How Much Water To Bring Camping?

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Living in modern society, it is easy to take water for granted. You walk to the tap and out it comes, practically for free. And most refrigerators now have a water dispenser in the door. And heck, when you go to the store, there’s as many different varieties of bottled water as there is soda.

But it is important to stay hydrated.

Backpacking and Hiking Water Calculator

Water makes up around 60% of your body weight. It is easy to dehydrate and even die when there is not enough water inside your body, and this can happen within a few hours. When you start losing fluids faster than normal, for example, from vomiting or diarrhea, it becomes even more important that you rehydrate as soon as you can.

When it comes to normal day to day activities, it is easy to drink more than enough water through several types of beverages. However, when beverages and water is not easy to access like when you go camping or hiking, it becomes important to plan ahead.

Planning to carry enough water according to the types of activities you will be participating in, where you plan to camp, and what season in the year you plan to take a camping trip, are all essential factors you need to consider when you make a pre-camping checklist.

Keep in mind that activities like canoeing, swimming, or even playing a game with a ball, will all result in drinking water to help you stay hydrated.

How Much Water Will You Need When You Go Camping?

There is no exact formula when it comes to the amount of water that each person should be drinking. Yet health experts and fitness gurus recommend that adults should be drinking 0.5 gallons or 2 liters of water throughout the day. This guide is very general, and the amount of water that you will need will mainly depend on the types of activities you are engaged in, how long the activities last, along with whether they are mild, moderate, or intense.

It is also important to consider that when you are sick or suffering from an illness, this also has an effect on what your hydration levels are like. Keeping all these factors in mind, there are other factors that you will need to consider which include:

  • Where will you be camping? Do you plan to camp in a remote area or a campsite?

  • How long do you plan to camp for (1 night or several nights)?

  • What do you plan to do when you camp? For example, is this a relaxing and sedentary camping trip, or do you plan to participate in intense activities?

  • What season will you be camping in? For example, consider what the temperatures will be like?

  • Do you plan to camp in a location that is humid?

  • How many people are camping with you? Is it a camping trip with just you and a friend, or are you planning a camping trip with the family?

  • How do you plan to travel to your camping area? Will you be hiking to your campsite, or will you be using a vehicle to drive there?

  • Will there be access to safe and fresh running water? This can include a running stream or a tap at the campsite.

  • What type of food or meals do you plan to eat on your camping trip? Do the meals contain a fair amount of water? If not you may need to increase your intake of water.

  • Will you need to take water with you to cook your food?

  • Do you need water to wash your dishes and clean yourself?

All these things along with more should be considered while planning your camping trip. There is far more to just taking a guess at how much water you will require for a successful camping trip. Experience is usually a good indication of how much water you will need and makes it an easier task to work out exactly how much you will need when you are camping at a place that you have visited before.

When it is not possible to take with all the water you will need, you can invest in a filter if you plan to use water from natural water sources like a stream or lake. There are also a variety of products to choose from that you are able to add to water to ensure it is hygienic, clean, and safe enough to consume. The most popular product includes water-purification tablets. You can also boil water which helps to eliminate any bacteria that may be present in the water.

Tips On How To Use Water When Camping

Here are 3 tips on how to use H20 efficiently at your campsite or on a trail.

1. Drink It, Rather Than Carrying It

If you plan to hike or take long walks, carrying a gallon of water can become heavy. Drink as much as you can before you leave your campsite. This will decrease how much water you will require for the day. If you do arrive at a spot where you can safely drink from, fill your canteen and your bladder. In this way, you can lower the weight you have to carry around.

2. Reuse Water

There are a few ways to use your water again while you are camping. For example, you can use the same water you cooked food like potatoes and pasta in to clean your cooking utensils and pots.

3. Get Your Water From Your Food

When considering how much things weigh, water is one of the heavier fluids along with the food you plan to eat. Plan a way to get calories and fluids from the meals you prepare. For example, fruits like watermelons and oranges contain between 80 to 90% fluids.

Final Thoughts

The best way to work out the amount of water you need to bring along for your next camping trip is to work out a personal water plan. Think about how many days and the activities you have planned. Add up the amount you will need for each day. Use the total amount as a baseline for what you will need.

Backpacking and Hiking Water Calculator

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