How much water do you carry in early season?

[Paul in Idaho]

If you're hunting an area where there's no good water source to refill your supply, how much water do you pack in per day? I'm thinking of September archery, with temperatures in the 60s or 70s.

 

[cheeser]

at least gallon/day, preferrably 2/day.

 

[Marshian]

at least gallon/day, preferrably 2/day.

I agree. I have a 3L camelback and always fill it especially when it’s an all day hunt, Then I usually bring a small bottle inside my pack just in case. I will say too, I love the Camelback (or any reservoir with a straw to drink on the move). I find I take frequent small sips all day long instead of having to set everything down and rummage through it. I can tell, without a doubt, the extra energy I feel when when we’ll hydrated.

 

[PeteTheBeat]

I pack 2 33.8oz bottles.

 

[Bigjay73]

2 gal a day is a solid number. Problem is, on a 5+ day hunt, that's 80 lbs. At that point, may as well hire some horses to pack all your gear in. You can pack it out after the hunt since you'll be minus the water weight.

 

[Brad NSW]

2 Nalgene bottles filled, a purifier and 3 collapsible liter bags. Camp near a seeps I find up high. Some are pretty nasty but beats carrying it up there!

 

[tom338]

I carry 3 liters in a platypus bladder bow season. There have been a couple time I have run out. Colder conditions, its the 2 liter. And a sawyer life straw with always

 

[Hoytxl2009]

I only carry a 3 liter platypus, and refill as needed. In my opinion if you're hunting a area with no good water when it's hot as hell out i would change areas. If the critters are there the water is somewhere close. If your worried cause the water you find is dirty run it threw a filter then steripin it or iodine. I've been forced to pull water from nasty holes a few times. Yeah the taste isn't the greatest, but it beats the hell out of carrying 2 gallons. Emergency, crystal light, Mtn ops, etc, will do wonders to dirty gross water for flavor if needed.

 

[lastlight]

I carry the 3L camelback and bring a 48 ounce nalgene that is usally empty and I fill with my sawyer filter as long as there is water. If I am going in somewhere and dont know for sure I can find water ill keep the nalgene full. I will also bring and extra empty 3L camelback for keeping water in spike camp that may not be close to water.

 

[cheeser]

the last 3 yrs i have hunted archery at 95 degrees for the first 3-5 days all after sept12th. last year i was in the breaks and no water anywhere that was drinkable, you can drink t but you are gonna have diarehea. i crried a camelback and a one liter during my hunts i was saying 2 gallons/day/man is needed for each day. yes granted typically you can find decent water. the breaks you couldnt

 

[Paul in Idaho]

Thanks guys. For me, 2 gallons per day sounds about right. I drained my 3 liter supply just a few hours into the first day this weekend.

The main reason I was hunting elk on that mountain was to locate their water supply. I hiked up to the timberline to check on this spot that sometimes holds water, but not this year. There was still a patch of snow above it, but not enough to keep it wet.



No water was found, not even a mucky seep. This is my 5th hike on that mountain. I found old rubs, fresh rubs, old scat, fresh scat, and saw a bull. They must go all the way to the bottom and drink from cattle troughs, I guess.