How much water?

[Bootstrap]

The other thing I picked up on, reading between the lines of your post, is carrying 'H2O!' With experience, this time of year, you should have to carry very little, if any, water. Check your trail data and maps and only carry water if it's several miles between sources.

I suppose people carry widely different amounts of water. I would rarely pass a water hole without topping up to at least one liter, probably two. When I see water, I think a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

What about the rest of y'all? What guidelines do you use for how much water to carry?

Jonathan

[Manwich]

I've got a 3 liter platypus i fill up at the beginning of the day. All I need for one day. I camp where I can get water, use all of my water during cooking and rehydrating by days end then refill in the morn (or at night before i go to sleep in case water source freezes)

[Tipi Walter]

This is a very subjective thing. If you know the place you're backpacking, hardly any water needs to be carried(southeast backpacking, not desert). On the other hand, in drought conditions like we had last year many known springs can be dry but still if you know the area well you'll know where to tank up.

New, unexplored trails w/o guide or data books require more water humpage, especially in dry conditions. I always carry more water when I go into a new area. Then again, speed hikers who pull 20-30 mile days often don't carry much water since they are making so much distance and they pass numerous water sources. Cameling up, I believe they call it. Not relevant in the desert or some western trails.

The AT in NC/TN has numerous water sources and humpage is determined by choice/drought. If a person just does 7 miles a day, water is more of a concern for that night's camp. If a person does 20 miles a day, they'll be three times the opportunity to tank up. The map/book is helpful in this regard. And some common sense.

Since the AT follows ridgelines alot, there's many unseen and unknown spring seeps below the top and down below the gaps that will have water, even though nothing is written about it. I found a campsite south of Cable Gap shelter once somewhere around Hogback Gap and it was a pretty little cleared knob perfect for a tent. Absolutely dry? Seemed like it. I saw a bunch of jewelweed growing down in the hollow and on a from-camp bushwack found water down the hill in the gap. The stuff could be anywhere.

[Pokey2006]

All depends on water sources, weather and terrain. Moderate terrain, water sources every few miles, cool weather -- I won't carry any at all. Or just half a water bottle. Hot, with water sources 10 miles or more apart, or on a long climb with few sources, I'll carry a full water bottle, plus a second full water bottle. So maybe between 1-2 liters.

Day hiking, I'll usually just put 1-2 liters in my platy so I don't have to fuss with water at all.

[Lyle]

Typically, I start the day with between 1.5 and 2 liters. I generally check the remaining at lunch and decide then if more will be needed, based on temp, consumption, availability during the afternoon.

One problem with topping off at frequent sources is the increased possibility of getting "bad" water. Confining yourself to fewer sources means fewer chances of illness. That is, if you even worry about this, some don't ever, some only sometimes.

[Big Dawg]

I usually carry between 1 & 2 quarts, depending on availability.

[Pokey2006]

One problem with topping off at frequent sources is the increased possibility of getting "bad" water. Confining yourself to fewer sources means fewer chances of illness. That is, if you even worry about this, some don't ever, some only sometimes.

Naw, I actually think drinking a little from here, a little from there reduces those chances. I figure you're more likely to get sick from drinking a lot of water from a contaminated source, then just a little from that one, mixed in with a little from another source.

My filter-in-a-bottle helps, too.

[Kirby]

On the AT, under "normal" conditions, you can easily carry a liter. My hiking companion got me onto carrying two liters in two one liter gatorade bottles. Every time we came to a water source, we'd check to see how our water levels were doing.

[Tipi Walter]

And it depends on where you want to set up for the night. And the time of day. If I'm on the AT I'll keep my eyeballs peeled for the next water source at around 2-3pm. Between then and 6 or 7 I hoped to have found water for my night's camp, which will not be at a shelter but perhaps within a couple hundred yards of a shelter(of course I don't rely on the guide book 100%). There's usually water at shelters. Does anyone know of an AT shelter that doesn't have water?? Most of them do.

[Lyle]

Naw, I actually think drinking a little from here, a little from there reduces those chances. I figure you're more likely to get sick from drinking a lot of water from a contaminated source, then just a little from that one, mixed in with a little from another source.

My filter-in-a-bottle helps, too.

I believe a Microbiologist would find fault with your reasoning, but most of it is probably in our minds anyway. I believe we are much more likely to get sick from poor hygiene than from bad water.

[Pokey2006]

There's usually water at shelters. Does anyone know of an AT shelter that doesn't have water?? Most of them do.

I recall some shelters where the water was difficult to get to. In which case, plan ahead and pick up water at an easier-to-reach source a few miles beforehand. That Peter's Mtn. shelter in Pa. is one example.

[bigcranky]

The shelters that don't have water are well marked in the guidebooks and the databook. There is usually water within a mile or so on either side of those shelters.

Pokey is right, though, that there are many shelters where the water is far away and steeply downhill.

[Manwich]

if i remember correctly, west mountain shelter in Ny has a pretty ridiculous water situation. In order to get up to the shelter you gotta scale the nearby Timp Torne and then Descend to the shelter, and if you want water, you've gotta descend another 600ft or so.

[Pokey2006]

And some water sources dry up when you don't expect them to. I remember a shelter in PA, going down to spring No. 1 to get water. Not a bad hike. But it was dry. So I continued down to spring No. 2. Starting to get a ways down, about halfway down the mountain, but still doable. And dry. So on to spring No. 3, where, thankfully, there was plenty of water. But it was also at the very bottom of the mountain. Dang.

[darkage]

Sounds like bake oven knob pokey ..... In the heat of the summer i'll pack 5 liter's ... 3 in the spring/fall just cause i drink alot.

[Pokey2006]

Sounds like bake oven knob pokey ..... In the heat of the summer i'll pack 5 liter's ... 3 in the spring/fall just cause i drink alot.

Yes it was.

PA is a good place to increase your water load.

[darkage]

Yes it was.

PA is a good place to increase your water load.

I know the trail between port clinton and DWG like the back of my hand ... I knew right away ...

But being local i know about those areas .... so i guess the point is ..

Have with you an extra bladder or bottles to haul extra water ... Ridgerunner's atleast in my area are very good at posting notes about water sources at trailheads and shelters .... Like i said, i carry a 3L bladder that doesn't always need to be filled .... and 2 1L bottles .. and for camp i carry a 6L collaspable water container for cooking/dishes/showers and general cleanup as well as fill my bladder/bottles in the morning to continue on ...

having the means to carry the water you need is more important than actually carrying it .. I may go 20-40 miles carrying 2L ... then need to fill up the bladder for the next 15 ... I've been in the ER with dehydration ... its not fun, i've also had 5 kidney stones ... i can't afford to dehydrate myself on the trail .... Just things to think about .. Hike on!

[SGT Rock]

I suppose people carry widely different amounts of water. I would rarely pass a water hole without topping up to at least one liter, probably two. When I see water, I think a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

What about the rest of y'all? What guidelines do you use for how much water to carry?

Jonathan

I normally only carry about a liter of water. When it gets to about 1/2, then I start looking for a place to top off. When I find that place I kill the rest of my liter and refill the bottle. Then start treating that liter. By the time I am thirsty it has been more than a 1/2 hour.

Climate and sources dictate though.

[garlic08]

There are some rules of thumb for water needs. A common one is 1 liter per 5 miles plus 1.5 per night of camping. That's very general and probably on the wet side. I know that in moderate temps I can go with as little as 1 liter per 10 miles and 1 liter per camp.

[darkage]

There are some rules of thumb for water needs. A common one is 1 liter per 5 miles plus 1.5 per night of camping. That's very general and probably on the wet side. I know that in moderate temps I can go with as little as 1 liter per 10 miles and 1 liter per camp.

Thats about right for me also cept in 90-100 degree days ... Some area's around here are 10-15 miles between water so thats why i carry the 3L bladder + bottles in case they would be needed ... bottles are also good in camp when grabing water from the camp bladder ...