Carrying 4 Days of Water

[RebelMindfulness]

Hi Everyone,

I will be hiking Big Bend in Late March, 4 days, 3 nights.  Availability of water is very unlikely, so I will have to carry everything I need.  My initial thought is to carry multiple 4-liter MSR Dromlite bags.  I guess my real question is.... is this an unrealistic approach?  I cannot seem to find anything online where others have done this.  

I would truly appreciate any experienced feedback. 

[ppine]

Four days of water is around 28 pounds if you bring a gallon a day. 

I have done one backpacking trip in Big Bend near the Mules Ears.  We went around New Years in early Jan.   I went with 3 geologists, so we hiked from spring to spring using topo maps.  We were never on a trail.  The weather was great, near 70 during the day and freezing at night.  Our rule was if we could not find the next spring at the end of a day we would back track to the last known water. 

[Dogwood]

BBNP is fairly open to caches. 

[ppine]

If you don't live near the Park, that is a lot of extra work to go on a trip. 

[Dogwood]

On 2/10/2021 at 1:57 AM, ppine said:

If you don't live near the Park, that is a lot of extra work to go on a trip. 

That's the way I always saw it too particularly if not having access to a motor vehicle. Then, there's the requirement to go back and pick up left behind water cache receptacles. Leaving behind or attempting to burn or bury receptacles from previous hikers  was bit of an issue on AZT, GET, PCT, and Hayduke Tr hikes. If it wasn't for trail angels maintaining PCT cache trash PCTers I've  never seen  a PCTer haul out empty gal milk jugs.

[RebelMindfulness]

I truly appreciate the feedback.  Though challenging, I have opted to pack all the water in 3L collapsable containers.  Certainly going to add some difficulty to the hike, but at least it will decrease daily.  Ive been getting in some miles through the Everglades with the full pack weight just to be be certain it is realistic. It's a challenge I look forward to.   

[Dogwood]

In general few realize Everglades NP has hikes... that can be extended by paddling.

[K. Urs Grutter]

Certainly a challenge. I am a rather skinny 170lbs guy and I need 6liters a day in an arid area in moderate temperatures, water to prepare meals included, but no "extra"... keep in mind water needs vary greatly depending on weather, temperature, humidity, exertion... there is probably no guess but finding out on personal training hikes.

[Dogwood]

Right. But,  perhaps let's examine those conditions in greater detail. Weather, temp, and humidity can be altered by night hiking and hiking near sunrise and sunset thereby decreasing water consumption,  a well known hot weather desert strategy.  Mindful exertion level/pace/output can be altered in context of maximizing caloric and H2O expenditures. This has the potential to offset greater water wt with decreased food wt.  When the terrain is demanding that might be a good time to hit that section during cooler periods.  As U.S. citizens we're culturally indoctrinated from a young age to rampantly and often recklessly mass consume with little to no regard of consequences or what it takes to satisfy these appetites. IMHO, as hikers we can benefit from questioning unbridled consumption and altering our behaviors in this regard. 

Another thing that entails greater H2O needs on trail is living a life off trail in a state of chronic dehydration. It's been estimated up to 75% of the public is chronically dehydrated...off trail. Then, we bring that state  to the outdoors in hot weather where we're exerting ourselves to greater extent the water needs are greater to just get hydrated.