Water use - Appalachian Trail

imported
#1

Just curious. I know everybody is different but what is the average water consumption during summer hiking on the AT? For every 5 miles on level ground, how many liters are drunk? Has anybody kept track of this?

Small Change

#2

On my last section hike in MA, I had 2.5 liters leaving Jug End Rd. and pulled into the Tom Leonard Shelter 9.9 miles later with 0.5 liters remaining. Then again, my legs were cramping up a bit over the last mile so I wasn’t drinking enough.

The next morning, I refilled and two liters took me 5.3 miles to the South Mt. Wilcox shelter. After tanking up, I did 7.7 miles into Tyringham and finished the last of my 2.5 liters after dropping my pack.

Temps were ideal for hiking (high 70’s - low 80’s) so my water use was lower than it would have been in higher temps. Your mileage may vary, but at least I have a clear recollection since it was only 9 days ago. BTW, I’m a big guy and tend to sweat like a pig…

Hope that helps!

Stalking Tortoise

#3

I did 11 miles on the AT/LT (total, round trip) in Vermont - July, Route 11/Bromley Mt to The Notch Road and return - hot, humid - and went through two 102 oz Camelbacks filled with Gatorade. I, too, sweat a lot and weigh about 230. I was carrying about 25 lbs. I had my filter with me “just in case”.

Silver Fox

#4

Well, water consumption varies with the heat and humidity. In typical hiking weather, I generally go through about 3 liters during the day. But, because water is so plentiful along the AT, I seldom carry more than 1 liter at a time.

Peaks

#5

Silver Fox–that’s a little over 6 liters or 1 liter per 1.8 miles but you said it was hot and humid.
Stalking Tortoise–You only drank about 1 liter per 3.25 miles.
I’m a novice hiker and I seem to always carry too much for fear of running out which I did once hiking down into the Grand Canyon.
Thanks for your input. Anyone else?

Small Change

#6

I hiked during a drought in 1999 which resulted in long distances without water. I could go 15 miles or more on two liters of water. The secert is to drink your fill when you filter water and your body can adapt to using less water while hiking. When I got to camp I made sure to drink several quarts of water to rehydrate before bed.
I generally hike with one quart of water if the springs are flowing on the AT.

Darth pacman

#7

Dear Small change,

My daily water consumption on the AT during summer hiking was basically 8 quarts per day; that’s right, 2 gallons per day.

Conan.

Conan

#8

A graph exists - in Muesser’s book, I think - of water use versus temperature for a “typical” hiker. Generally, your water requirement is about the same regardless of temperature if you are hiking in weather below 70, but it starts to increase as it gets warmer. Once the temps hit the low to mid-80’s, your needs increases sharply and you need a lot of water.

In my case, I can get by with one to two quarts on my typical 12-15 mile day if the temperatures are moderate. By contrast, I went through six quarts on a recent 14 mile hike with temperatures in the mid-to-high 80’s.

Bob McCaw

#9

Thanks, Darth. The body can adapt when necessary. I went 6 miles down in Grand Canyon and 6 back up on 1 quart but that was stupid ignorance and I almost didn’t make it out.
Hey Conan, you didn’t say how far that took you. If you averaged 16 miles per day that’s 1 quart (about 1 liter) per 2 miles. I think that’s probably a comfortable consumption rate. With plenty of water on the AT, no problem in only carrying 1 or 2 quarts/liters at a time.

Small Change

#10

Mueser, Roland “Long-Distance Hiking: Lessons from the Appalachian Trail (1997)”

Thanks, Bob, I haven’t read that book but will check it out. My curiosity is peaked.

Small Change

#11

A rule of thumb that I heard a few times while hiking in Southern California (where you frequently have to decide in advance how much water you’re going to take with you for the next 20 waterless miles) is to drink at least one liter per five miles of hiking.

This worked pretty well for me, though I did try to “camel up” at every water source. Obviously there are times when you might need to drink way more than one liter per five miles: if you’re moving slower over tough terrain, if it’s particularly hot, if the trail has no shade, if you’re a bigger person, etc.

PCTer

#12

05 was terrible for the constant heat, and I’d say at least 2-2.5 gallons a day was typical for me at about 24 miles a day, so I guess that’s 1L:3M, and I’d say that’s about right. I didn’t camel because I used drops and didn’t want to wait around forever, but unless circumstances warranted, I typically would only carry 2L with me at a time.

0101

#13

Exercise physiologists say this varies from person to person but the maximum water loss is around 1 liter per hour, and as you’d expect this is when you’re exercising in the heat. You could exercise this hard by climbing 1 mile in one hour or cruising on the flats at 5 mph so it’s not really a function of distance.

Brian Osborne

#14

I started my day every day with 1.5 liters and breakfast. Then I filled up my containers and had 3 liters throughout the day that I finished, usually, by about 6pm. I then drank at least 2 liters with my meal. I only filtered at night and occassionally in the morning. Mostly I did this so I wouldn’t have to stop for water. It was only on the most extrememly hot days that I would stop and need to get more water.

windex