Regional Water Availability and Drought Patterns

Water planning is a key risk management task for long-distance hikers. In some regions, streams, springs, and lakes are frequent enough that carrying moderate volumes between sources is sufficient. In others, especially desert or high plateau environments, hikers may need to plan for long distances without natural water, requiring careful monitoring of consumption, carrying capacity, and backup options. Even in otherwise wet climates, ridgelines or karst landscapes may present local shortages.

Drought, seasonal shifts, and land-use changes can all influence water reliability. Guidebooks, online resources, and local contacts may provide recent information on sources, but conditions can still differ at the time of travel. Hikers must be prepared to adapt—carrying extra water on uncertain stretches, adjusting daily mileage targets, or altering camp locations to ensure adequate supply. Water caching, where permitted and practiced, requires attention to environmental and ethical concerns, including retrieval of empty containers and avoidance of visual or wildlife impacts.