How much water?

[Newtosavage]

Hauling water is quite a chore. But being willing to do it will separate you from other hunters. Go where others aren’t willing to put in the effort. The critters will always have a way to get water.

I hear ya brother. I'm just not as young as I used to be. LOL Feeling it from my 8 mi. loop hike/hunt yesterday and my new goal is to trim 5# from my pack.

 

[Newtosavage]

Just ordered a Sawyer mini. We'll see how it goes. If nothing else, it will be extra insurance for when I didn't pack enough water with me.

Not sure why the guy had that much trouble with the Sawyer in the video above. This guy certainly don't seem to have that issue at 5:18

Maybe he's not ever cleaned his?

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

The amount of water I carry depends on the terrain, weather, expected duration, expected distance traveled, and expected exertion level.

Where I hunt black bears I typically will have 4-6 liters of water. 4 if it is cooler and 6 if it is warmer. It is rugged terrain. One time it was hot and humid so I threw 10 liters in my pack. I wish I brought more as I never felt that jacked up in my life. Drank 2 64-ource sports drinks on the way home. Then, and only then, did I take my first leak since I first headed out.

 

[gfreidy]

LOL.. I am right there with you. I am 52 and my 28 y.o. Nephew is my hunting partner. We do several backpack hunts each year and our goal is to get as high as possible away from roads and trails. We seem to find the animals but usually have to haul water 2k-3k on our last climb. I curse it every time ... right up to the point we see the bucks

 

[Newtosavage]

The amount of water I carry depends on the terrain, weather, expected duration, expected distance traveled, and expected exertion level.

Where I hunt black bears I typically will have 4-6 liters of water. 4 if it is cooler and 6 if it is warmer. It is rugged terrain. One time it was hot and humid so I threw 10 liters in my pack. I wish I brought more as I never felt that jacked up in my life. Drank 2 64-ource sports drinks on the way home. Then, and only then, did I take my first leak since I first headed out.

It'amazing to me how different one person can be from the next when it comes to water needs. On my toughest, warmest day of hiking in CO, going from 9K to nearly 11K in a day in temps approaching 80 degrees, I never used 2L of water and felt like I was drinking all day. My buddy on the other hand, drank 3L by lunch and nearly finished off another 3L by the time we got back to camp. Amazing the difference.

 

[Newtosavage]

LOL.. I am right there with you. I am 52 and my 28 y.o. Nephew is my hunting partner. We do several backpack hunts each year and our goal is to get as high as possible away from roads and trails. We seem to find the animals but usually have to haul water 2k-3k on our last climb. I curse it every time ... right up to the point we see the bucks

Once I dropped camp and went into day pack mode, all was good. I could have hunted like that for days. It's just getting camp in, with nearly a gallon of water in the pack... sux.

 

[jspradley]

Usually 3-4 liters and a steripen.

If there's no water where I'm going... well I havent had to deal with that yet so I'm not sure how I'd handle it. haha

 

[mfllood3800]

32 OZ Nalgene at a bare minimum. I have a bladder (2,3, and 6 liters) and will take the smallest practical one depending on "known" water. Not "suppose to be" there water, but known water. Been burned before. I have the Sawyer and steripen in pack. If Im doing a 5 day in unknown, I carry a 6L and 32 Oz Nalgene full going in. It isn't enough to get me thru, but it will get me a couple days for sure. I know it's heavy. But once I find water in area, the 6L becomes a camp bag and I just carry the Nalgene.

 

[Jauwater]

No easy answer really, completely depends on where I'm going in at, time of year, and how long for. It ranges anywhere from 2L-8L.

Sent from my moto g(7) optimo maxx(XT1955DL) using Tapatalk

 

[Newtosavage]

Well I just figured out how to cut 4 lbs. from my pack, so I'm at 31 lbs. even with 2L of water on board for my next trip. Trying to get below 30 but I don't see many other places to cut weight without making myself miserable. Maybe a lighter sleeping pad, but that's about it.

Looking forward to getting to know the Sawyer mini. I understand there may be better options out there, but I figure it's that popular for a reason, and it's pretty inexpensive to try it out.

 

[Zzhartless]

I really like my Sawyer mini. My choice for bottles are Fiji and smart water 1.5 litre bottles, these are way lighter than nalgene and when I run dry I can screw my Sawyer on and go. Don't have to filter at the source of I'm on the move.

 

[Mike Islander]

Sawyers drain over a liter a minute. I just hang my dirty water bag over my clean water bag inside pack. Less than 3 minutes and done.

 

[Jimss]

Another tip for not requiring as much water on day hunts is to totally hydrate yourself before leaving your truck or camp for the day. That way you may not be thirsty for a while into the morning. This may also prevent you from getting dehydrated right off the bat!

 

[Newtosavage]

Another tip for not requiring as much water on day hunts is to totally hydrate yourself before leaving your truck or camp for the day. That way you may not be thirsty for a while into the morning. This may also prevent you from getting dehydrated right off the bat!

I try to do this too. Good idea.

 

[Hackleback]

I have been using the BeFree and have been happy with it, more so than the Trail Shot. To preserve the life of a filter, water must be clean/clear. Even slightly cloudy water can reduce filter life quickly. I know, sometimes you don't have much of an option when sources are limited. Any water you are going to boil (for coffee or cooking), don't filter, that saves time and filter life.

 

[tdot]

Two tips I always had drilled into me by an old backcountry ski partner, to help save water.

A) thermal regulation - I am now fanatical about this and my entire layering system is setup to make this easy. It helps in so many aspects of gear, and comfort, but also with things like helping to keep energy higher and keeping sweat levels down. This helps to decrease water requirements significantly.

B) stop for pee breaks, regularly.... I blamed this on him being an old man and having prostate problems. But it turns out he's right. It does make a difference.

A few things that I've learned from guiding groups.

Don't chug water. Take a mouth full regularly, it allows your body to actually absorb all of it as opposed to just flushing it through your system.

If it is dry out, this includes cold/dry conditions, either breath thru your nose or have something covering your mouth. You can lose a significant amount of water from evaporation thru your mouth and airway.

If I pay attention to the small details like these, I can decrease my water needs to 1-1.5l per day, during high levels of energy output. If I'm sloppy I can easily double my requirements.

 

[*zap*]

Your body will absorb warmer water better than colder water and water with broth better than pure water.

 

[Paladin]

If I skip coffee I don't go through as much water. That being said, I cant skip coffee. I usually carry 100oz if I think i'm going to be out all day. Usually i get back to the truck with some to spare but on those lucky days when I kill something I run it dry so I try to plan for success!

 

[AK Troutbum]

I always start off with a full 3L bladder and if I'm going to be gone for multiple days, and think that water might be a little scarce, I'll also carry an additional 3 liters in 1 liter Platypus bags. I like to be able to get to wherever it is I'm going to be spending my first night, and not have to worry about looking for water right away.

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

Well I just figured out how to cut 4 lbs. from my pack, so I'm at 31 lbs. even with 2L of water on board for my next trip. Trying to get below 30 but I don't see many other places to cut weight without making myself miserable. Maybe a lighter sleeping pad, but that's about it.

Looking forward to getting to know the Sawyer mini. I understand there may be better options out there, but I figure it's that popular for a reason, and it's pretty inexpensive to try it out.

Not sure your pad’s weight but check out the Klymit pads. I love mine.