Gear: Staying hydrated
How do you carry your hydration? Here’s my solution, and why:
I carry a half-liter nalgene for breakfast coffee, dinner hotdrinks, and here in the Pacific Northwest I can carry a half-liter of water from one water source to the next, because I’m rarely more than two hours away from water. A half-liter weights (wait for it), 1/2 kilogram, or 500 grams. For the US audience, this is a 16 ounce bottle and weighs 1.1 pounds wet. Get the wide mouth version linked here from your favorite outdoor store, because they're easier to drink from and easier to pour into.
If I do need to carry more than a half-liter of water, often on climbs and summit days, I carry a water bag. Specifically a MSR DromLite 4L. Because 2L of water in a 4L bag is more “squishable” and packs easier than 2L of water filling a 2L bag to max capacity..
My favorite hack involves both of these pieces, but I refuse to buy a new bag to film this so you’ll just have to read these directions instead:
Fill up the 1/2 L Nalgene with water, and then pour that water into the 4L bag.
With a black Sharpie pen, hold the bag up by the spout (the 4L/MSR logo will be upside down), and mark the water level in the vertical “Mountain Safety Research” label.
Repeat step 2 three more times. Now you’ve marked the level lines for 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0L.
Add one more full liter (2 x 1/2 nalgenes) to find the 3L mark. Repeat if you want to really geek out and have a 4L mark.
Empty the bag, make sure the outside is dry, and
With a ruler, draw a flat line across the bag to mark these 5-6 lines. I also number the 1, 2, 3, and 4L lines.
A presto! Now you have a marked up 4L water bag and a 1/2 Nalgene that answers all your water needs.
More thoughts on this system:
I like to have my hot drinks with my hot meals - this uninsulated system lets my hot drink cool off fast enough that I can drink it before tomorrow. If I want it more cool, I let it sit longer. If I want it to cool less fast, I put it inside an insulated pocket.
That 1/2 L size is also perfect for hot water bottles for sleeping at night.
It’s easier to fill up the 1/2 L nalgene from a small stream and then pour it into the water bag 8-16 times.
If you fill up your 1.5L stove and your 4L nalgene, you often have all the cooking water you need for dinner tonight and breakfast in the morning for two people.
ADDING IODINE IN THE DROMLITE WILL STAIN THE BAG.
This is better than a hydration-hose bag system. Why? Often times, we simply can’t carry all the water we actually wish for on a 8-12 hour climbing day. It simply weighs too much. Instead, we have to minimize the effects of dehydration, and the best way to do that is to manage our water intake. Hydration-hose systems hide the water bag, so you can’t tell how much you’re drinking, or how fast the bag is draining away. It takes practice, experience and discipline to manage your water intake in such a situation.
This is the meathead solution - now I see how much I’m drinking every time I stop for a break and take a drink. If I’m carrying 2L, and I know I get to have 6 breaks on this climb before I reach water again, then I drink 1/3 L at each break. Perfetto!
Important disclaimer: I was not paid for this content, nor were these products given to me. In fact, I think I paid full retail for both because it was more timely/convenient than ordering them.
