Am I going to be drinking boiling water?

[Bster13]

Ok, so the post title is a bit dramatic, but for someone who plans to hit the road without refrigeration, and having always lived in the Northeast.... if I am in AZ in the summer by chance, and I have my water bottle out of direct sunlight, perhaps under a blanket or two... and I go to grab a drink, how hot is that sucker going to be?  I don't really need an "ice cold drink" but I never thought of the other end of the spectrum.  I really don't want to be drinking bath water either.  Thx.

 

[DwelledLongAgo]

It's probably going to be pretty warm, regardless.

 

[Almost There]

Never mind AZ in the summer, if you're going to be anywhere in the US in the summer and leave drinking water out, it's going to be bathtub warm sooner than later.

I've done it, left the insulated mug sitting on the console while I went and did something else, only to take a big gulp and spew the hot water....hot tea I like, hot plain water is disgusting.

If it's gotten warm in the northeaast, think reasonably about how hot it would get in the midwest, the southeast and the southwest!!

 

[highdesertranger]

the water is going to get warm, there is no doubt about it. highdesertranger

 

[SoulRaven]

We lived in the desert north of Tucson. The incoming water pipe was about 18 inches under the soil since they don't have to worry about the lines freezing. We came across it trying to plant a tree. The water came in quite warm. I never saw water boil though sitting in the sun. We couldn't transport ice cream in the vehicle though even for 10 miles in the summer. It is a unique experience.

 

[ArtW]

OTOH, the 'direct sunlight' should insure it's safe to drink

 

[GotSmart]

Large jugs of water in the van tend to stay reasonably cool.  40* under ambient is reasonable to me. 

 

[Bster13]

Large jugs of water in the van tend to stay reasonably cool.  40* under ambient is reasonable to me. 

Yeah, I would do whatever is reasonable (short of refrigeration) to keep things cool.  Maybe a tiny cooler with no ice to keep the water, outside direct sunlight.  I'll likely not be in AZ in the summer p) and following the 70s & 80s, but we all know sometimes Mother Nature can heat things up a bit outside the norm, so just curious if I will be sipping the hot stuff all the time or stuff similar to what I was used to while backpacking in the NorthEast in the summer... it could be luke warm sitting in a bladder, but certainly tolerable.

 

[Queen]

We lived in the desert north of Tucson.  The incoming water pipe was about 18 inches under the soil since they don't have to worry about the lines freezing.  We came across it trying to plant a tree.  The water came in quite warm.  I never saw water boil though sitting in the sun.  We couldn't transport ice cream in the vehicle though even for 10 miles in the summer.  It is a unique experience.

We lived on the West side, similar thing.  We were renting in some new dorky gated community, pipes weren't buried very deep so most of the summer the tap water was HOT,  it was iffy trying to rinse lettuce and things in it without wilting.

 

[rvpopeye]

The winter I lived in Death Valley by March the water coming out of the underground pipes was hot enough to take a shower in ! I guess underground qualifies as shade?
I shut off my water heater and used the internal water as my cold supply. The water tanks were inside the air conditioned moho... So hot came out of the cold faucets and "cold" came out of the hot.

You'll learn and adapt ,,,,or give up and gain some elevation !

 

[Bster13]

The winter I lived in Death Valley by March the water coming out of the underground pipes was hot enough to take a shower in ! I guess underground qualifies as shade?
I shut off my water heater and used the internal water as my cold supply. The water tanks were inside the air conditioned moho... So hot came out of the cold faucets and "cold" came out of the hot.

You'll learn and adapt ,,,,or give up and gain some elevation !

I am hoping "luke warm" is the hottest I'll see as I will indeed try to follow the good weather, but I am planning on a hybrid Toyota to give me a little more play to be where I want, whenever I want with A/C.

 

[TrainChaser]

***sigh***   Am I really the oldest person here?  SHEESH!

Does anyone remember these?  They were called 'Canvas Water Bags'.  You filled them with drinkable water, and hung them from something (my father hung them from the radio antenna when traveling in the desert).  A little water continually seeped out and dampened the canvas, and the EVAPORATION cooled the water inside.  https://img1.etsystatic.com/006/0/6364837/il_570xN.381130927_r5so.jpg

The pioneers had a slightly different method, but it was still based on EVAPORATION.

They made a 'box' with a floor and roof, and sometimes two opposing walls, but sometimes they had no walls, and the roof and floor were just separated by four sticks in the corners.  They covered the sides of this 'box' with burlap with the fabric sitting in a bowl/bucket of water on the 'roof' and a rock holding it in the water.  The food was set inside the 'box' on the 'floor'.  It was hung in the sun, the burlap soaked up the water, and  and the evaporation kept the food cool.  

Okay, I finally found one online, although this one is sitting in the water source:  http://www.chelseagreen.com/blogs/project-evaporative-cooler-box-draft/

 

[Oopslala]

I personally never refrigerate my water and I don't find it too bad apart from the bottles stuck in a vehicle that've baked all day. I'm assuming you'll be living in the place your water is store so it shouldn't be too bad I don't think.

If cold water is really that necessary you can always go the ice route and invest in a high end cooler. My dad has a couple yeti coolers and the ice lasts in those for weeks at a time during hunting season

 

[TrainChaser]

Another idea, based on the Zeer Pot.

Get a large NEW terra cotta pot with a terra cotta saucer that fits into the TOP of the pot like a lid. Find a plug for the bottom hole, or plug it with silicone glue.

Fill the pot with clean water and keep an eye on it -- you want water to seep through the walls of the pot. If it doesn't, you'll probably have to rough up the inner and outer surfaces a bit to get past the finish so it does.

Then set the pot in the sun, fill with clean water, and set the lid on the top, and put some clean water in that, too. The moisture oozing through the walls of the pot should cool off the contents.

Likely argument: "It's too heavy!"
Answer #1: So take the 800-lb Harley-Davidson out of the van.
Answer #2: Drink hot water.

Another argument: "It might break!"
Answer: That's right. Are you old enough to remember glass shampoo bottles?

 

[highdesertranger]

you can still buy the Desert Water Bags, http://www.can-spec.com/canspec/products/products.php?ID=14 . highdesertranger

 

[Queen]

We used them all the time when I was a kid living in Gila Bend.

 

[kayell]

Porous terracotta clay water dispensers used to be fairly common and cooled well by evaporation. I'm having trouble finding one now (where'd they all go?) but here's the idea - shown as an "innovative product" LOL

Ah, figured out how to find them - https://www.google.com/search?q=Por...sch&q=Porous+terracotta+clay+water+dispensers

That link may not work, so go to google & search for porous terracotta clay water dispensers. Then click on images, and you'll find them, click and some may actually be for sale.

 

[kayell]

Better, skip using the word porous and go here: https://www.google.com/search?q=ter...HEzfTPAhUG5YMKHcdkAs4QsAQIeA&biw=1229&bih=619

Now to find some reasonably priced ones. Darn! These used to be pretty common.

 

[TrainChaser]

"Better, skip using the word porous and go here: https://www.google.com/search?q=terracot...29&bih=619"

Those are just ceramic containers and they won't be cooler than the air temperature around them without putting ice in them. if the air temp is 95F, the water will be, too. Only when the water can ooze through the walls and evaporate will the contents be cooler.

 

[USExplorer]

The higher elevations in the Southwest and West have cool summer nights. As long as your water is protected from direct sunlight all day, they shouldn't get too hot.