crawford
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Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.--Edison
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Post by crawford on Mar 11, 2016 18:46:11 GMT -8
I'm sure this has been covered before, but I'll beg forgiveness as a newbie here and ask for indulgence.
I've recently had a discussion with a friend about how much water to carry on the trail and how much we should be capable of carrying. I'm a little crazy about water, spent time where there was no water for a while. When I'm on the AT here in eastern PA in the summer I usually have a 1quart kleen kanteen and a 3 liter water bladder. Is that a lot, yes, but I never want to run low.
I'm actually content with less, 1quart bottle and 1.5 liter platypus bag, so long as I can comfortably be around water. I always ask my son to carry 4 quarts as well. A little of my paranoia put down on him.
So, how much do you choose to carry? How do you carry it?
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amaruq
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Post by amaruq on Mar 11, 2016 19:12:25 GMT -8
I only ever carry two litres (a Nalgene for each side of the pack). But I do have capacity to carry up to two additional clean litres and two dirty litres in the GravityWorks bags.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2016 19:40:27 GMT -8
I generally carry 2L, in the Camel Back, with a capicity to carry 4 (dirty) more litres in the squeeze bags. In recent years , the most I have carried 4L (2 in the Camel Back and 2 in the squeeze bag), on the Olympic Coast.
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Post by Lonewolf on Mar 11, 2016 21:04:55 GMT -8
Depends on where and how much water is available. Sometimes everything I can haul isn't enough.
Lee-Metcalf Wilderness (MT). I climbed up and hiked a long exposed ridge a few years ago at 9500 in July with 95* temps with no water source from leaving the drainage until down the other side in the next one. 16 miles. I carried 6 liters and still ran out but I was also providing for the dog.
Grand Canyon. 2 days up from the river with a dry overnight camp. I filled everything I had and still loaded up with 20# of ice (January) in a sack strapped to the pack. Lost some due to melt but saved most and still ran out an hour from the rim on day 2.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Mar 11, 2016 22:17:04 GMT -8
In typical Sierra conditions, I start the day with a 2.5 L bag mostly full. That's usually enough for our relatively short hiking days, but there's always water around if I need a refill.
In the desert where we have to carry all we'll need? We usually limit it to short overnights, because carrying more than a gallon is no fun (if we do our usual and go in after dinner, hike out before noon, it doesn't even have to be a gallon). How much a *could* carry would depend in part on conditions--how much other stuff would I have to be carrying? My ability to carry a pack these days probably tops out around 45 lbs., if I'm meant to cover any significant distance.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Mar 12, 2016 3:40:58 GMT -8
Water availability determines my water load. Have carried as much as 3 gallons for a Grand Canyon dry hike, and as little as 2 L for a Sierra hike. On day hikes in the PNW, I have carried as little as 26 ounces in a squeeze filter, knowing I would cross water twice going in and had the same return route.
BTW, when having to carry gallons of water, I find the cubes from Crystal Geyser fit in the pack easiest. Straighter sides. (We knew we would have to carry 3 gallons from the trailhead to the first water source, so we bought water and crushed the empties to reduce our pack space. )
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Post by tipiwalter on Mar 12, 2016 6:56:28 GMT -8
The most water I ever hauled was 98.4 lbs on water runs from the down-the-mountain spring below my tipi. I used two 6 gallon containers and carried one in each hand up the mt for a total of 12 gallons. This supply would last me almost a month of tipi living.
On regular backpacking trips in the Southeast I have the capacity to carry about 5 quarts to dry camps or to camps of unknown sources. If I go to a place I know well (as Zeke says) I can carry minimal water while moving because I know where the water is for each of the hundreds of campsites I use.
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tigger
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Post by tigger on Mar 12, 2016 8:19:37 GMT -8
Like others, it depends on the sources available. In winter, I tend to bring more - 6L as streams are often frozen over and I don't like to melt snow unless needed. In summer, the glaciers and streams in the cascades tend to provide plenty of water so I'll often carry between 1 to 2 liters.
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almostthere
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Post by almostthere on Mar 12, 2016 8:35:18 GMT -8
Just enough. (If that's four liters, so be it.)
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Mar 12, 2016 11:13:35 GMT -8
In the very nicely watered Sierra? I'll start an interval with 3-4 lbs judging by route. There are some passes/peaks where I'll go to eight pounds or more (Guitar to Whitney and on to Trail Camp) but that's a rarity. With current filter tech the equivalent to the old "dip and sip" is very possible in most seasons. Just another reason to be VERY familiar with your route from the map. And know the difference between intermittent and permanent. For my overnight supply I've a Dromedary* that holds 12 pounds (so I can start in the morning without having to treat water) and my two bottles that hold 2 pounds apiece so I've usually got the capacity for 16 pounds but that's not a day I'd enjoy. lol www.rei.com/product/733951/msr-dromlite-6-liter |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2016 9:05:39 GMT -8
I often backpack in the Guadalupe Mountains (West Texas), and typically carry 10 quarts for 2 night outings, or 12 for 3 nights. The weight does limit my objectives that first day; I try to not do too many miles that day.
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Post by Coolkat on Mar 15, 2016 9:13:43 GMT -8
For my overnight supply I've a Dromedary* that holds 12 pounds No big deal one way or the other but you're first person I've seen refer to the amount of water by weight. |
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crawford
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Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.--Edison
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Post by crawford on Mar 15, 2016 9:35:10 GMT -8
No big deal one way or the other but you're first person I've seen refer to the amount of water by weight. I was going to say HSF was only the second person who did that. I understand measuring water by weight, though I don't do it that way. It might be something I should think about. Thanks all for the info. Certainly, I understand that climate/environment determines how much water is carried, but I was hoping to see a general trend. It seems to me that a general trend is 3-4 quarts (not counting those who are in arid climate). With that in mind, I guess I'm not too crazy for carrying my 4 liters. I know at places like Philmont (BSA High Adventure Area) they require everyone have the ability to carry 4 liters of water as well. |
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tomas
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Post by tomas on Mar 15, 2016 9:54:16 GMT -8
Here on the east coast I typically carry two liters with me unless I have concerns about having a dry camp. Then I may toss in a third liter just as a safety blanket.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Mar 15, 2016 9:54:18 GMT -8
I wrote it that way because what I carry is weight, the volume doesn't convey that as effectively.
For backpacking its this way: pay and do research to shave ozs from your pack load and then slap an extra 2 or 4 or 8 POUNDS of weight into it without much thought....
also there's a difference between "capacity" and "load": one is what you can carry while load is what you do carry. The former provides flexibility to meet circumstances as I see it: not a mandatory goal.
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