View Full Version : question for previous thru hikers
joestein
03-29-2009, 00:18
this is my first post in this forum.
i currently am using a camelpak for my main source as hydration and a water bottle (nalgene, gatorade bottle, or clean plastic bottles) for cooking until i figure out the best soultion for me. oh and i also use a pump for my h20.
one reason id like to used a hydration bladder is i've been severely dehydrated and its no fun.
i guess my question is. what did you all use? what was your set up and why. give me anything
one reason im asking this is because when i need to get my camelpak in and out of my pack its kinda tricky and sometimes a pain in the ass. the bottles are obviously no probelm.
i hope this makes sense
thanks in advance
SGT Rock
03-29-2009, 00:24
I used a Gatorade bottle and a Platy 80 ounce.
The Gatorade bottle was for walking and drinking in camp. Camel up at the beginning of the day, drink as you want. When you get to 1/2 of a bottle stop at the next water hole, down the rest, and fill up again.
The Platy was for filling up and using at camp or when heading to a dry camp.
You may find that a Camel Bak or other hose (the nickname is a hoser) freezes and is useless in cold weather, or the drinks of water are hot when you want cool water in hot weather. They are a hassle to string around, can get caught up in stuff, and have other issues - like accidentally knocking off a bite valve and not noticing until you are half out of water and 4 miles from where you lost it. But some people still like them. I only use them when walking in very specific applications like fast rucking or something.
That was for me. You may want to do something different.
A 2.5 liter camelbak and two regular size nalgenes. I find the measurements to be helpful for cooking and I like to have a lot of water.
If you want to lighten up, use some 32 oz. gatorade bottles. Just make some measurements that you frequently use and dump them in the bottle. Make some marks on the bottle and you'll know exactly what you have. I don't do that because I'm lazy and I trust nalgene.
I do much the Sgt. Rock thing. 2L +(80 oz)Platy for camp or long between water hauls and Gatorade/OGG lite wt. 1 L aluminum strapped to my shoulder harness for on the go water.
What I think is worse than feeling dehydrated, at least from a I've been hit in the head with a Chuck Norris roundhouse feeling, is having all the salts washed from your body. I don't recall what they call the condition. It took me 3 solid days to regain the balance of salts and eloctrolytes that I had washed out of my system. No amt. of H2O under those conditions gets you to feel normal again quickly. Took me 2 days of tomato juice and gatorade IV use before I felt like the hatchet had been removed from my aching skull.
OT but Chuck Norris sucks.
I use a nalgene and a platy.
The platy is perfect for loading up when water becomes remote, or when the water source is a good ways from your camp. I found that the nalgene was all I needed during the day.
garlic08
03-29-2009, 00:53
In temperate zones like the AT, I carry a one-liter gatorade-type bottle and a 2-liter platypus bladder only, for a total container weight of 2 oz. and no moving parts. 99% of the time I do not use the platy--it's only for the rare dry stretch of 10 miles or more. I tried hoses and bite valves but never had them last the distance on a long hike. Once I lost a dangerous amount of water in the desert when I set the pack down on top of the bite valve, and once again when the bite valve got torn off the hose while bushwhacking.
I can reach my 1-liter bottle out of my pack side pocket when I'm hiking, so I easily stay hydrated that way.
Powder River
03-29-2009, 01:22
If you use a pump then just leave your camelbak buried in your pack and pump it through the hose. I did this and also carried a 20 oz gatorade. The camelbak was bombproof, no problems and lasted the whole way. Used a lock on the end to avoid leaks.
If you use a pump then just leave your camelbak buried in your pack and pump it through the hose. I did this and also carried a 20 oz gatorade. The camelbak was bombproof, no problems and lasted the whole way. Used a lock on the end to avoid leaks.
Yeah, that's definetly clutch. I wouldn't use a camelbak if you couldn't do that.
You can do that on a platy too.
joestein
03-29-2009, 01:26
and yes it will be for my thru hike next year. i guess the other reason i use the camel pak is for convenience it makes it so easy.
i plan on leaving march 15th. so freezing temps wont be an issue (hopefully).
my dehydration was from a 30 mile bike ride from atlanta to stone mountain and back. in late july. with temperatures in the 90s. i made it back to the marta station. passed out on a bench for 30 minutes and some how made it to the end of the line on the right train where i parked. and woke up around midnight in my truck. oh and i lost my wallet. so i couldnt get anything to drink. it was a bad day.
In non-desert climates I carry a single 1-liter 'Smart Water' soda type bottle and a 2.4 liter Platy for camp use or the occasional drier stretch. Weighs 2 oz. for the pair, cheap, easily replaceable.
In desert areas I carry the same containers, just more of them.
IMHO, on the AT: Water filters are a total waste of weight. On my thru hikes of the AT and LT, and many more hikes in the East, I've yet to see water that has significant particulate matter or sediment to remove, which is what a filter is useful for. I'd recommend a simpler, lighter method of purification such as Aqua Mira.
I think Camelbaks are ridiculous. Good for mountain biking, maybe. Heavy, too many parts, pain to pack, as you've found. Often unreliable valves. If you find yourself dehydrating because you can't simply remove a bottle from your pack and unscrew the top... well, you probably shouldn't be backpacking. Keep it simple.
SGT Rock
03-29-2009, 10:08
and yes it will be for my thru hike next year. i guess the other reason i use the camel pak is for convenience it makes it so easy.
I use to carry a Camel Bak for the same reason. After thinking about it in one of my trail AARs I realized it was not actually all that convenient. I got rid of it. Later when I started trying to cut weight I realized that more that half the weight of my Camel Bak was in the hose system. But I wasn't carrying one by then anyway.
i plan on leaving march 15th. so freezing temps wont be an issue (hopefully).
Oh... You might find out how hard a frozen straw is to suck through a couple of mornings.
my dehydration was from a 30 mile bike ride from atlanta to stone mountain and back. in late july. with temperatures in the 90s. i made it back to the marta station. passed out on a bench for 30 minutes and some how made it to the end of the line on the right train where i parked. and woke up around midnight in my truck. oh and i lost my wallet. so i couldnt get anything to drink. it was a bad day.
My worst day ever of dehydration is a war story. August 2006 I just got back to Baghdad after my mid tour leave. I left the comfortable 80-90 degree temps of Tennessee to get back to Iraq where it was ~120. A couple of days after getting back we do a mounted patrol through Baghdad that was about 12 hours long. I'm up in the Machine-gun position with about 50 pounds of armor and stuff all day. I go though countless Gatorade and water during that time. I don't urinate all day - it just keeps sweating out of me. By the end of the patrol I had bad headaches and nausea. I keep on drinking, a few hours later I finally pee. It is dark brown with chunks in it and smells something fierce. Luckily the next day was a down day for maintenance. I took it easy and got my hydration and minerals up through eating and fluids.
Minerals sweat out need to be replaced. Drinking a lot doesn't solve all your problems associated with working out and sweating - you can actually drink too much which is one of the things I found with Camel Baks. I imagine some of the issues you got into with your bike ride may have had something to do with this as well. the "Hydrate or Die" slogan of Camel Bak sort of focuses on half the issue.
Lone Wolf
03-29-2009, 10:16
i currently am using a camelpak for my main source as hydration and a water bottle (nalgene, gatorade bottle, or clean plastic bottles) for cooking until i figure out the best soultion for me. oh and i also use a pump for my h20.
i guess my question is. what did you all use? what was your set up and why. give me anything
one reason im asking this is because when i need to get my camelpak in and out of my pack its kinda tricky and sometimes a pain in the ass. the bottles are obviously no probelm.
i use a quart Nalgene and a Gatorade bottle. no platy or camel thingys for me and no water treatment of any kind
having all the salts washed from your body. I don't recall what they call the condition.
That, my friend, is hyponatremia. I got it running a marathon two years ago; only once; after that I had learned my lesson. It is very unpleasant (you can die). First you go numb, can't talk, and then get serious cramps and disorientation, after that, you pass out. It hit me at the finish line when a bozo handed me a bottle of water and I took a big gulp. I wandered over to a chair and sat down, then began to loose it. I was taken to the first aid tent, where they asked me repeatedly if I wanted a drink of water (!!). A doctor who runs straightened the dumb nurses out. I recovered within an hour after eating salty food, yoghurt, and salt tabs. The funny thing is that I hadn't been drinking a lot of water during the run (maybe 3 or 4 cups). But I don't eat much salt normally in my food, and I sweat heavily. The water at the finish pushed me over the edge. So now I concentrate on prevention; I ran my 42nd marathon yesterday with no problems. (I'm ready to section hike the AT next Sunday!!).:)
I would think that hyponatremia would be rare on the AT. Most of the food you are likely to eat is pretty high sodium. Although it could happen if you have a long day, drink water often, and eat little food. I think it is good to be aware of your electrolyte balance when you do strenuous outdoor activity. If you are succeptable to imbalance or expect hot dry weather, carry salt tabs.
Regarding hydration hoses, they come way too long. I cut half the length off my platy and it reaches my mouth just fine. No need to have it dangle all the way down to your belly button. Hose is heavy stuff.
Cannibal
03-30-2009, 16:08
I used a couple of gatorade bottles or water bottles with a large mouth so I could fit my SteriPen in to treat. At camp I filled a nalgene canteen. Replaced the water bottles every couple of town stops.
Johnny Swank
03-30-2009, 16:50
I used a 2- liter camelback and 1 nalgene when I thru-hiked. Now I just take 2 1-liter soda bottles and a 2-liter Playpus stored in my cookset. I bet I haven't used that platy more than 5 times, but it's nice to have around in case it's a looong way to the spring.
Most of the time I cook in the late afternoon, clean up, camel up, chill, then hike for a couple more hours at a dry camp. 2 -liters is plenty to get me to the next water stop.