How do you keep water from freezing in the backcountry?

[Jn78]

This year I will have a backcountry camp six miles from the truck and three miles from the closest water source. I will have a multi-fuel stove, but due to the wildfires, I will not have a wood stove. I plan on hauling in 5 days worth of water. I expect lows in the single digits and I could easily go 3 or 4 straight days below with high temps being below freezing. I know the forecast changes, but it looks like I will have a snowy and cold day early on, so the sun may not be out much. I will be ditching lightweight water bottles for nalgenes so i will sleep with 4 warm nalgenes inside my bag and I will be able to keep that thawed during the day hunting. My concern is my 5 gallon reservoir.

Anyone have any tips? Burying it is all I can think to do, but that will be a total PITA with the soil conditions where I am going to camp.

Thanks all

 

[Squincher]

Mix it with vodka.

 

[Bubblehide]

Use a dark colored tent of fly and keep the water in your sleeping bag during the day.

 

[Jn78]

Use a dark colored tent of fly and keep the water in your sleeping bag during the day.

Have you successfully done this in the conditions i anticipate? I can't keep 5 gallons in my sleeping bag at night, so it will be sitting in 5 degree temps and it will freeze. A sleeping bag insulates, so if i put the frozen water inside my sleeping bag during the day, it will just insulate the ice, i.e. keep it frozen.

Agreed about the dark fly and luckily mine is dark.

 

[thefrenchman]

If you have deep snow, bury it, like 2 feet deep with a cord tied to it. I used to do winter camping and lived in quinzees for a week at a time in sub zero temps.

If you notice the snow around the cache turning to ice, move it so it stays fluffy. Fluffy snow is an insulator, ice is not

 

[Larry Bartlett]

Option 1: after your campfire at night, set aside a hand-sized rock or two until they don't blister you when touched...wrap your water bottle with the rocks inside and turn it upside down. Try to fill the container full to remove the air trap. Water will freeze from the air pocket first, so the lid at the bottom helps to get some the next morning.

Option 2: sleep with it after you boil water, but make sure the lid is right and tight.

Option 3: camp near a moving spring or stream and fill bottles in the am.

Option 4: leave the container half full, allow to freeze, then add boiling water to the bottle when you need it.

Option 5: fill your boiling pot or Jetboil container before you go to bed. If it freezes start a fire and thaw it out easily. Probably my go to when it's really cold.

 

[Jn78]

If you have deep snow, bury it, like 2 feet deep with a cord tied to it. I used to do winter camping and lived in quinzees for a week at a time in sub zero temps.

If you notice the snow around the cache turning to ice, move it so it stays fluffy. Fluffy snow is an insulator, ice is not

Thanks for the advice. There is not much snow now, but it may snow on night 2. Maybe I could collect fresh snow and mound it on top.

 

[Jn78]

Option 1: after your campfire at night, set aside a hand-sized rock or two until they don't blister you when touched...wrap your water bottle with the rocks inside and turn it upside down. Try to fill the container full to remove the air trap. Water will freeze from the air pocket first, so the lid at the bottom helps to get some the next morning.

Option 2: sleep with it after you boil water, but make sure the lid is right and tight.

Option 3: camp near a moving spring or stream and fill bottles in the am.

Option 4: leave the container half full, allow to freeze, then add boiling water to the bottle when you need it.

Option 5: fill your boiling pot or Jetboil container before you go to bed. If it freezes start a fire and thaw it out easily. Probably my go to when it's really cold.

Thanks for the advice. Lots of good tips there but the state is on fire, so I cannot have a fire. If we get A LOT of moisture I could bring a wood stove and my problem would be solved. My closest water source is 3 miles away one way. Also, keeping the next days water from freezing is not going to be a problem. I am trying to figure out how to keep my 5 gallon container from freezing.

 

[prm]

Add some electrolyte mix. I found it to be quite helpful.

May not be a useful suggestion for 5 gal that you’ll not want some electrolyte mix. Maybe keep in the sun all day and wrap a down blanket around it at night. or, dig a hole And bury as much of the container as possible.

Edit: place a hand warmer under it and keep it wrapped in insulation such as down.

 

[Mt Al]

Other thoughts, keep in mind I have limited experience with this, but have hauled in water with the expectation of it freezing.
-Caution against one container with 5 gallons. One leak and you're out with a dry hike to water. Spread the risk across several smaller containers. I'd type "ask me how I know", but my sheep hunting friend had a bad experience and made sure we didn't make the same mistake on our trip. If it were me, I'd take it all in larger water bottles, like quart or half gallon - easier to deal with onezies, and bring some empties.
-Make certain the containers can freeze without splitting, like water bottles do most of the time. I don't think you'll be able to keep it from freezing, so just plan on dealing with frozen containers.
-Carefully cut open a/several bottle(s) in the morning, melt the ice in your pot, pour into an empty, keep the bottle inside your jacket and good to go for the day.

Got lucky on our trip, no freezing weather, so I didn't have to do all the stuff above. We were just prepped in case.

 

[Jn78]

Other thoughts, keep in mind I have limited experience with this, but have hauled in water with the expectation of it freezing.
-Caution against one container with 5 gallons. One leak and you're out with a dry hike to water. Spread the risk across several smaller containers. I'd type "ask me how I know", but my sheep hunting friend had a bad experience and made sure we didn't make the same mistake on our trip. If it were me, I'd take it all in larger water bottles, like quart or half gallon - easier to deal with onezies, and bring some empties.
-Make certain the containers can freeze without splitting, like water bottles do most of the time. I don't think you'll be able to keep it from freezing, so just plan on dealing with frozen containers.
-Carefully cut open a/several bottle(s) in the morning, melt the ice in your pot, pour into an empty, keep the bottle inside your jacket and good to go for the day.

Got lucky on our trip, no freezing weather, so I didn't have to do all the stuff above. We were just prepped in case.

Good advice all around. Between the two of us we will have the 5 gallon reservoir, a 6 liter dromedary bag, a 4 liter dromedary bag, 8 nalgenes, and 2 Gatorade bottles (that will become piss bottles once we drink the Gatorade).

 

[BeaverHunter]

Good advice all around. Between the two of us we will have the 5 gallon reservoir, a 6 liter dromedary bag, a 4 liter dromedary bag, 8 nalgenes, and 2 Gatorade bottles (that will become piss bottles once we drink the Gatorade).

Piss bottles?

 

[airbuds]

Mix it with vodka.

Lol I'm in support

 

[Jn78]

Piss bottles?

Pissing in a bottle in the middle of the night is the only way to go when its like 5 degrees out. Getting out of a warm sleeping bag, putting on frozen boots, going outside and possibly getting snow from the tent down your neck and back, and pissing outside is no fun.

 

[Erict]

Assuming camp will be stationary, bring the reservoir and separate it into ziplock bag portions at camp?

 

[Jn78]

Assuming camp will be stationary, bring the reservoir and separate it into ziplock bag portions at camp?

Camp is stationary.

I like it. It will be easy to thaw in a pot in small frozen blocks.

 

[ez_willie]

Good advice all around. Between the two of us we will have the 5 gallon reservoir, a 6 liter dromedary bag, a 4 liter dromedary bag, 8 nalgenes, and 2 Gatorade bottles (that will become piss bottles once we drink the Gatorade).

holy moly, I think i would try to camp closer to the water source. How heavy are your packs going to be?

 

[rayporter]

several containers are best, leave room to pour water in and be able to set them in a pan

 

[Jn78]

holy moly, I think i would try to camp closer to the water source. How heavy are your packs going to be?

The water is past our camp, so we will hike in the morning before the season starts, set up camp, eat lunch, and then make our water run. So, it will not be too bad, but if we were doing it in one run, would be a 120 pound beast of a pack in.

Hopefully the logistics thin the crowds a bit.

 

[Werty]

Use a container that you can chip ice blocks from. Instead of try to keep from freezing, allow it too, then heat when needed.