Hydration

[caesAR15]

How much water are you guys carrying for a day of hunting, and how are you carrying it? Nalgene(s)/bladder/smart water bottles/etc.

I try to make hydration a priority each day, and know it's easily overlooked, especially at elevation. Everyday I aim to drink half my body weight of water in ounces e.g. 200lbs = 100oz. 150lbs = 75oz

Curious to see what your hunting hydration regimen consists of.

 

[4rcgoat]

I carry a 100 oz bladder but usually only fill it half way (depending on location). Where i hunt i have plenty of access to water and carry a steripen to refill and zap the crap in the water right in the bladder. Usually go through about 100oz per day on average. I carry a gravity bag for when water may be scarce.

 

[5MilesBack]

I normally carry my filled 3L Camelbak, and another 32oz with WA Hydrate & Recover depending on where I'm going that day. But sometimes I'll carry less because almost every time I shoot something.......I'm almost out of water.

I'll drink 100oz of water a day just hanging out at home doing nothing. So when I'm up elk hunting drenching my clothes with sweat every day, I drink quite a bit more.

 

[mtwarden]

a 2 liter Platypus bottle in my pack and a 32 oz Nalgene at hand; typically there are water sources nearby if I need more- a carry a small (MSR Trail Shot) filter and a dozen Aqua-tabs for that purpose

I've found a bladder in cold weather to be too much trouble

 

[5MilesBack]

I've found a bladder in cold weather to be too much trouble

Last year was the first time I've had an issue with this during archery season. It was September 12th and we started breaking down my moose right before last light. Not long after we started, at 8pm my bow was completely covered in heavy frost glistening from my head lamp. By the time we got done and I needed some water, the drink tube was frozen and the water inside the bladder was all slush. I tried to drink it right out of the bladder, but it was too cold even to drink. I normally blow out my drink tube every night, but I've never had a problem like that in the past during September even when I didn't.

 

[GunsAreFun]

2.5 liter bladder and a 24oz bottle for Gatorade mix. Usually drink at least 2/3 of my supply if hiking all day.

 

[Jauwater]

I use two 3" diameter water bottle pockets on my hip belt, one on each side towards the back. Takes up very little space on my belt, and the slimmer bottle size tends to ride better then the nalgene on the hip belt for me. When hunting I tend to run a fully stainless steel klean kanteen 27oz on both sides. Which I believe those bottles actually hold closer to 30oz, I could be wrong, cant remember. Backpacking I'll use those smaller smart water bottles. And I'll bring a light weight gravity water filter system with me to fill up when the chance happens. In my experiences I've had just about everything go wrong with a water bladder that could go wrong, at the worst times, unfortunately. So whether it's a nalgene, GI Canteen, or any other bottle out there, I prefer it over the bladder.

Sent from my SM-S506DL using Tapatalk

 

[caesAR15]

This is exactly what I was hoping for. Thanks everyone, Rokslide delivers again.

I'm not much of bladder guy, prefer Nalgene or other bottles. That said, I see value in having a bladder--primarily as a reserve, and having a Nalgene on my belt that gets re-filled out of the bladder.

 

[oake]

I just upgraded to a 3L from a 2L due to water needs; also carry a 32 oz nalgene on the hip.

Just seems like time you filter water your then using it for dehydrated meals; next morning making coffee & your back to filtering again.

 

[Jwknutson17]

I normally carry my filled 3L Camelbak, and another 32oz with WA Hydrate & Recover depending on where I'm going that day. But sometimes I'll carry less because almost every time I shoot something.......I'm almost out of water.

I'll drink 100oz of water a day just hanging out at home doing nothing. So when I'm up elk hunting drenching my clothes with sweat every day, I drink quite a bit more.

This is me exactly. Drink water like a fish just doing nothing. So up in the woods I'm consuming a lot of water. Body just needs it. 3L and 32oz Nalgene.

Last two times I brought less, I killed something and was in need big time on the pack out. Good thing both times a buddy had extra.

Since then I'll take the weight sacrifice unless I'm 100% certain there is adequate water throughout the area.

 

[Jwknutson17]

Double post.

 

[Next Ridge]

Day hunting. 1, 32 ounce nalgene. I am a low consumer, everyone I hunt with needs more. I drink 5-6 nalgenes per night at camp as prep for next day. I carry filter and tabs in pack in case I ever need to refill while out.

 

[mavinwa2]

32oz Nalgene, with Human Gear top/cap, carried in Kifaru water pocket on hip belt.
Always have the 2L green Israeli type water bladder in pack too. Hose insulated with a neoprene cover.

On Very COLD days and day hunting from basecamp, replace Nalgene with GSI Microlite 32oz thermos of hot coffee! Filled/packed at 5am, This thermos keeps it very hot until noon and still warm at 4pm.

 

[justinspicher]

I will generally carry a 20oz Nalgene bottle. Cup of coffee on the way up and a mountain dew on the way home.

 

[Gerbdog]

Yea water is where im willing to splurge on the weight i carry because running out / low when you need it is not a great time. I carry a 3 L bladder in my day pack for day hunting and then some iodine tablets as well incase everything's gone wrong or there is an animal down. For long pack ins where i'm carrying camp on my back ill do the 3L bladder and then another 1.5 L in smaller bladder

 

[Wapititalk1]

3 liter bladder for a full day hunt. Usually carry a water filter just in case the hunt turns into an an all nighter (break down and pack out). You can get by without extra chow but gotta gave the H2O.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

3L Osprey bladder full of water + 32oz Nalgene with water & electrolyte mix. I also added an MSR Trailshot filter and Aquamira drops to my daypack last year so I can refill in the field.

 

[Duramax_Diesel1]

In my experience if you don’t pound a 32oz nalgene before you start in the morning you are trying to play catch up all day and it doesn’t work out too well for you and muscles.

 

[Bucks_N_Bulls]

3L Osprey bladder full of water + 32oz Nalgene with water & electrolyte mix. I also added an MSR Trailshot filter and Aquamira drops to my daypack last year so I can refill in the field.

I second the 3L bladder with the MSR Trailshot filter and Acquatabs for mid-day fill-ups. The filter has been one of my favorite purchases for backcountry hunting, although a word of caution--the actual filter can become quite brittle if it freezes.

I'm also surprised at the number of guys who I encounter who don't use Aquatabs, iodine pills, Steripen or some other type of purification method. I've had giardia twice, which is two times too many to ever make that mistake again. I don't care how "clean" water looks, parasites are not visible to the human eye.

 

[ElkArcher918]

For day hunts I usually carry a 3L bladder but only 2/3s filled. Always carry a Sawyer squeeze filter and an empty "dirty" water bladder as backup.