Dry Camping Strategies And Water Carrying Capacity
Overview
Dry camping strategies involve planning to camp away from water sources and carrying sufficient water for evening, overnight, and morning needs.
Key points
- Dry camps are chosen for location, safety, or schedule even when water is not nearby.
- Hikers estimate total water needed for drinking, cooking, and breakfast.
- Carrying capacity depends on containers, pack design, and personal comfort with weight.
- Accurate information about preceding and next-day water sources is critical.
- Conservative planning margins help manage uncertainty in dry environments.
Details
Dry camping refers to spending the night in a location without an immediate water source. Thru hikers may choose this option to position themselves for climbs, align with regulations, take advantage of a particular campsite, or accommodate spacing between reliable water points. Doing so requires carrying enough water from the last source to cover evening and overnight needs plus the distance to the next day’s source.
Estimating water for a dry camp includes considering drinking needs after arrival, any cooking that uses water, personal hygiene preferences, and breakfast. Some hikers adjust food choices around dry camps to reduce cooking-related water use. Others maintain similar routines and simply carry extra.
Water carrying capacity is determined by the number and size of bottles, bladders, or other containers a hiker can reasonably carry. Packs differ in how they support multiple containers, and hikers may add temporary containers for long dry stretches.
Because conditions, temperatures, and personal responses can vary, hikers often add a buffer above minimum estimates when planning dry camps. This provides flexibility if travel takes longer than expected or if temperatures are warmer than anticipated.
Reliable, current information about upcoming water sources, combined with conservative planning, helps make dry camping a manageable part of long distance hiking in drier regions.
Related topics
- daily-water-needs-for-long-distance-hiking
- hydration-bladders-bottles-and-hybrid-systems
- hydration-differences-in-desert-and-forest-environments
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