View Full Version : On AT how much water need one carry worst case..?
Hi,
I am wondering.. in worst case scenario--ie it is mid summer and drought conditions and the unreliable streams or drying up, how much water need one carry at one time?
I suspect in best case scenarios..like during wet spring, one could get a way carrying just one liter.
I expect to carry at least two quarts on my at all times..but is it possible one may need to carry up to a gallon at times? I don't ever want to go overboard hear as water is heavy...i have learned the hard way!
During the driest parts of the trail.. when water availability was at a minimum..how much water did you carry>
DavidNH
Lucy Lulu
12-23-2005, 15:31
There were times this summer in NY & NH where I carried up to 3 liters, but I actually got lucky. I ran out a couple of times, but thanks to the goodness of "trail angels", I was able to make it to the next source.
Lucy Lulu
12-23-2005, 15:32
Oops...meant NY & NJ
LIhikers
12-23-2005, 16:40
This past summer, August of 2005, my wife and I both carried two 2 litter bottles for water. Then we'd fill them according to the water reports we got from hikers going the other way. I think there was only one day that we actually carried 4 litters each.
2 liters most of the time, but with capacity for 4 liters. maybe an extra platypus that you can roll up when you don't need it.
Footslogger
12-23-2005, 17:40
The most water I ever carried at one time during my thru was a 1.8 Liter Platypus and a 20oz gatorade bottle. A few times I was headed for a specific spot as an overnight campsite and knew there was no water supply close. In those instances I filled up a 4 Liter Platypus at the last water supply prior to my final destination and carried it with me.
'Slogger
vipahman
12-23-2005, 18:52
Water weighs about 2.55 lbs/liter. So at 3 liters, that's an amazing 7.65 lbs. I used to carry 3 liters until this forum downsized me to 2 liters. For the worst case scenario, I recommend carrying an empty Platypus 1L bottle. It's lightweight at under 1 oz.
swamp dawg
12-23-2005, 19:34
I normally carry 1 liter but I take a careful look at the trail ahead to make sure I have enough. I make sure I fill up with all I can at the shelter so I carry water in my belly not on my back. I check with other hiker as to water availibility on the trail if there is a problem then I carry two liters. I fill up any time I cross a water source on the trail so I do not run out. Be sure to drink a lot of water in hot and cold weather because your body needs lots for all type of functions while hiking. Life is good on on the trail.....Swamp Dawg
cutman11
12-24-2005, 00:33
Water weighs about 2.55 lbs/liter. So at 3 liters, that's an amazing 7.65 lbs. I used to carry 3 liters until this forum downsized me to 2 liters. For the worst case scenario, I recommend carrying an empty Platypus 1L bottle. It's lightweight at under 1 oz.
Actually, 1 liter of water = 1kilogram = 2.2 pounds. So 3 liters would be 6.6 pounds. Maybe you are including the weight of your filter?
Nightwalker
12-24-2005, 12:50
Water weighs about 2.55 lbs/liter. So at 3 liters, that's an amazing 7.65 lbs. I used to carry 3 liters until this forum downsized me to 2 liters. For the worst case scenario, I recommend carrying an empty Platypus 1L bottle. It's lightweight at under 1 oz.
2.205 per liter, but that's still a lot. 8.3454043 per gallon. If you're gonna know what yer pack weighs, ya gotta know the numbers.
Formulas:
1 kg = 2.2046226 lbs.
1 liter = 1.0566882 quarts
1 liter = .2641721 gallon
1 liter = 33.8140226 fluid oz.
1 gallon = 8.3454043 lbs.
(33.8140226/128) * 8.3454043 = 2.20462257504950921875 lbs per liter
Of course, there are rounding issues, and I'm being totally ridiculous here, but you get the idea!
Yeah, I'm a geek. What's yer point?
Numbers from http://www.onlineconversion.com. They match The Machinery's Handbook, which is my "last word" reference.
:D
Kerosene
12-24-2005, 14:08
It obviously depends on the heat, elevation change, the trail surface, the amount of tree cover, and of course the distance between reliable water sources. If you start out fully hydrated and don't mind ending up somewhat dehydrated, you can stretch the mileage, but it's not fun (I ran out of water north of Vernon, NJ one summer and had to walk 6 miles without on a humid sunny day...not fun). I suggest that you monitor your own water intake on a hotter, humid day to get a sense of what you need (and write it down so that you remember it between hikes!).
I typically carry 2+ liters since I'd rather haul the weight than risk being without again. On extended dry stretches I will augment with a 20-oz soda bottle after I "camel up" before the stretch.
In October 2002 I started south about noon from Loft Mountain Campground in the southern part of Shenendoah National Park without checking on the status of water sources. Apparently central Virginia was in the midst of its longest drought since the 1930's, and all of the water sources were dry until Rockfish Gap. Instead of an easy couple of days I decided to put in 13 miles that afternoon, which was blessedly overcast, and another 14 miles on the following warm (75F), sunny day. I managed to ration the water but of course I was pretty dehydrated when I checked into the motel a night early.
castro and i ran outta water somewhere in central VA and were 7 miles from the next water source...i told him to keep an eye out for damp spots on trail....we found a natural spring probably hald way from the next listed water source...next few days we did it again, only this time castro says...look, grass...everything else was dry....we went down hill about 100 ft and there was water....keep yer eyes open...when it's dry, water just seems to reveal itself.
I carry 3 20oz soda bottles. I start full and refill as I come to sources.
that way I always have water for cooking
Alligator
12-29-2005, 13:22
Worst case I would say carry 4 liters. While individuals will vary, I think a good majority of people would be sufficiently hydrated to reach camp with this amount. I typically drink about 4 liters while hiking on moderately hot days on the AT, so if I was completely unsure about sources, I would carry that much. I really dislike being thirsty while hiking, as it's completely avoidable.
That being said, 3 liters is a very good bet. It was really dry in PA this summer, but I think I carried at most 3 liters. Most shelters are about 10 miles apart and usually have a reliable water source. If not reliable, that information is available in one of the guides, allowing you to plan accordingly. In addition, in dry times, water is a prime subject among hikers, with information often added to the trail registers.
Another thing you may wish to consider is treatment method. When it's really dry, a pump is handy. I once pumped a liter or two from a rock depression on a really dry ridgeline. It would have been really nasty otherwise.
max patch
12-29-2005, 13:56
I thru'd in a dry year. Started in GA with a 1 liter water bottle; wasn't enough so I added a second 1 liter water bottle when I reached Damascus. Made it fine carrying 2 liters.
"Worst case" scenario might be to carry an empty Gatorade bottle in addition to the usual 2 liters. You'll know if/when you need it when you're out there.
saimyoji
12-29-2005, 14:17
2.205 per liter, but that's still a lot. 8.3454043 per gallon. If you're gonna know what yer pack weighs, ya gotta know the numbers.
Formulas:
1 kg = 2.2046226 lbs.
1 liter = 1.0566882 quarts
1 liter = .2641721 gallon
1 liter = 33.8140226 fluid oz.
1 gallon = 8.3454043 lbs.
(33.8140226/128) * 8.3454043 = 2.20462257504950921875 lbs per liter
Of course, there are rounding issues, and I'm being totally ridiculous here, but you get the idea!
Yeah, I'm a geek. What's yer point?
Numbers from http://www.onlineconversion.com. They match The Machinery's Handbook, which is my "last word" reference.
:D
Not only rounding issues, but you should know that multiplying decimals may increase the number of digits after the decimal, but it doesn't increase the number of significant places. You should never have more significant figures than when you start with. Your number doesn't get more accurate the more you multiply. Its never more accurate than what you start with. In fact, it gets less accurate.
gr8fulyankee
12-29-2005, 14:30
I carry a 4 liter Dromedary bag. I usually always have water for whatever I need. If that runs out, I also carry a 7oz flash of Jägermeister to help hold me over.
i would carry enough so that i was not too thirsty very often
i would carry enough so that i was not too thirsty very often
mingo.. who else but one like you could conjure up such a simplistic scartastic reply that does not answer the question raised in the post and is of absolutely no value to the original poster.
This is at least the third post you have made that simplistic and unhelpful.
Keep it up.. and I will be talking to the moderator(s).
DavidNH
gr8fulyankee
12-29-2005, 23:18
Damn I think that he Bitch slapped the hell out of you!
mingo.. who else but one like you could conjure up such a simplistic scartastic reply that does not answer the question raised in the post and is of absolutely no value to the original poster.
This is at least the third post you have made that simplistic and unhelpful.
Keep it up.. and I will be talking to the moderator(s).
DavidNH
David, My thru hike year was a bad drought year. I found that the thing to do (for me) was to drink at every chance. I would then look in the guidebook and judge how long to the next water, and carry as needed. Many times water was common ahead and I would carry none. Sometimes 3 liters was not enough to make the next listed spring if camping before arriving. Arriving at the next spring out of water but not thirsty is Prefect. As Burn points out, not all springs are listed and just by looking you can often find water. That said I normally carried two, 1 liter soda bottles, a third bottle if there was talk of a lack of water ahead. I marked all the strong springs that I came to on my maps as it was a drought year. I do not know but a dry year might be better than a wet year.
icemanat95
12-30-2005, 00:17
Most of the time 2 liters is ample for going from water point to water point, but you need to be flexible and have a lightweight option for adding capacity in a pinch.
The worst water situation I encountered in 1995 was at Lehigh Gap. Both my hiking partner and I camelled up at the Palmerton Road Crossing and we both loaded up with extra bottles of water and gatorade to the tune of 4-5 liters of water and fluids each. We headed up out of Palmerton onto the ridgeline and were blasted by heat. It's like a desert up there with no shade and no drinkable water sources for a long ways. We were both completely out of water long before the end of that day's stretch. We hit a road crossing and someone had put out water for hikers. We filled up as much as we thought was responsible and moved on, but were down to mouthfuls by the time we hit the campsite well after dark and too late to go looking for the spring. I figure I drank 2 and a half gallons that day from the moment I got up to the moment I went to sleep, and it wasn't enough.
So pay attention to what the guides and your fellow hikers tell you and remain flexible to deal with it.
I also carry a 1 gallon freezer bag, when I find out the water ahead has dried or not reliable , I fill it and use it to refill my soda bottles. This year I put it in the mesh pocket of my Go Lite Breeze, didnt have a spilage problem.
mingo.. who else but one like you could conjure up such a simplistic scartastic reply that does not answer the question raised in the post and is of absolutely no value to the original poster.
This is at least the third post you have made that simplistic and unhelpful.
Keep it up.. and I will be talking to the moderator(s).
DavidNH
yeah well, i might report you to the moderator(s) for asking stupid questions. back at ya
the only stupid question is the question not asked. White Blaze is here for us novices to learn tricks of the trade so to speak from the veterans and for the veterans to leand a helping hand of help and encouragement to novices thereby bettering the AT experience for all.
I have nothing more to say to you mingo. If you don't like a given post..don't spend time replying. I intend to milk this gold mine of information that is whiteblaze for all I can before my thru hike. And if that means asking simple questions so be it.
fiddlehead
12-31-2005, 08:01
I see a lot of folks here carrying a lot of water. The only good answer i saw was the one by Mingo that got abused.
I only ever want to carry as much as i think i'll need!!
I think that's basically what he meant.
On the AT, when it's fairly normal conditions, i don't carry any water. People are correct: That stuff is heavy!
There are plenty of seeps and that is actually the best water (when it's coming right out of the ground)
I learned to camel up and drink a litre or 2 when it's available and often pass up lots of water because i'm not thirsty.
On the other hand, when it's july and august, and you're on top of a ridgeline where water might be scarce(like Lehigh Gap mentioned earlier)
I drink up to a gallon and carry a litre or 2 if i think i won't see any all day.
In CA, in the desert, when i knew i had to go 28 miles before my next water source, i drank 6 litres and carried 4. It was enough.
Know your limits.
If you're carrying 2 litres at all times, you're never gonna know your limits.
On the AT, you can always go down and find water. It's not like the desert where there isn't any water.
LongIslandBob
12-31-2005, 11:06
Three liters was about right for me on a NOBO Mar-Jul thruhike. I had a few places that I ran dry, mostly in the mid-atlantic/northeast states when it got hot, but in hindsight, I wouldn't have carried more (too heavy). Two is probably fine in the Spring down south. A number of thruhikers used the 20 oz. soda bottles, adding more to their pack when it got hot/dry, then jettisoning them when not needed. I used a Nalgene and a pack bladder, which added a little weight, but was convenient, allowing a drink on the move.
hikingpm
01-12-2006, 09:49
Kerosene pretty much hit the nail on its head. The amount of water one needs depends on many factors, but the main variable is you. Each person needs a different amount of water to stay hydrated. I know some people that drink more water sitting at a desk than others that are hiking the Smokies in the heat of the summer. I suggest you start out with more water than you think you need and then reduce the amount until you discover the quantity until you discover the correct amount for you to carry.
minnesotasmith
01-12-2006, 09:58
And it wasn't enough to get me to the next water I could see from the Trail. That was in a fairly normal time in July earlier this year.
middle to middle
01-12-2006, 13:19
when very low on water I found that if i looked down and could spot a grove of mountain laurel or rotodendran you usually could dig a water sump and scrounge some in the middle of the grove.
I recall running out of water one day and it was early season and no leaves out and very hot. I had drunk all my water, then I encounter a large group of Boy scouts out for a day hike with the scoutmaster. I asked if they could spare any water, I was dry ! They said no the scoutmaster had told them water was life and no one wanted to solve my poor planning error by sacrificing his life. The Scoutmaster remained silent. Too bad for all of us.
Life sucks then you die. Fortunately we all lived.