Legend Tripping 101: Water!

I have my CamelBak in my backpack and my canteen attached at the bottom.

Hey Legend Trippers! The weather is just right to go on an adventure. But when it comes to deciding what to bring when we venture into the woods, you need to think about is “what do we really need with us?” We don’t want to bring a lot of unnecessary gear that makes our backpack heavy. The smart thing to do is make a list of what you will need in the woods. Remember always prepare for a worst case scenario. In other words; if you get lost, do you have enough items to survive?

One of things that need to be at the top of your list is water. It is one of the most important life elements that we humans need to survive. There is a saying that humans can go three weeks without food, three days without water and three minutes without air. A lot of times people do not really thing about how much water they will need. Even with the weather cooling down, your body still needs adequate amounts of water. Some, who venture on day hikes, think they just need one “sixteen ounce” bottled water, and that will be enough to sustain them. They couldn't be more wrong. Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. According to the Institute of Medicine for your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming at least 3 liters (about 13 cups) a day.

When you are out hiking or engaging in any physical activity that makes you sweat, you need to drink extra water to compensate for the fluid loss. An extra 400 to 600 milliliters (about 1.5 to 2.5 cups) of water should suffice for short bouts of activity. How much additional fluid you need depends on how much you sweat during hiking, and the duration. Another factor to take into account is the weather. If it is hot outside, you sweat and that requires additional intake of fluid. Living in Florida, heat is a constant concern when you are out hiking. Also altitudes greater than 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) may trigger increased urination and more rapid breathing, which use up more of your fluid reserves.

the standard Army 1 Quart Canteen with cup

the US Army 2 quart canteen

When I first went into the Army in 1982, the only method of carrying water with you was the one quart canteen, which you secured to your pistol belt. If you ran out, you had to find a water source i.e. river, creek or lake and drop in two iodine tablets, wait thirty minutes and the water was drinkable, nasty tasting, but drinkable. Later when I was deployed to Honduras, we were issued two quart canteens. This allowed us to carry more water. When I was doing an airborne operation (parachuting out of an airplane) I would always dummy cord my canteen so I would lose it.

A CamelBak water reservoir

A backpack with a built pouch for the CamelBak

Now in today’s military the preferred method of carrying water is the hydration pack. It is usually referred to as a “CamelBak” from the name of the company that first marketed them. This hydration system built as a backpack or waist pack containing a reservoir or "bladder" commonly made of rubber or flexible plastic, with a hose that allowed you to suck the water out. Most hoses end with a "bite valve" that opens when the user bites down on it; the valve may be protected by a dust cover. The reservoir was secured in a carrier that you carry on your back or if you have a backpack that has a pouch to secure the bladder in. Reservoir sizes commonly range from 1.5 to 3.0 liters. Today you can purchase an in-line-filter allowing the user access to clean water on the go. Now you don’t have to worry about adding iodine to the water.

Now you’re asking, “Which one do I prefer; the canteen or the CamelBak?”  The answer is both. I carry both of them when I journey in to the woods or swamps. When I go out backpacking or camping, I always make sure that my CamelBak reservoir in my backpack is full for drinking and I carry a canteen with water to use when I make castings. But I also like that I have a canteen cup with the canteen in case I want heat up water.

Now if you do carry a CamelBak, do not add any artificial flavoring to it, especially if contains sugar. This will damage the reservoir. I’ve seen it happen. There are flavoring designed to use with the CamelBak. You need to always inspect the reservoir before each use. There is a small rubber ring in the cap and if it comes off, water will leak out. Again I’ve seen this happen. Make sure you have a service cap for the bit value. Sometimes after repeated use, they will tear off. Now you have to make sure that the value is clean before you start drinking. I bought a clip to secure the value to my backpack shoulder strap to keep anything from happening to it. Plus it makes it easier to find in the dark.

My Bear Grylls canteen and cup

Now being an old soldier, I still carry a canteen. I don't have my old army one. My wife purchased the Bear Grylls canteen. She thinks that I'm in the Bear Grylls Fan Club. I do own quite a bit of Bear Grylls gear. Holy cow, maybe I am in the club!  I also carry a water purifying pump to clean the water and I like it to heat water and make coffee in the morning. I also use it to secure water when we find an unknown track and want to make a casting of it. You can’t do that with a CamelBak unless you pull it out and open the cap, which is more work than it’s worth. If you have a creek or stream, that water will work with the plaster. The one thing that I don’t like about a canteen is the noise it makes at night when it is half full. It makes a sloshing sound, CamelBaks do not. Not a good thing when you’re out Bigfoot hunting.

Both the canteen and the CamelBak are relativity inexpensive and you can purchase them in any department store that has an outdoor section or sports/outdoor store. So if you are thinking about which one to take, a canteen or a CamelBak?  Take both. You can’t go wrong.

A 5 Gallon Water Jug

Now when I go camping I always have in the back of my Jeep a five gallon water jug. I set up my tent usually close to my vehicle so the water is always available for me and the family. Again you can purchase a jug at any department or outdoor store. During the hurricane season, they are quite popular, and sometime hard to find. You can buy collapsible ones but they can sometime tear open and they do not do well in hot sun.

Also I want to throw this in for good measure. If you find yourself or your partner becoming dehydrated, do not gulp down the water or as the expression goes “Slam it down”. Drink it slowly, in other words, Take a mouth full and swallow it, take another mouth full and swallow it. It you’re severely dehydrated and you try slamming the water down. Your body will go through spasms and you will start throwing up the water. Unfortunately I had this happen to me in the jungle. Lesson learned.

Also it is a good idea to limit any kind of physical activity during the hottest part of the day. This is a good time to plan your night adventure and replenish your water. My family likes to take napes, that way they are fully rested for our night time excursions.

As you can see Legend Trippers, I've put a lot of emphasis on water. You 'll find that by doing this you  will keep everybody safe and you will have a great adventure.