Water In the Backcountry: How much do I need?

Always, always remember to bring water. Primitive or dispersed campsites do not generally have access to water, and even designated campgrounds can have problems with year-round water. There are a lot of opinions out there about how much water you should drink a day, but a general rule if you are being active is an absolute minimum of 2 liters a day. That does not include water you use to cook with. Another good rule of thumb is an ounce of water per pound you weigh.

That means:

Additionally, you want to make sure you have enough water to cook, clean, and make mistakes. In a pinch, I can make do with about a liter to cook with, but I really don’t like to mess around with my water. I have been in situations where I have run out of water for days and ended up drinking liquidy mud with iodine.  I’ve also been in situations where I have carried pounds of water unnecessarily for miles. Both are not ideal, but in the end, I would much rather be burdened with more weight and less space than run out of water.

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