HYDRATION AND WATER TREATMENT
WATER IS SOMETHING we all need in the mountains – summer or winter, we can’t do without it. Hydration is vital not only for our health but for performance too. On a warm day it’s very easy to become dehydrated if you don’t drink enough; but dehydration can also be a real problem on cold and wet winter days, because you might not feel as thirsty. Although it’s important to listen to your body, it’s better to drink a bit more than you think you need rather than not enough. If you don’t drink enough, you might find uphills a bit more strenuous than they should be, and the net result is a day out that – at best – isn’t enjoyable. At worst, dehydration can be a serious health emergency.
Traditionally, the advice has always been to carry enough water with you from the start of your walk (several litres may be needed on a hot day). There are many more options these days than simple water bottles. Flexible hydration packs can either supply water to a hose that runs over your shoulder, ready for drinking through a bite valve at any time – great for fast-paced activity – or be used as soft bottles, a hybrid between a bottle and a hydration reservoir.
One of the great things about our soggy British hills is that water is widely available, so you may not need to carry all that water with you right from the start. This can save lots of weight, especially on a long-distance walk. But is water gathered from streams or rivers safe? In remoter areas at higher elevations, often the answer is yes; but sources can be contaminated by livestock or human activity.
In this review we’ve rounded up five ways of storing and carrying water on the hill, and five methods of making the water you gather safe to drink.
Features
HYDRATION PRODUCTS
1. Size and weight
Larger reservoirs and bottles tend to be bigger and heavier. Some reservoirs have stiffened elements to make them easier to
