Where to find water when hiking?

Are you planning a long hike (GR) lasting several days? Are you wondering where and how to finddrinking water on a hike?

Here's what you need to know.

When you ask a "new" hiker what they thought of their first experience, most of the time they'll reply that their feet hurt, that they were very thirsty and that they should have brought more water...

Water on a hike is undeniably a difficult problem to solve, unless you're organized and know where to find it.

You can find water when hiking:

- In public places (campsites, shops, etc.)
- In lakes, streams and rivers
- In ambient humidity
- In soil (swamps, etc.)
- By collecting rain

That said, virtually all of these water sources require a number of precautions, which we will now discuss.

But first, let's remember the enormous importance of good hydration.

Foreword: The importance of hydration when hiking

The dehydration is an insidious condition. Many symptoms we mistake for fatigue or altitude sickness are actually signs of dehydration. signs of dehydrationn more or less severe. It often begins with headaches, fatigue, nausea or mild malaise.

If left untreated dehydration can have more serious effects:

• Increased weakness
• Mental disability
• Severe water deficit
• Accelerated heart rate

The basic rule of water consumption is about one liter per hour of hiking (up to 3 liters for very intense efforts).

Your urine is the best indicator of whether you're sufficiently hydrated or not.

• Clear urine = adequate water consumption
• Dark urine = a sign of obvious dehydration.

A bottle or flask with 1 liter of water weighs approximately 1 kilogram, so it's easy to see how the weight of water can quickly become a problem in your backpack.

The trick then is to carry enough water to keep you hydrated between the various water points along the way. For this, it's essential to find out before you set off.

Finding water to survive hiking

This is a frequent bone of contention among hikers. hikershunters and other wilderness adventurers.

In a critical situation and with no means of purify the waterIn a critical situation, with no means of purifying the water, it's probably better to drink it and risk illness rather than face severe dehydration, which could turn for the worse.

In all other cases: it's best to play it safe and filter natural water sources.

But if you don't want to worry about this, a good water filter or purifier is invaluable.

1. Drinking water in public places

This is obviously the most obvious solution, and depending on the hike, there's no shortage of places to go.

You can find drinking water, forexample :

• At campsites
• In public parks
• In the churches
• In cemeteries
• In public toilets
• In tourist offices
• In shops (inns, restaurants, bars...)
• In accommodation (gîtes, refuges, campsites...)

As a last resort, private individuals can also fill your gourd. Of course, this is rarely the solution you want to opt for to avoid disturbing others...

But in the wilderness, miles from any civilization, drinking water drinking water Here are a few tips to keep you hydrated, even in these special conditions.

2. Avoid stagnant water

The first piece of advice to remember is to avoid stagnant water at all costs. stagnant watersuch as puddles that have been stagnant for several days, retention basins, etc., simply because insects love to settle there and proliferate.

This is simply because insects love to settle there to proliferate and, above all, the micro-organismsbacteria and viruses thrive there like nowhere else.

Unless you're in a desperate situation, severely dehydrated and in possession of a means of filtering water, such as our ÖKO water bottlewater bottle, just remember that "stagnant water = danger".

3. Water bodies, lakes, rivers and streams

Contrary to the previous point, flowing water is a better ally, but not a perfect one, and a few precautions are still required.

Concerninglakes and bodies of water, try to find out (or find out before you go) where the water comes from. If it comes from melting glaciers, there should be no problem. If, on the other hand, a factory is located upstream from the lake, precautions should be taken.

The same applies to rivers: try to ensure that the river is not "blocked" by a dead animal upstream.

This can happen in the days following thunderstorms, when some animals, panicking, injure themselves before running aground in a river. Needless to say, drinking this water is clearly not recommended!

Safety tip: The best thing to do is to collect the water as high and as close to the "source" as possible, using a filtering gourd.

4. Collect dew water

Depending on the climate, when it's hot during the day and cold at night, the thermal shock between hot and cold produces condensation, which can be collected!

By stretching out a fabric (t-shirt or towel), preferably absorbent, it will capture the dew by soaking up water when the humidity begins to fall, and later drinking it by squeezing the wet cloth.

We're not talking about recovering liters of drinking water, but it's an additional potential "source" that you can exploit.

5. Rainwater harvesting

Rain is an excellent source of water, but unless you're walking in the rain with buckets (which, let's face it, isn't practical!), this "source" of water is best suited to setting up camp for the evening.

To collect it, two methods work:

• Direct: put a container on the ground and... wait for it to fill up
• Drop by drop: place sticks in a container to act as a "water pipe".

The second method recovers much more water, and also works under trees when the rain has stopped falling.

Caution: Rainwater is not common, so if you do collect it, drink it quickly. Many bacteria will develop during storage.

6. Peat bogs and marshes

Drinking water can easily be found in bogs and swamps, thanks to the groundwater that softens the soil.

Just dig a small hole and see if groundwater accumulates.

Water is naturally filtered by the layers of soil, but if in doubt, use a filter flask to collect it.

7. Follow insects and animal tracks

Animals and insects are intelligent, never settling far from a water source. So if you spot them, you can be sure that water is nearby.

Here are some examples of how far certain animals and insects can travel from a watering hole:

• Bees: water up to 4 km
• Flies and butterflies: water up to 2 km away
• Mosquitoes: maximum water at 500 m
• Frogs: water nearby (a few dozen meters)

Animal tracks can also lead you to a watering hole, as animals need a regular supply of water, just like humans.

Think ahead and filter the water!

Each of the above suggestions will allow you to find more or less water to help you stay hydrated, whatever the circumstances.

That said, if you want to be able to enjoy your water supply without wondering whether it's going to make you sick the next day, it's best to plan ahead and equip yourself accordingly.

The most practical solution, the easiest to implement and the most effective to use on a hike or even at home every day, is to opt for an ÖKO ÖKO water bottle.

It guarantees lightness, comfort and safety with maximum filtration.