Figuring out water needs test

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by Thaddius Bickerton, May 3, 2012.


  1. I have been carrying water around in a two liter pop bottle in my woods loafing for a long time.

    Well the last trip to town, oldest son sees these metal water bottles on the everything's a dollar table and grabbed a few.

    I don't know how much it holds but i'd guess a quart, maybe a bit less, but more than a pint.

    Anyway It got me to thinking and I wondered how many of these bottles full of water I would go through in a day just around the house.

    So today I started by filling it up when I got up and have been filling it up and using it for cooking / drinking as my water measure.

    It is on its 5th filling. I have used it to make coffee, drink, and cook three meals. Still carrying 5 of these things in a pack would be a lot. I am pretty sure that one and a pocket filter pump might be less weight, and around here water is just around the corner most places.

    Anyway I wanted to throw out a suggestion that others try to see how much water they would use if they just get the water containers they plan to carry or do carry when they go to the woods and just use em for a few days and keep track of how many bottle fulls you use, and then think about how you would carry or refil them out in the woods.

    I'm still not sure how much it is or if the smaller bottle / filter beats out carrying a 2 liter soda bottle and boiling the found water. Hoping I could manage with the 2 liters per day.

    (it gets hot in Alabama, and isn't unusual for me to be able to tip up a two liter bottle of water and drink half of it at one go if I want to.)

    So what I'm getting at is how much water do ya'll carry and replace each day in the woods and around the home. Skip things like toilet flush and showers. Just food / drinking use.

    Also how much do you like to drink a day in summer and winter weather.

    My estimate is 1 - 2 gallons per day in real hot, and about 1 gallon per day in winter. More if working hard / sweating.

    It is better to play with this and figure it out at home where mistakes have a low cost instead of getting out and needing more than you have / can find.

    Well ramble off for now.

    Thad.

    P.S. Look forward to hearing others thinking on this and probably better way of stating it for understanding. T.
     
    chelloveck likes this.
  2. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Get out your handy dandy measuring cup and figure out what the bottles will hold. Chances are you won't have one of those bottles sometime when you need it, and knowing the actual amount of water would be useful to know. IMHO, anyway. I know, from measurement, that I drink two quarts of fluids daily when completely inactive in winter, and ramp up from there. Summer, inactive, doubles it. Cooking adds a bit, say a quart. Bear in mind that is a single body, does not include washing self or dishes.
     
  3. Good point on measuring the actual amount. I'll do it later. I suspect this bottle I have holds a liter, but I don't know.

    Water is something we take so for granted till we need it. And I keep meeting people who think one army canteen or nalgen bottle will do them in the woods. Going short on water is not good for thinking or anything else.

    And add in IIRC water is like 7# per gallon in weight to carry so a filter quickly becomes a better choice if water can be found, JMTC < YMMV.

    I'll go measure it and come add it to this post for I put it up.

    Aye, the metal bottle holds about one liter. I only had a cup measuring thing with metric scale I could find so I just kept pouring in but it was so close I say one liter bottle. so I'm up to using a bit more than 2 liters today.

    My two liter bottle I carry still is about a day at homes use. I usually find I filter and boil up a refil per day. The pump filters are looking like a pretty good long trip thing to save on the aggravation of boiling.

    I was pretty sure how much I used, but I'll keep this test running a day or two more since I pretty much drink water alone. If I do drink a beer or some such Ill add that in as additional water.

    Not scientific, but I'd bet money a lot of folk have never really measured their daily use.

    Thad.
     
  4. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    It isn't additional water, and should not be counted as such. Alcohol actually dehydrates and increases the need for the real thing. Off hand I don't know the actual equivalence, but based on past experience, a six pack at night requires a couple quarts of makeup in the morning.
     
  5. RightHand

    RightHand Been There, Done That RIP 4/15/21 Moderator Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    Don't forget that you diet will greatly dictate your water intake - as an example, many people eat Ramen noodles which are extremely high in sodium +/- 2000 mg as well as mega amounts of MSG. both of which will increase your water intake and throw you calculations way off. That's one of the reasons I don't rely on those handy noodle packs as anything but an occasional emergency staple in my emergency reserves. Food is easier to get and transport than water in most emergencies
     
  6. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    When figuring Human Water Consumption, for ALL needs, on a daily basis, I have always used 70 USG/Day, averaged over time. This includes ALL uses for a single Person, including but not limited to, Washing of Body, Clothes, Dishes, Cooking, Drinking, Toiletry, and such. Women use significantly MORE water, than Men, on average. [bow];)..... YMMV....
     
  7. Gunny Highway

    Gunny Highway Hard Work and Sacrifice blessed by God's Grace

    A rule to live by is this : You will need and want far more water than you estimate. RH makes a great point with the sodium content of food. I actually do stock those noodles for ease of fixing calories and sodium in certain situations ( including our discussion in another thread on the importance of salt Post SHTF )
     
  8. Gunny Highway

    Gunny Highway Hard Work and Sacrifice blessed by God's Grace


    Bruce you're a brave brave man for saying that....LOL
     
  9. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    Not so Brave.... Momma and I have joked about this FACT, for the LAST two Decades.... Out here, we have to deal with our Potable Water, on a Daily Basis, and when we go thru a "Dry Spell", we end up having to Pump our Water from North Creek. This last week, was the first time we have had to Pump from the Creek, in Three Years. This was after a Two Month Dry Spell, which is unheard of in a Rain Forest. Well Momma is in Seattle, for two weeks, and I will have PLENTY of Water for My needs for a month, or two. It would last maybe 3 weeks, if she was here. ..... YMMV....[bow]
     
  10. I know beer sucks the water out of you. Just used that as the example. While I make and enjoy it at home, I don't take beer with me into the woods, nor do I rely on it for hydration.

    As for the usage, I know it varys depending on food and individual. Why I was looking at how much for me. At a minimum I want 2 liters in my pack and a way to replenish it daily.

    If I could not find / filter it then I would need to provide at least that much per day.

    TBH If I could not find water, it would probably mean desert , etc, and I'd want at least double the amount where I can replenish it.

    Like many things that we take for granted, testing beats guessing.

    I cannot get over how few people list TP in their "lists" of stuff for their BOB's. No other option is quite as comfortable, I always attempt to have a supply with me sufficient to longer time out than planned for.

    Running out of somethings is just not fun. Running out of certain few things like water can be very bad.

    Thad.
     
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