How much water per day?

[treillw]

Headed for a few days in the backcountry camping/hunting. How much water should i plan on needing per day? There aren't water sources nearby. No snow.

Will be making oatmeal for breakfast and dehydrated meals for dinner. I can calculate how much water is needed for meals.

How much do you drink if you're doing say 10 miles a day?

I weigh 180 pounds and if i had a wife who happened to be going on this trip with me, she would theoretically weigh 115 pounds.

Thanks!

 

[mtjimbo]

Dang that's tough there isn't water near by. I'd die. I drink a gallon daily

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[Clarence]

About 6 liters when hunting hard, plus water for meals. Thats for a dry climate, trying to stay properly hydrated.

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[slatty]

I try not to go "up the mountain" with less than 3 litres. I've done it with 2 and always run out. This is assuming I come back to camp for the evening meal so total 4L or so per day for me. That would be plenty for me most times (but not enough sometimes!).
I find that usually you can find some water, hunting here in the BC interior, but I have to be conscious of water and plan accordingly. I may pass a small creek and although i'm not thirsty i'll chug my water bottle and fill it up assuming that I won't find any for a while.

 

[menhaden_man]

I try not to go "up the mountain" with less than 3 litres. I've done it with 2 and always run out. This is assuming I come back to camp for the evening meal so total 4L or so per day for me. That would be plenty for me most times (but not enough sometimes!).
I find that usually you can find some water, hunting here in the BC interior, but I have to be conscious of water and plan accordingly. I may pass a small creek and although i'm not thirsty i'll chug my water bottle and fill it up assuming that I won't find any for a while.

I’m with this guy - 4 L a good amount... when it’s really cold and easy hiking I can do 2-3 L. Meal bars (like pro bar) cut back on water too. Dehydrated meals take up the water and make me thirsty!

 

[eamyrick]

I’m 6’3 200 and drink coffee in the morning at afternoon. If it gets warm at all and I’m putting in mileage then 250 ounces easy. I could probably cut back to 175-200 if it’s cold.

 

[Maverick1]

Cool weather, not hiking much, rather sedentary day: 96 oz. (3/4 gallon)

Warm day, normal activity level: 128 oz (1 gallon)

Warm day, high activity level: over a gallon of water, plus some sort of electrolyte replacement, salt

 

[tgus59]

5 liters, including some for coffee, and a mountain house at night.

 

[Newtosavage]

For whatever strange reason, I drink a lot less water than most folks. Typically, 1 liter of water lasts me just fine all day, even at higher elevations hiking hard with a pack and rifle. My final day of this year's elk hunt, I put on 7.5 miles and 2400' of elevation change in one day. I had water left in my 1L bottle when I got back to my truck. If I had 2L for the whole day, meals included, I'd be fine.

On the other hand, I hunted a few years with a buddy who took in 6L of water every day, and usually came back to camp with only a liter left. And we weren't cooking. That was just day hikes. He couldn't understand how I could use less than 1 liter per day, and he needed 4-5. I couldn't either.

I think everyone is different.

 

[Poser]

Coffee and oatmeal + a dehydrated dinner is usually going to be 4 liters a day for me.

 

[mlgc20]

Including cooking water, I would need about 3 liters. Unless the weather was really hot. During early Colorado archery when it was in the 90s, I was in the 4-5 liter range.

 

[Mtnboy]

5 liters, including some for coffee, and a mountain house at night.

This is a pretty good average for me as well. Can depend on so much though... temperature, elevation, pack weight, steepness, how much time moving vs. glassing etc. etc.

But all told with coffee, drinking water all day, dehydrated meal at night...it seems pretty hard for me to get by with any less than 4L per day.

 

[WhiteOak]

I'd say depends on activity level but I wouldn't want to be caught without a gallon a day.

My routine on my last mountain hunt was about 2 liters for the hike up the mountain and glassing points, 1 liter to hike down and 1 liter back at camp.

If we had camped at the top of the mountain the water consumption would be a lot less but you'd have to haul in enough water to sustain for a few days.

 

[Beendare]

Its variable;

I need a gallon a day....minimum...

I have a buddy that I swear can get by on a little over a quart a day.....I dunno how he does it.

 

[mattferg84]

I dont drink a ton of water except when hiking in or packing out. I use close to 2 liters a day. Maybe get something like electolyte packets (Pedialyte) to help when in an area without a lot of water.

 

[Dos Perros]

A gallon a day. You can run deficits for a couple/few days, or get by with less with lower activity, but I think if you're gone a few days, kill a buck/bull down in a hell hole, you're going to risk cramping up with less than a GPD.

Also, I can't tell you how many filtered gallons of water I've dumped right before packing out (with or without meat). Guaranteed if you filter a bunch of water to get you by for a few days you'll decide to leave the next morning.

 

[K-22]

Headed for a few days in the backcountry camping/hunting. How much water should i plan on needing per day? There aren't water sources nearby. No snow.

Will be making oatmeal for breakfast and dehydrated meals for dinner. I can calculate how much water is needed for meals.

How much do you drink if you're doing say 10 miles a day?

I weigh 180 pounds and if i had a wife who happened to be going on this trip with me, she would theoretically weigh 115 pounds.

Thanks!

Warm weather lots of walking, a gallon.
Less, depending on physical activity and temp.

 

[Rolen]

I drink a ton of water when in the mountains especially if I’m using a bladder. Personally I would plan for 1 gallon a day and probley wish I had more.

 

[stdeb11]

4-5L for coffee and mountain house when it's warmer out and hiking a lot. Could probably get by with 3-4L during colder weather or if glassing a lot more.

 

[NYbuck]

Last year in Montana, hunting from a base camp. 3 liter bladder, 32oz nalgene of water. 32oz of Mtn Ops Ignite. The day I packed out my bull was the only day all my water/ignite was gone.