Water question.

[tacomakid01]

How much water are you guys carrying at the start of a hike? I have only had time to do 3 day section hikes but I always end up carrying too much water. My last trip I started out with 2 liters. I generally stay at or around shelters which, most of the time has an adequate water source nearby. I am wanting to find the happy medium between too much and not enough. 2 liters of water is about 5 lbs and I am trying to get everything down to as light weight as possible. I'm thinking that there will be adequate water sources along the section that I will do in April but not sure. My plan is to not cook for lunch and if I am staying at or near a shelter, I should have water for supper and breakfast available from a creek or the like. Please help.

[George]

capacity for 2 liters is reasonable - it sucks running short of water more than running short of food - ocasionally published sources can be dry or just too nasty to want to risk (food or a dead animal in the water)

that being said, 98% of the time 1 liter would be enough - everyone makes there own compromise

[tacomakid01]

that being said, 98% of the time 1 liter would be enough - everyone makes there own compromise

Thanks, that is what I was leaning towards.

[rafe]

Having lots of water at hand means you can camp almost anywhere. That's a nice feeling.

[Tennessee Viking]

It depends on your hydration needs and treatment method. Some people can just go with a bottle of water, while some really drink as they go. But 2 liters is pretty average.

[tarditi]

I go with a 3L camelback and 32oz nalgene bottle... I hate to get dehydrated.

[tacomakid01]

I go with a 3L camelback and 32oz nalgene bottle... I hate to get dehydrated.

I quit carrying my nalgenes, I have turned into a weight junkie. I prefer collapsible water bottles.

[The Wanna Bs]

Nalgenes are worth their weight on cold nights.

[Slo-go'en]

"It depends", but I rarely start off the day with more then 40 oz , which is two 20 oz plastic soda bottles. But I have some extra carrying capacity if it's really hot or the next water source a really long way away.

[tacomakid01]

I had considered carrying 1 to 1.5 liters in 2-1 liter collapsible water bottles with an extra collapsible water bottle empty in my pack. According to the guide book, it appears there are plenty of water sources and we are planning the trip in early April.

[soumodeler]

I always carry 2 gatorade bottles, the full 32oz size. Generally I will only have enough water in them to get me to the next reliable water source (unless the next one is less than 5 miles). Most of the time I end up drinking about 1 liter in the morning and 1 liter in the afternoon.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Like Slow-Go-in said, it depends.

In average conditions I rarely carry more than 1-2 liters of water, however I have capacity to carry a lot more than that. In 3 season conditions I usually have my 3 liter camelbak, a gatorade type bottle that is either 24 or 32 oz and the dirty water bag for my sawyer mini filter. This means that if I want I can carry about 4.5 liters if needed and allows me to 1) Dry camp comfortably 2) Hike through the rare sections that dry up during summer droughts.

In the winter I usually carry two Nalgene bottles since they tolerate freezing conditions better than more lightweight containers.

[poolskaterx]

64oz is what I liketo start with in 2 platypus collapsible bottles. I drink as much as possible on the first bottle and then sip the second as the day goes on, it assures me that I am "probably hydrated". Sure, it does not go well for "weighing in wars" with your buddies but sure beats going thirsty

[Tuckahoe]

This summer I carried two 20 fl oz soda bottles for water, and a 16 fl oz bottle which was used for drink mixes. I also had two of the 32 oz Sawyer bags for filtering, plus for evening and morning water needs so that I only had to take care of water once in the evenings.

[mattjv89]

What is the section you are planning in April? You'll get more specific advice that way. I'm generally treated well by about one liter per five miles, a little more water if it's blasting peak summer heat or terrain where that mileage would take an exceptionally long time Although I don't often carry more than 1 liter at a time on the AT I like having a higher total capacity to the tune of three liters as it opens up more options for dry camping or skipping water sources far off trail.

[daddytwosticks]

What is the section you are planning in April? You'll get more specific advice that way. I'm generally treated well by about one liter per five miles, a little more water if it's blasting peak summer heat or terrain where that mileage would take an exceptionally long time Although I don't often carry more than 1 liter at a time on the AT I like having a higher total capacity to the tune of three liters as it opens up more options for dry camping or skipping water sources far off trail.

Agreed. I generally hike with about 1.5 liters. I have carried as much as almost three liters in the humid summers down south here. Also want to have extra capacity for dry camping.

[Starchild]

You need information, also water treatment method matters here.

1 - You need to be able to get to your next dependable water source, and also need the ability to carry enough when needed for the longest stretch when needed, which may be a waterless camp/shelter for the night.

A capacity of 2 L will usually fit the bill here, and usually you will have a way of carrying a bit more if needed, such as a full ziplock placed in your pot.

2 - Water purification method will make a difference on how much water you typically make at a time and how much you are carrying. Usually chemical treatment users make more water and carry more water (due to contact time) in my experience. Water filter users sometimes make a lot at camp and don't bother much on the trail, so also carrying a lot, others using filters will make as they go and drink at the water source, so carrying less out. I personally like the steripen method, as for me that leads to the smallest amount of water I carry. Their smallest model only makes 1/2 L at a time (or do it 2x for 1L), but the thing is making 1/2L easily, leads to carrying 1/2L minus what you drank at the source a lot of the time. One does not really want to steripen more the 1/2 at a time, and there is no reason to. If more water is needed then 1/2L to make the next water soruce I will stock up on unpurified water and purify a 1/2 L at a time as needed along the trail.

[garlic08]

Here's another viewpoint. Try starting a hike with empty bottles. If, say, there are two known sources in the first five miles (often the case on the AT in spring), you have just drunk your fill in camp or at the trailhead and the temperature is moderate, why carry the weight?

On my AT hike, I carried three liters capacity, never carried more than two for a dry camp, and quite often carried none at all. A liter of water was the heaviest thing in my pack, including the pack, and I could feel the difference carrying it made. When faced with a hill on a cool day I would often drink my fill and dump the rest.

Desert hiking out West changed my attitude about water. Toward the end of a 30+ mile water carry, it was pretty usual to run out and arrive at my water source empty, but not thirsty, and still physically able to hike another five or ten miles in an emergency to the next source. I learned then that an empty water bottle isn't a death sentence.

[Malto]

Here's another viewpoint. Try starting a hike with empty bottles. If, say, there are two known sources in the first five miles (often the case on the AT in spring), you have just drunk your fill in camp or at the trailhead and the temperature is moderate, why carry the weight?

On my AT hike, I carried three liters capacity, never carried more than two for a dry camp, and quite often carried none at all. A liter of water was the heaviest thing in my pack, including the pack, and I could feel the difference carrying it made. When faced with a hill on a cool day I would often drink my fill and dump the rest.

Desert hiking out West changed my attitude about water. Toward the end of a 30+ mile water carry, it was pretty usual to run out and arrive at my water source empty, but not thirsty, and still physically able to hike another five or ten miles in an emergency to the next source. I learned then that an empty water bottle isn't a death sentence.

These are words of wisdom. The AT in the spring is the perfect place to learn water discipline.

[Stepinwolfe]

Great question and some good answers here. I believe it’s an art to optimize how much water to carry on any given day, since there are so many variables involved. Last Sept in SW Virginia the water situation was so bad I was drinking out of mud puddles with a straw. I don’t believe you can carry too much water, assuming you can handle the weight. Nothing worse than running out of water at the end of the day when you have stopped at a shelter after your guide book has assured you there is a spring or water source, but there is none to be found. This happened to me twice—in Maine and in PA, and resulted in a miserable night/next morning. Best source for water “intelligence” is the hikers you pass going in the opposite direction. A good rule of thumb is to hydrate at every opportunity, without adding to the water you are carrying.