Quote Originally Posted by Reeko View Post
I'm thinking that for the purpose of weight, I shouldn't carry more than a quart of water at a time and reload whenever possible. Sound about right? But also for weight, I don't want to use a nalgene bottle - seems heavy. In what do you folks carry water? And how much at a time?
This falls into the "If there is a doubt, there is no doubt" category. If you are questioning if a quart is enough, then it probably isn't. A quart of water in 90 degree desert terrain would not get you very far, the same quart of water in 50 degree New England might, the variables are broad between people on different terrain.

Having run out of water in the past I may be a little hypersensitive to it, but dehydration is akin to hypothermia in my view and measures to avoid either should be taken. Even when water should be plentiful I typically carry 2-liters at all times. I use a 3-liter bladder with bite valve, though some have had poor experiences with them and prefer water or soda bottles, either works. Carrying 2-liters allows me to walk by sources that are less than attractive to what should be better sources a few miles away, which only carrying a quart may not allow. So far, the 2-liter "rule" for me has worked well, I don't stop nearly as often to refill, I can select "better" water sources (even though I filter religiously), have the ability to carry plenty of camp water, and have some to spare for those less prepared.

Weight issues can be a concern, though for me water is a non-negotiable weight factor and if weight needs to be stripped out I will take other steps. My 3-liter bladder weighs approximately .5 ounces, 2-liters of water weighs 4.4-pounds, so I figure I have 5-pounds of water weight at each fill up. A 32-ounce (.9-liters) Nalgene water bottle weighs about 6.2-ounces. To carry two of these would be about 12.5-ounces making them heavier than bladders but more durable if you are rough with your gear. You can also use repurposed plastic water bottles, however these are less robust.

Since water weight constantly diminishes as consumed, it can be difficult to figure out weight at any given time outside refill. At one point years ago I used the 5-pound weight as a constant and got curious what I could shed to offset refill weight and found a lot of small things in the pack I rarely used that could stay home or be modified. For example I saved about several pounds of weight with the following simple list:

Left binoculars at home, which were rarely used but nice to have if weight is not an issue - saving 10-ounces
Kept the miniature Leatherman tool, left the jackknife at home - saving 3-ounces
Kept the titanium spork, left the 3-piece set at home - saving .8-ounces
Used a 3-liter bladder as opposed to Nalgene bottles - saving 13-ounces
Used a Sawyer Mini filter, left the Katodyne Hiker Pro at home - saving 9-ounces (will bring the Katodyne when there are 2 or more people in the group)
Went to one dry bag, left 4-stuff sacks at home - saving 2.5-ounces
Total savings with just these items was 38.3-ounces (2.3-pounds)

Over time I purchased new gear that lessened tent, sleeping bag, pack, and clothing weight significantly. Some people will cut handles off toothbrushes and other staples modifications to save what seem to be very small amounts but all add up. The point being, some things are luxuries and if use were tracked would likely not be missed, other things can be substituted for weight savings.

"Water is life" isn't just a saying, if you ever run dry and become disorientated due to dehydration it can be a very sobering event. I will always jettison gear to save weight as opposed to reducing water volume below 2-liters. Of course this is my personal standard, others differ based on their experiences.