WATER

When out trekking or skiing have easy access to a water bottle all the time. On summer treks I think it’s great to put your water bottle at the top of your bag and a hose leading down to your mouth. Then you can constantly take small sips of water. On winter treks it’s harder because the hose will freeze. If it is really cold then your water bottle most likely will freeze too. Get a wide mouth bottle with an isolation cover.

I doesn’t matter if it’s a winter or summer trek, drink a lot. You’ll notice your lack of water easier when it’s warm outside though you need almost the same amount on a winter trek!! Remember if you drink tea, coffee or sodas that they drive away the fluid in your body, so you’ll need to drink even more.

This page is mostly about water during winter treks when it’s cold and the water you’ll find in the nature is either ice or snow.

WinterTo start with do not eat snow! It takes an incredible amount of energy to transfer water from one state to another (solid to liquid). You are burning up too many calories to do this which can quickly lead to hypothermia. Also it’s not good for your stomach. Eating snow will only give you diarrhea.

Water may be obtained by digging a hole in frozen lakes or streams where there is running water beneath the ice. Be careful about falling in. Remember, in most cases water will need to be purified from giardia and other bacteriological contaminants.

Snow can be melted on a fire or stove to make water. It should be clean snow, no yellow (urine) or pink (bacterial growth). Because it takes so much energy to convert from one state to another you should have some water in the bottom of your container. Heat this water up and add snow to it slowly so it turns to slush and then water. This is much more efficient. If you dump in straight snow, you will only burn the bottom of your container and not make any water. By volume it takes about 10 liters of snow to make 1 liters of water. Snow does not need purification.

Winter Solar Water Collector - In a spot that will remain sunny for several hours, dig out a depression in the snow about 60 cm across and 30 cm deep. If possible, line this depression with a foam pad or other insulation (not essential but it speeds the process). Then spread a dark plastic bag (trash bag) over the depression forming a shallow dish pan. All over the raised margins pack clean snow. Drawn by the dark plastic the sun's energy will melt the snow and water will collect in the depression.

Water in a pot can be stored overnight by placing the pot lid on and burying the pot under a foot of snow. Snow is such a good insulator that it will keep the water from completely freezing even in sub-zero temperatures.

Personal Water - You should have a water bottle with a wide mouth, otherwise the opening will easily freeze up. During the day you should carry at least one bottle next to your body. Your body heat will keep it from freezing and the bottle is handy to rehydrate yourself throughout the day. Insulated water bottle holders are available for this. Other bottles can be kept upside down in an insulated container (sock etc.) preferably in an outside pocket on your pack. Being upside down will keep the mouth of the bottle from freezing. Keep in mind that the lid must be on tightly or water will leak all over the place. A cold water bottle may have ice crystals in the threads. As the bottle heats up from body temperature the ice may melt causing the cap to loosen also the lid may expand with heat causing leakage. At night keep your water bottles in your sleeping bag to prevent them from freezing.

Getting Water - sometimes filling pots and water bottles from a stream or lake is a major expedition in itself. Make sure that the area you plan to get water from is secure. Avoid steep banks that might lead to a plunge and make sure any ice is sufficiently stable to hold your weight. Also make sure you don't get your mittens soaked with icy water. A loop of string tied tightly around the water bottle neck will allow you to lower a bottle in by hand or with a ski pole or ice axe. Don't trust pot grips on a large pot, with mittens you can lose your grip and your pot. Fill the pot up part way and then use a water bottle to top it off. Mark the area so you can find it next time.

Water purification - keep in mind that water gotten from streams in the winter time may have bacteriological or other contaminants. You should check with local guides or rangers about any water problems before going in. If the water does need to be purified, there are a few different methods. To be on the safe side when the water is really bad you can use all three of them, that takes a bit of time though.

Boiling - for at least 3-5 minutes. This is the best method in winter situations.

Filtration- using a filtration pump system such as the PUR, First Need, or the Katadyn is not recommended in subfreezing temperatures. Keep in mind that the water in filters can freeze preventing them from working. Also, as the water freezes, it expands and may crack the filter, rendering it inoperable or even worse transmitting harmful microorganisms into your system. For these reasons, filters should be used with great caution in the winter. Be careful of inferior filters which do not strain out many organisms.

Chemical treatments (iodination or chlorination) are not recommended because they become ineffective at low temperatures. Only use these methods if the water has been preheated. Chlorine tablets (Puritabs, Steritabs or other brands) will kill many pathogens, but not those causing giardia and amoebic cysts. Iodine is very effective in purifying water and is available in tablet form (such as Potable Aqua), but follow the directions carefully and remember that too much iodine can be harmful.

If you can't find tablets, tincture of iodine (2%) or iodine crystals can be used. Four drops of tincture of iodine per litre or quart of clear water is the recommended dosage; the treated water should be left to stand for 20 to 30 minutes before drinking. Iodine crystals can also be used to purify water but this is a more complicated process, as you have to first prepare a saturated iodine solution. Iodine loses its effectiveness if exposed to air or damp so keep it in a tightly sealed container. Flavoured powder will disguise the taste of treated water and is a good idea if you are travelling with children

On high altitudes you’ll need to boil your water longer, because it will boil at a lower temperature and wont kill the germs. Add 1 minute for every 300 meters (1,000 feet) above sea level, so that at 3000 meters (10,000 feet) you are boiling for 15 minutes. On high altitude you also have to drink more than usually if you want to adapt to the altitude. It’s the key to success!!! It’s hard to boil water up there and it’s no fun drinking the entire time. Most of all it’s cold as h-ll to go out and pie when it’s –20 C (0 F). Though it can’t be helped!!! You’ll have to drink anyway! The consequences if you don't can be severer.

If you don’t drink enough you can get dehydration and salt deficiency. If you are travelling in warm places this can cause heat exhaustion. Take time to acclimatise to high temperatures and make sure you get sufficient liquids. Wear loose clothing and a broad-brimmed hat. Do not do anything too physically demanding.

Salt deficiency is characterized by fatigue, lethargy, headaches, giddiness and muscle cramps; salt tablets may help, but adding extra salt to your food is better.