The low budget solution would be several plastic bottles in the day pack I’ve had for years (yet rarely used). But fishing bottles out of the pack whenever I want a drink is inconvenient, and having them flop and rattle around while walking/climbing is annoying.
Or I could go with a dedicated hydration pack. That would mean extra cost. And I’d want to carry other things besides water, like maps, camera, emergency gear, clothing layers, and food.
I carried hydration packs all over the western USA for over 30 years. They are by far the best way to carry water. I found it best to get them up as high in the pack as I could and my back appreciated it.
ReplyDeleteI use similar daily ;challenge is preventing/cleaning black algae development in sucking mechanism and keeping it leak proof.
ReplyDeleteOK, I'm nitpicking but that's not a daypack. That's a backpack. A daypack is only about half that size. I have backpacked water--it's heavy but necessary yet I never backpacked in the desert.
ReplyDeleteOkay. I figured its lack of a belt put it more in the day pack range. And if I never overnight, then it's a day pack by default. :D
DeleteAlso, there's no rain cover.
DeleteLooks like a nice unit.
ReplyDeleteI consider it a day pack. Day packs come in all sizes. Without a hip strap I call them day pack especially since it does not have sleeping bag straps at the top. But others can call it whatever they like. I call it a smart move.
ReplyDeleteI learned through experience to keep one of those water bottles in the pack as well. Without opening the pack up and looking it's pretty much impossible to keep track of how much water you've used from the hydration bladder until suddenly you're sucking your brains out because the dang thing has run dry and, of course, this usually happens when you've got a long ways to go to get back to your wheels.
ReplyDeleteMy pack has a waist-belt but I consider it a day-pack, and I agree with Barney, smart move. I always get a kick of of out-doors shows where the "experienced" host is wandering around bare-backed but the ranger doing the guiding has a pack on. Which one do you think is going to survive an unexpected incident?
The spare bottle is an excellent idea.
DeleteThat bottle is real important especially when you slip and fall on the side of Mt. Rainer and a cactus puts a dozen holes in your water bladder.
ReplyDeleteIt's a real bummer when you have to try and lick up all the water before it goes to waste when that happens. . .
DeleteBoojie!
ReplyDelete