stick into a 5 gallon bucket that someone had put there...and the water was crystal clear. I remember being glad to see it because it was a particularly dry stretch. Sometimes if a water source appears dry you have to dig under leaves to find a puddle or go upstream if its a trickling spring. You'll find that most of your mistakes come from poor planning or absent mindedness. The few times I remember being really thirsty or in need of water it was because I skipped a water source thinking there was another one a short distance away only to find it dry or I passed it by accident.
slbirdnerd
05-26-2014, 10:39
When you do fill your bottles at a water source, remember to camel up (drink a bunch and then refill while you are still there). This will help keep you hydrated. I've been really guilty of not drinking enough and have finally learned my lesson.
MDSection12
05-26-2014, 11:16
I've been working on water management a lot the past year or so. It's the hardest part of hiking, in my opinion. What I've settled on is a system where I keep a liter in reserve, plus a small (16 oz I think) bottle that I drink from. As I hike I drink the small bottle, then stop and refill it from the liter bottle when needed. This helps me to keep track of my consumption, and lets me feel like I have a bit extra just in case.
The main thing I've learned though is to manage your hydration rather than your water. I'd rather be well hydrated and out of water than dehydrated with some left. Camel up at each source, literally as much as you can stand to drink. Monitor the color of your urine... Try to keep it clear all day. If you can do that then the water in your bottle is less important.
MDSection12
05-26-2014, 11:21
As for dry sections, I hiked from McAfee Knob to Daleville and made the mistake of not filling up at Lambert's Meadow... It's dry from there to Daleville. I managed to find some snowmelt to collect and found a half full water bottle someone left (yuck) but I was still very, very thirsty. When I got to a small, muddy creek I filtered and drank two liters... Only to realize the actual (less muddy) creek was another fifty yards...
82nd Airborne Recon Class 5-75. Part of the training. Day and a half. Weeded out some of the men in training. Learned the importance of planning around something real basic.
flemdawg1
05-28-2014, 09:52
On my first section hike, it was during the Fall 08 drought. We got a couple of liters of water from the spring north of Big Butt (I like it and I cannot lie), but the following springs and the also the ones near the shelters were all dry. The water for dinner was runoff from rain on the shelter roof. And the next day was dry. So we leave in the morning with very little after breakfast. At the next road crossing we see a couple of cabins about 100 yds away. I gather everyone's bottles and walk to cabins to see if I can ask for a fillup. Noone was in either cabin, but I did find a large stash of water filled 2 liter soda bottles behind one. So I quietly refilled all the water bottles and returned. Henceforth my trailname became Nalgene Ninja.
FarmerChef
05-28-2014, 10:29
Hiking? Well, about two hours in middle Virginia on a very hot spring day. Thankfully it was down hill and we did make it to the next water source.
Now running, that's another story. While marathon training on the C&O canal my wife and I left out thinking we would stop and pump water for each other at the water pumps along the way. We'd only be able to get a drink about every 15 or 20 minutes but that was ok. Usually we don't carry for runs under 10 miles. Plus, it was in late winter and still relatively cool.
As we ran we came to the first pump and found the handle missing. Uh oh. I had read that they treated the wells with Iodine as a precaution at some point in the spring but there was no sign indicating this. Just no handle. I tried to manually raise the pump head without the handle but all I succeeded in doing was getting grease on my hands. No matter. We picked it up and started running again thinking we'd just hit the next one. Well, you guessed it, no luck. At this point we were about 10 miles into a 20 mile out and back run :eek: We finished the out portion and turned around to come back. About 5 hours total from start to finish and we drank everything we could find in the car.
Not on the AT but the Art Loeb... I did a hike with two other. It was wet half the day: creeks, streams, etc. Then we crossed over a mountain and expected more of the same. The other side? Nothing. All gentle hills and pine barrens. Not a stream in site. Because of all the water we had thought, "meh, why carry a bunch, we'll just drink when we need it". Finally found a little waterfall miles down the trail, after we were all out of water and thirsty. Learned my lesson.
Water is something to always be somewhat worried about. On other, more dry, trails it is paramount.
Once you find water you have to stop and access the distance/time to your next water source. It just becomes a normal part of your routine.
Yeah, there are two ways to operate.
1) Before leaving your camp in the morning, determine where the next "for sure" water is located. Determine how much you need to get there, pack that much up and take off.
2) Before leaving your camp in the morning, determine where your campsite will be (assuming it will have water), determine how much you need to get there, pack it up and take off.
Each of the above methods have advantages and disadvantages, you decide which are more important to you.
Method 1
Advantages: Usually carry less water; in hot weather, water stay cooler; frequent excuse for breaks; can easily adjust for drinking extra.
Disadvantages: More time consuming, frequent stops to replenish; getting water from a higher number of sources - increased risk that some of the water will be contaminated
Method 2
Advantages: Less time consuming, usually only filtering/treating water once in the morning; fewer sources- less risk of getting contaminated water; less of a feeling of having to conserve your water - drink to your hearts content as you can almost always alter your method and add more if necessary.
Disadvantages: WEIGHT, carrying much more water for most of the day.
In either case, check your water reserve at lunch. Most of us choose a lunch spot with water nearby so we can drink our fill at midday. Top off your reserve if you need to.
As others have said, it is not something to worry over, but is something to think about. More critically during some stretches, less critically most of the time. You will develop your own way to deal with it. It doesn't take many long dry hikes to heighten your awareness. Few areas along the AT is it dangerous. Extremely hot, dry weather or a long climb - increase your normal carry.
My normal along the AT is to start the day with about 1.5 liters. I drink more than most. At lunch, check my water, if getting lower than a liter, or if the afternoon holds some long climbs, top off again. If the afternoon will be a cruise, make do with what I have.
How dependable is the camp water source? Carry enough to get you through a dry camp and to the next sure water - evaluate this late in the day, at a water source. Sounds complicated, but as others have said, it becomes second nature relatively quickly. Err on the side of safety, but don't become obsessive. A couple of hours of dry hiking isn't going to significantly harm you, but is a good instructor.
garlic08
05-29-2014, 08:20
...Has anyone here showed up to a shelter for the night with the last few drinks of your water because you thought there was water there to re-fill, only to find out that the water dried up and you cant get water for another 10miles etc?....
Exactly this happened to me on the CDT in NM, except it was a cattle tank, not a shelter. I had met a hiker that morning, 25 miles previously, who verified there was water in the tank. When I got there, it was in the nineties, dry, and surrounded by thirsty bulls. Next water was 10 miles away. Luckily, I followed the desert hiker's creed, and carried just enough water to make it to the water source after the one you're heading for. I had an extra half liter and that was just enough to make a 35 mile hiking day. The evening was cool and the hiking was splendid and it was a memorable day.
Exactly this happened to me on the CDT in NM, except it was a cattle tank, not a shelter. I had met a hiker that morning, 25 miles previously, who verified there was water in the tank. When I got there, it was in the nineties, dry, and surrounded by thirsty bulls. Next water was 10 miles away. Luckily, I followed the desert hiker's creed, and carried just enough water to make it to the water source after the one you're heading for. I had an extra half liter and that was just enough to make a 35 mile hiking day. The evening was cool and the hiking was splendid and it was a memorable day.
OMG, I don't think I could ever go an "extra" ten miles just to cop water. My hat's off to ya.
On my first backpacking trip, I took iodine tablets to treat water. That was my first mistake. Never mind that it says right on the packaging that the tablets are recommended for camping. I didn't test out the system before leaving on my hike so I had no idea that iodine doesn't agree with everyone and should never be used for more than a few days (this particular fact WAS advertised on the packaging). My second mistake. By the third day, just smelling the iodine treated water made me feel nauseous, never mind actually drinking it. I ended up using all of my fuel to boil drinking water. By the last day, I'd had to do five miles in the heat of the afternoon without water, over several thousand feet of elevation dehydrated and without any water. That was pretty rough.
Vermont in the end of May. I was coming south from New Hampshire where I was spoiled with water so I wasn't carry a lot of water. I get to this stretch in Vermont where there was no water, just mud. No puddles, no creeks. The spring at the shelter was just mud. I only had rice and oatmeal left in my pack so I didn't eat that night. The next day I saw someone at a farm and they let me use their tap.
On the AT you should be able to find an reliable water source every few hours especially at the shelters but the longest i went without water was 4 hours.
I've been working on water management a lot the past year or so. It's the hardest part of hiking, in my opinion. What I've settled on is a system where I keep a liter in reserve, plus a small (16 oz I think) bottle that I drink from. As I hike I drink the small bottle, then stop and refill it from the liter bottle when needed. This helps me to keep track of my consumption, and lets me feel like I have a bit extra just in case.
The main thing I've learned though is to manage your hydration rather than your water. I'd rather be well hydrated and out of water than dehydrated with some left. Camel up at each source, literally as much as you can stand to drink. Monitor the color of your urine... Try to keep it clear all day. If you can do that then the water in your bottle is less important.
After the first climb my urine is dark yellow until after I finish the trip. I drink water constantly. I camel up as water source plus I fill 4 gatoraid bottles to get me to the next water source. On some days I drink over 12 bottles of water. I am hydrating. So I must really be sweeting it out. If I dont see a water source after a few miles I start to get really thirsty.
MDSection12
05-29-2014, 20:34
After the first climb my urine is dark yellow until after I finish the trip. I drink water constantly. I camel up as water source plus I fill 4 gatoraid bottles to get me to the next water source. On some days I drink over 12 bottles of water. I am hydrating. So I must really be sweeting it out. If I dont see a water source after a few miles I start to get really thirsty.
I'm no doctor, but that would concern me. I've always been told any color to your urine indicates a lack of hydration (but not necessarily dehydration). Sounds like you're drinking plenty, but still not hydrating properly... There must be some explanation for that.
garlic08
05-29-2014, 20:59
OMG, I don't think I could ever go an "extra" ten miles just to cop water. My hat's off to ya.
Thank you. In desert situations like that, it's smart to always be thinking of a "what if" scenario, or an escape route, and I was already mentally ready to hike the extra miles if needed. And already conditioned for 30 mile days, it being the CDT and all. Sometimes you'll see a windmill a few miles off trail down a gully with cattle around it, and you note that on your map because it may become your back-up water source. As already noted above, water should always be on your mind at some level, even in wet country like the AT, more so than food.
Another Kevin
05-29-2014, 21:29
It's not unusual for me to go through 4-6 litres in a day of hiking if the weather is hot and the hike is strenuous. I'm pretty typical in that regard.
On a trail where water sources are frequent, I might carry a couple of litres. If I'm going to be up on a high ridge (the high ridges around here are all dry: even in wet weather, they have just mud and skanky standing water), I'll usually carry an extra litre or two, because I'd rather carry an extra 2.2 or 4.4 pounds to avoid losing over a thousand feet of elevation to tank up. Of course, I have to go down and get water eventually, but a heavier water load can postpone it.
Adjust for conditions. For what it's worth, the area where I hike most often is like the Pennsylvania Rocks but with considerably more vertical scrambling. Going is slow. The locals advise out-of-area hikers to budget half the distance they think they can do, much like the Presidentials or the Adirondack Great Range.
I'm no doctor, but that would concern me. I've always been told any color to your urine indicates a lack of hydration (but not necessarily dehydration). Sounds like you're drinking plenty, but still not hydrating properly... There must be some explanation for that.
I just had a physical and the doctor didnt seem concerned. Nothing wrong. I am curious about hydrating properly. What do you mean. I usually carry 4 bottles 2 of which are filled with gator aid powder mix. And drink very often. I do usually hike in the hot summer months which might have something to do with it.
MDSection12
05-30-2014, 10:54
I just had a physical and the doctor didnt seem concerned. Nothing wrong. I am curious about hydrating properly. What do you mean. I usually carry 4 bottles 2 of which are filled with gator aid powder mix. And drink very often. I do usually hike in the hot summer months which might have something to do with it.
He's the expert, not me... I was just thinking 'aloud.' Maybe that was inappropriate. If so I apologize.
I just meant that if clear urine is a sign of hydration and you are drinking what should be more than enough fluids and not getting clear urine then that would concern me. I've learned to monitor my urine color (as well as the frequency of urination) for all my active pursuits and I've found it's very reliable as an indicator of hydration... I'm just curious why that isn't the case for you.
Anyway, again my apologies if I came off as an alarmist, that was not my intention. :)
OK I was just wondering if there was a better way to hydrate than what I was doing. Nothing to apologize for. If there is info out there that i can learn from I want to hear it
I like you MD know that dark urine is an indication of dehydration and that is why I drink so much and carry so much water. And let me tell you that mountian water in OH so good.
On both my NOBO's ( 06 & 2012 ) i carried two 32oz Gatorade bottles of water, I would fill up in the mornning before i broke camp and that would last until lunch, i always had lunch at a shelter or beside a creek and filled them up again, and that lasted until i stopped for the night, and i made sure where ever i camped their was water close by, I never really had a problem finding an water source along the AT, except for one time in PA i was on my 06 thru, i was able to fill up on water that mornning and i planned to camp at the AllenTown Hiking Club Shelter well i didn't have any problems finding that entire day but i ran out about 1 mile south of the shelter and when i got to the shelter my guide book said their was an reliable water source about .2 miles down a very steep blue blaze directly in front of the shelter I found the correct blue blaze and i proceded down the trail when i got to where the water source was suppose to be it was all dried up so i followed the dry spring bed in hopes of finding a Puddle or something and i found nothing it was all dry so i hike back up to the shelter, I had no water and i very thirsty so i started looking around for another side trail thinking that maybe the other blue blaze was the wrong trail and found nothing but i got lucky a SOBO hiker came through a few minutes later and i told him my problem and he filled one of my bottles from his platypuss water bladder and he told me about 2 miles north their was a very good flowing stream to the left of the trail, so i gathered up my pack and decided to hike on the 2 miles and when i was hiking i kept eyeing the left side of the trail to find this stream and sure enough about and hour from the shelter their was an AWESOME spring with a very nice campsite so i stayed their the night and i was able to cammel up and had plenty of water. Good thing too because the rest of PAwas supper dry i was only able to fill my bottles once a day through the remainder of PA, NJ and NY was just as dry, when i got to a water source i would drink as much as i could and fill up and i would have to make it last all day and i also and a few dry nights, where i couldn't find any water sources at all in the evenings and had to go without water until the next mornning. and on my 2012 NOBO i pretty much went through the same thing in PA,NJ and NY, On all three of my thru-hikes the driest part of the AT for me was the Mid-Atlantic states the rest of trail their was plenty of water so much water their was a couple of times i thought i was going to literally drown. Good Luck and Happy Hiking.