Let’s face it: water is heavy. OK, so it’s not like mercury heavy (1 litre = 13.5 kg), but it surely’s nonetheless 1 litre = 1 kg. One of many golden guidelines in holding our backpack weight down is to minimise the period of time that we have to carry a variety of water. Other than strolling throughout the day, when most of us have a tendency to stay with bottles or hydration bladders, it’s in a single day journeys, after we want further water to prepare dinner dinner and refill for the subsequent day, that we have to nail the perfect methods to hold water for a hike.
Now chances are high that except you’re tenting proper beside a water supply, like a creek or river, (Ah, feels like a 5-star campsite!) you’ll want to hold water again to your campsite. Just like the creek above, in an ideal world, this isn’t additional than a few okay’s. On condition that it’s normally the tip of the day while you’re drained that you simply acquire this further water, the shorter distance you’ll need to lug these further kilos = the higher!
Select your route properly
Again when planning your journey, search for campsites (with achievable day by day distances) that get you near water.
The time period, ‘dry camp or excessive camp’, doesn’t discuss with the dearth of completely happy hour (perish the thought!), however someplace meaning you’ll have to hold your water a long way. Not one thing for the skilled bushwalker to draw back from; we all know {that a} excessive camp can typically convey excessive rewards, like unimaginable sunsets and views eternally, however we’ll must plan properly.
Strategies for carrying water
There’s a bunch of various strategies and containers you need to use – some onerous, some gentle. Which means you go will rely in your private selection, the capability wanted, price range, and even perhaps your model of packing.
Onerous containers
That is water carrying 101 and the place all of us begin. The standard bottle – pricey god, don’t let it’s glass or heavy thermos model!
Choices embrace:
- Basic Nalgene (or lookalikes) bottles (Tip: go for a large mouth which is way simpler to fill in creeks and water tanks.)
- Re-used 1.25L gentle drink bottles
- 1L Soda Stream bottles (these are harder than a 1.25L and final for ages) – control your OppShop!
- That free plastic bike bottle you bought from the gymnasium or boring work convention you slept by means of
Gentle containers
I really like utilizing gentle options for his or her innate skill to shrink when there’s nothing inside and be stuffed down the within of your pack, taking over no room in any respect! Choices are:
- Goon. For the love of this basic Aussie invention. There’s a lot to like. When you’re not a fan of ingesting the goon beforehand (or the style that stays with you want a hangover from Fruity Lexia), search for the 5L or 10L water casks at your grocery store. Drink, rinse, dry, repeat. If handled proper these can final loads longer than the Fruity Lexia hangover – I’ve had my present one for 3 years. (see this video for filling them – I simply prise the faucet plug off with my tooth). Worth: The price of a hangover or journey to ColesWorth – price range.
- MSR Dromedary – the much-lauded answer for industrial guides and teams, these camels are just like the 1000 denier, abrasion-resistant, food-grade polyurethane lined model of the goon. Not fairly bomb-proof (however shut), these workhorses (work camels?) are available in 4L, 6L or 10L and may even deal with freezing or boiling water. They arrive with a 3-in-1 cap so you possibly can sip, pour or fill like a scene from the Sound of Music; and for the fries-with-that possibility, you possibly can add on a hydration tube to take you into sipping heaven. Dreamy. Not low-cost, however will final you years longer than that goon or Fruity Lexia hangover. Worth: Grange Hermitage – Prime quality.
- Sea to Summit Watercell X – feels like a superhero, acts like one too. These 4L, 6L, 10L or 20L beasts use 400 denier nylon material wrapped round a TPU food-grade lining that’s BPA and PVC free. Not solely is the shell a bit lighter than the MSR providing, but it surely’s lighter in your pockets too. Worth: Peppertree Shiraz – mid-range
- Someplace between the Goon and the Watercell X is the Sea to Summit Pack Faucet Water Storage. Assume a 2L, 4L, 6L or 10L Goon bladder sporting a detachable, robust, abrasion-resistant nylon coat. Just like the Dromedary’s, these will be hung from a tree for simple entry. You can too purchase replaceable bladders.
- Hydration Bladders – So while you might need a customary 2L one in your again for ingesting all through the day, you too can seize an additional bladder or two to spice up your provides for dinner water.
- Collapsible Bottles – This model of container makes an look as wine carriers or in your children lunchbox… hopefully not collectively.
One of the best of each worlds
Sensible contingency planning is all concerning the shitty issues that might occur on a bushwalk. Think about you solely carried one gentle water-carrying possibility and also you took a tumble, or put it down on a very sharp rock, dropped a full goon (immediate tsunami) otherwise you used it to defend your self from an approaching zombie apocalyse. It’s an amazing thought to hold a tough water bottle, in addition to a softie, simply in case.
Enable house in your backpack
You realize that feeling on a Friday night time when, covered-in-sweat, you lastly click on the buckles shut in your backpack. You probably did it! You’re a freakin Tetris-ninja-Marie-Condominium-maven. There’s not an inch to spare and also you’re all set for every thing you want for tomorrow, together with the 2-3L onboard. Cue Act III on the waterhole, the place you proudly exhibit your new superhero, the Watercell X to the ooo’s and ahhh’s of your mates, solely to understand you’ve gotten nowhere in, on or round your pack to now carry this further 6 kg of water weight. If solely you’d up-sized your pack… or downsized the Fruity Lexia for completely happy hour.
Take a cup
Generally the water supply you’ll want to collect from is difficult to manoeuvre into your bottle or bag. It could possibly be due to the entry down beside it, the dimensions of your bottle or if it’s operating alongside shallow cascades or rocks. All the time seize your cup with you, alongside along with your gentle/onerous container to assist out. For further Macgyver factors, you possibly can attempt rigging your hydration hose as a siphon.
Take a collapsible backpack
Taking a micro-weight 20L Sea to Summit Ulta-Sil Day Pack will hold your arms free for that awkward scramble down and up the riverbank, while carrying the unwieldy bundle that water is – particularly if it’s in a gentle container. These scrunch-to-nothing packs are additionally helpful for side-trips throughout the day while you simply wish to take your necessities to bag a peak or checkout a lookout for lunch.
Dimension does matter
While grabbing the most important 10L/10kg behemoth would possibly sound just like the sort of take-one-for-the-team-martyrdom-caper that you simply’re up for, take into consideration how significantly better it would really feel if each member of the occasion had the flexibility to hold an additional (say) 4L and unfold the H2O love round.
Water contingencies
Being able to hold further water if you’ll want to, particularly for unplanned causes (eg: empty water tanks at campsites or dry creeks the place your mate advised you there was water 5 years in the past) is a good behavior to get into. That is the place having a softie possibility, tucked away in your pack, that you could be or could not use, might (actually) be a life-saver.
