Camping can be fun and all but without materials like water, it can be hell. You might be wondering how much water is enough for a camping trip, well, experts recommend 7.5 liters a day for every person you bring on board.
This might sound like a little too much but in reality, it is not. Remember, this water will not be used for drinking only, you will need it for cooking, cleaning, and most of all, personal hygiene.
Carrying this amount of water in the car can weigh the poor thing down.
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Water For Drinking While Camping
Health experts recommend at least 2 liters of drinking water for every adult. This analogy might serve well in the office setting but in the woods, people tend to expend more energy than normal. So, how much water should you bring camping?
Before deciding on the amount of water to bring, take into consideration the weather and the activities you will engage in during the camping period. These all affect the amount of water a person consumes.
If you plan to camp in a relatively hot area, you can expect to sweat more so the water consumption rate will be higher. Also, camping at high altitude areas will result in more sweating as well. Whatever you decide, ensure the water you bring is enough.
A point to note is that storing all your water in one container can be dangerous. A single spill or leak can halt your camping expedition plans. Instead, store the water in smaller containers or simply have everyone store their water.
How Much Water For Children?
Kids do not consume as much water as adults; their hydration should not be much of a concern. Their water consumption depends largely on their ages. An 8-year-old kid will need approximately 1.3 liters of water per day. They might however drink more if the playing gets intense.
You should be aware of kids who prefer to drink soda and other flavored drinks in place of water. These drinks tend to dehydrate the children’s bodies and lead to higher water consumption levels.
When kids get excited, they forget everything. You might have to keep an eye on your kids’ water consumption and remind them to drink some from time to time.
How Much For Adults?
As far as water consumption levels are concerned, an adult is anyone above the age of 13 years. Such a person might be young and still growing but their bodies need as much water as they can get to fuel their development.
As stated earlier an adult requires at least 2.5 liters of water every day. This can be a lot of water if there are many adults.
How Much For Dogs?
Don’t leave your dog behind; they will appreciate the outdoor travel. As you bring them, remember to carry their water as well. Dogs don’t drink so much but having a few liters in store for them is nice. Water consumption for dogs is quite subjective and depends on weight.
You can allot 0.04 liters of water for every pound of weight. This means that a 43-pound dog will need around 2.27 liters of water. Different breeds drink water differently so it would be wise to bring a few extra liters.
How Much Is Needed Per Day Per Person?
It is believed that an adult should consume no more than 2.5 liters of water a day. This figure only applies in moderate weather conditions and rises if the weather gets hotter.
If the body is subjected to intense activity like jogging and hiking, you can expect the adults to drink more water.
People need water for other activities too, keep this in mind. After collecting drinking water, get more for bathing, brushing, and maybe washing clothes.
Water For Cooking And Cleaning
You could decide to bring supermarket camping foods, note that consumers claim they are never enough. Cooking while at the camp is an excellent option. Cooking provides meals and an opportunity to bond with family.
Firewood is readily available in the woods and lighting a fire every day will not be that of a task. You should however store the uncooked foods well unless you want them to go bad.
The amount of water we use for cooking can be surprising, especially at home. However, on a camping trip, you should spend your water sparingly considering the situation and the conditions of refilling the water tank. Estimating the amount of water a camping trip can spend on cooking alone can be difficult because different meals need different water to cook.
You can use cooking recipes that offer information on the exact amounts of water needed. This way you can have a rough idea of the amount of water you will need to cook these meals.
Other cooking needs like morning coffee are notorious water consumers that people seem to ignore.
Water For Personal Hygiene
Personal hygiene is another massive water consumer in a camping trip. This is rather obvious from your experience at home; no area in the home can match the amount of water expended in the bathroom.
Your camping trip will only be complete if there is enough water for activities like brushing, taking showers, washing your face in the morning, and other body hygiene activities.
People use different amounts of water in the shower so you’ll be safer with more water than your team can ever need. There is no exact amount but a quick consultation with everyone should give you an idea of how much water each will need.
Some people might want to wash their clothes while on the trip, you can discourage this due to water supply concerns but they might insist.
How Much Water Should I Bring While Backpacking?
Most of the information available caters to car campers, what about backpackers. Water is essential but heavy too, carrying several liters of water for days can be exhausting. You do not want to spend all your energy carrying water.
You can use the thumb rule and allocate two liters for every day you will be out there. Things can be easier if there are refilling options along the way, you can carry just enough for a day or two. Just find how far apart the towns and train stations are.
Backpacking is fun especially when you bring close friends along but the water problem can negate the fun. Do all the research you can about your route to understand the terrain and mark all the possible restocking spots.
Camping is a pretty old culture among people around the world. The amount of water to bring to these camping trips is however an area they have never quite grasped. Some people will attest to spending different amounts of water to perform similar tasks on their different trips.
Understanding the number of water adults and kids consume can be a good start in calculating the amount to bring along. Remember to store your water in different containers to spread the risk of leakage and spilling.