Water

Every hiker needs a system for managing water procurement and consumption

So lately I’ve been thinking a lot about water, probably because I’m planning a hike to the arid Big Bend National Park in February. It will be my first ever desert hike, and a lot of the planning revolves around finding agua.

Almost all of my prior hikes have been in the Cumberland or Appalachian Mountains, and in general finding water has rarely been an issue. But I have had a couple of hikes during a drought where it became a concern.

The first thing is to know water reports for the area you are about to hike in. If you’re hiking at a state or national park, a call to the ranger’s office will usually provide you with the desired beta. If you’re going on the AT or another major long-distance trail, chat forums often have what you need. Or you can refer to the Guthook app, which allows users to post reports on just about everything on your “map” that has an icon, including water sources. Once you’re on the trail, it’s often useful to question hikers passing you in the opposite direction as to the status of water sources up ahead.

All of this will help you determine how much water you need to be carrying at a given time. Typically, I carry 2L unless I’m getting bad water reports. That’s one 1L SmartWater bottle in each side pocket.

Why SmartWater bottles? They’re skinny and tall, which means I can reach them while on the move with ease, and return them with nearly equal ease. They’re also tougher than regular water bottles.

Now of course, you need a system to purify water on the trail. Giardia, viruses and bacteria are ubiquitous these days. My philosophy is ALWAYS treat, except maybe if it’s a spring and you know for sure that there is nothing human uphill from the source, to include livestock.

I am currently using the Katadyn BeFree filter.

This filter uses a membrane with micropores. From the Katadyn website:

PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS Technology: Hollow fiber filter; 0.1 micron (0.0001 mm) EZ-Clean MembraneTM Effect: Removes bacteria, cysts and sediment Output: Up to 2 l/min Capacity: Up to 1,000 l depending on water quality Weight: Approx. 59 g Dimensions: 7 x 7 x 27,5 cm Guarantee: 2 years Material: EZ-Clean Membrane™ with Hollow Fibers Hydrapak® SoftFlaskTM made of TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), 100% PVC and BPA free Accessories: Hydrapak® SoftFlaskTM, EZ-Clean Membrane™ Article No.: 8019946 Katadyn BeFree 0.6L

Almost all of the water where I hike is from clear streams, and this filter seems to do a great job at filtering out whatever pathogens are in the water. It will however clog fairly quickly when filtering more turbid water (same thing applies to the Sawyer Squeeze filters). The big advantage of the BeFree over the Sawyer filters is the much faster flow rate. You can squeeze the contents of the 1L bladder through the filter into your bottle in under a minute. If and when the flow rate slows, you simply unscrew the filter mechanism and swish the filter in water. The Sawyer must be backflushed.

I also carry chlorine dioxide tablets to use as a backup for filter failure, and to “double treat” sketchy water sources. They are very lightweight, so there’s little excuse not to have them in your pack. One tablet treats 1L of water. These tablets meet EPA standards for water purification, and they kill bacteria, viruses, and protozoan cysts (Giardia and Cryptosporidium). IIRC bacteria and viruses are killed within 15 minutes, whereas protozoans can take up to 4 hours. Treatment times are longer with colder water.

The BeFree usually suffices for on-trail use. Now, when I pull in to camp, one of my first chores is to fetch water. I like to have an extra 3L to cover me for dinner, nighttime and breakfast, and I use the HydraPak Seeker for this purpose.

The HydraPak also comes in 2L and 4L versions. The 3L version weighs just 3.3 oz. It is tough, and it rolls up small when empty. AND its opening is compatible with the BeFree filter.

When I’m hiking with a partner, we like to use the MSR DromLite for our camp water, typically the 6L version.

The 2L, 4L and 6L Dromlites respectively weigh 4.6, 5.1 and 5.7 oz. respectively. They are also really tough, and they strap easily to the outside of your pack. They are NOT compatible with the BeFree filter, however. What I typically do is have Mule fill up the 6L Dromlite, and then I toss in 6 Aquamira tablets. Usually by the time we actually need this water, it is well-treated.

What do you do if you’re faced with a water source that isn’t flowing and is shallow, like a seep? It’s pretty hard to use the BeFree bladder in this scenario. What I do is use my 1/4 cup measuring cup to ladle water into the bladder before filtering it. Other folks successfully use small ziploc bags or plastic scoops for the same purpose.

What if your water source is disgusting? One time during a drought I was THIS CLOSE to using a fetid pool with a dead squirrel in it. It was the only water I saw during this particular 2 1/2 day hike. IF I had decided I had to use it, I would have prefiltered it through my bandana, then filtered it with the BeFree, and then double-dosed it with purification tablets…..or boiled it.

What am I going to do in the desert? Well, I’m getting my base weight down as low as possible, and I’m closely watching the water reports. It is conceivable that I will have to carry 10L at two different points. I will be prepared by carrying FOUR 1L SmartWater bottles and TWO 3L Hydrapaks. Six total water containers. Which means if one fails I’m not totally screwed. I will also be caching 2 gallons at two separate locations pre-hike. You don’t fool around and take chances in the desert, especially if you’re a noob like I will be.

Remember to drink while you’re hiking. You should go through 4-5L per day and you should be peeing at least several times, and it shouldn’t be dark yellow or orange when you do. If it is, you’re dehydrated. Dehydration will sneak up on you, even when it’s cold. And it will make you do stupid things.

Balance all of this against packing your fears, and find out what works for YOU. Don’t carry 4 liters of water when you know you’ll be crossing good streams every mile or two. At the same time, always have enough on you that if the next source is unexpectedly dry, you have enough to reach the next guaranteed water source.

One other tip- when water sources are few, camel up at the ones you find. This means take the time to drink at least 1L at the source before departing. This is easy to overlook, a mistake I plan not to make in the desert.