Let’s face it: water is heavy. OK, so it’s not like mercury heavy (1 litre = 13.5 kg), however it’s nonetheless 1 litre = 1 kg. One of many golden guidelines in preserving our backpack weight down is to minimise the period of time that we have to carry a number 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, once we want further water to cook dinner dinner and refill for the subsequent day, that we have to nail the very best methods to hold water for a hike.
Now likelihood is that except you’re tenting proper beside a water supply, like a creek or river, (Ah, seems 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 ok’s. Provided that it’s normally the top of the day whenever you’re drained that you simply gather this further water, the shorter distance you’ll must lug these further kilos = the higher!
Select your route properly
Again when planning your journey, search for campsites (with achievable each day distances) that get you near water.
The time period, ‘dry camp or excessive camp’, doesn’t seek advice from the shortage of pleased hour (perish the thought!), however someplace meaning you’ll have to hold your water far. Not one thing for the skilled bushwalker to draw back from; we all know {that a} excessive camp can usually deliver excessive rewards, like unimaginable sunsets and views eternally, however we’ll have to plan properly.
Strategies for carrying water
There’s a bunch of various strategies and containers you need to use – some laborious, some delicate. Which means you go will rely in your private selection, the capability wanted, funds, and maybe even your type of packing.
Onerous containers
That is water carrying 101 and the place all of us begin. The standard bottle – expensive god, don’t let it’s glass or heavy thermos type!
Choices embody:
- 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 delicate drink bottles
- 1L Soda Stream bottles (these are more durable than a 1.25L and final for ages) – control your OppShop!
- That free plastic bike bottle you bought from the health club or boring work convention you slept by way of
Smooth containers
I really like utilizing delicate 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. In the event you’re not keen on consuming 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 enamel). Value: The price of a hangover or journey to ColesWorth – funds.
- MSR Dromedary – the much-lauded resolution for business 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 might 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. Value: Grange Hermitage – High quality.
- Sea to Summit Watercell X – seems like a superhero, acts like one too. These 4L, 6L, 10L or 20L beasts use 400 denier nylon cloth 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, however it’s lighter in your pockets too. Value: 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 even purchase replaceable bladders.
- Hydration Bladders – So while you may need a customary 2L one in your again for consuming all through the day, you can even seize an additional bladder or two to spice up your provides for dinner water.
- Collapsible Bottles – This type of container makes an look as wine carriers or in your children lunchbox… hopefully not collectively.
The perfect of each worlds
Good contingency planning is all in regards to the shitty issues that would occur on a bushwalk. Think about you solely carried one delicate water-carrying possibility and also you took a tumble, or put it down on a very sharp rock, dropped a full goon (prompt tsunami) otherwise you used it to defend your self from an approaching zombie apocalyse. It’s an important concept to hold a tough water bottle, in addition to a softie, simply in case.
Permit house in your backpack
You understand that feeling on a Friday evening 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-Apartment-maven. There’s not an inch to spare and also you’re all set for every little 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 have got 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 pleased hour.
Take a cup
Generally the water supply that you must collect from is hard to manoeuvre into your bottle or bag. It could possibly be due to the entry down beside it, the scale of your bottle or if it’s operating alongside shallow cascades or rocks. At all times seize your cup with you, alongside along with your delicate/laborious container to assist out. For further Macgyver factors, you possibly can strive rigging your hydration hose as a siphon.
Take a collapsible backpack
Taking a micro-weight 20L Sea to Summit Ulta-Sil Day Pack will preserve your fingers free for that awkward scramble down and up the riverbank, while carrying the unwieldy package deal that water is – particularly if it’s in a delicate container. These scrunch-to-nothing packs are additionally helpful for side-trips throughout the day whenever you simply need 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 may sound just like the sort of take-one-for-the-team-martyrdom-caper that you simply’re up for, take into consideration how a lot better it’d really feel if each member of the celebration had the flexibility to hold an additional (say) 4L and unfold the H2O love round.
Water contingencies
Being able to hold further water if that you must, particularly for unplanned causes (eg: empty water tanks at campsites or dry creeks the place your mate instructed you there was water 5 years in the past) is a superb behavior to get into. That is the place having a softie possibility, tucked away in your pack, that you could be or might not use, may (actually) be a life-saver.