water staorage

[dogear52]

What's a good plan for storing drinking water for the BLM 2 weeks for camping. Cases of bottled water or local town water in several containers for drinking water and use BLM supplied or stream water for bathing? Or just figure on taking several trips to the nearest town. Two weeks of water would be a lot of weight, but I hope not to have to leave camp much if at all. And there's the need to keep it fresh if not bottled?

 

[Wabbit]

For just one person, maybe 7-8 gallons for drinking. For bathing, if it's just you, 2 showers should be enough. One at the end of week 1 and the second before you head back to town. Use baby wipes on other days to stay "fresh". I use about 2 gallons for a shower, I wet up, turn off water and soap up, then rinse. Many people use less water than that for showers. Depending on cooking, I cook mostly with rice(instead of noodles) so that can be calculated. As to washing dishes, I read a great tip for using no soap but use spray bottles to clean dish, then a vinegar/water mix spray for sterilization. I think 15 gallons would last me 2 weeks easily enough and could prob do it with 10. 15 gallons is about 125 pounds.

Maybe buy the drinking water(here it's a buck or less for a gallon), and then a seven gallon jug from wally world for the other water needs.

After you get back, I would like to hear what your experience was with the water. So far, 3 days is the longest I have been without a tap nearby. I am planning on 2 week excursions myself when I finally get out west.

 

[SoulRaven]

I carry 2 x 7 gallon plastic water jugs, and they will easily last me 2+ weeks even showering every day. I use spray bottles for dishes and cleanups, and rarely use any water during cooking.

Since my ice only lasts a week, I plan for the second week to be refrigeration free. (Smoked/Canned meats, canned fruits & veggies, canned potatoes, canned bread, deserts, snacks, etc.)

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I can carry up to 10 gallons of water (in 1 gallon jugs for handling convenience).  10 gallons will last me and my beagle 2 weeks if I'm careful, using water for drinking, cooking and dish washing.  I also carry a backpacking water filter, large pot for boiling water, and iodine water purifer; so I can extend my boondocking until the food runs out, if I have a local water source.

My showers are using clean water from lake or stream and a sun heated shower bag, so showering depends somewhat on availability of local water sources.  If dependent on carried water for showers, it is hard to shower with less than 2 liters per shower.

Water weighs in at ~8.3 lbs/gallon.  I decided I did not want to use the larger (5-8 gallon) water containers because of the difficulty moving them around.

-- Spiff

 

[LeeRevell]

Letting filtered (I use coffee filters to get out the bigger trash) lake/river water in a couple clear soda bottles sit in the sun will purify it by UV radiation. Use that for bathing and clothes washing. Should be good for the dog too.
I have several of the blue 7 gallon water cubes, a few two gallon bottles and many of the thicker and tougher one gallon bottles. I use what works for the situation.

 

[WriterMs]

If you have a dedicated shower container like a solar shower bag or a week sprayer jug, don't forget to fill that before you go.

 

[dogear52]

Thanks you all for the helpful info. I'll be hanging around N. AZ soon for summer/fall and getting a water plan down. I have one blue 5 gal jug and 11 of the tougher former vinegar bottles so given I have 2 65lb dogs and drink a lot of coffee I should maybe double that to be on the safe side starting out. I have used vinegar for shampoo and mopping cleaner before....good idea for dishes. I'll need to get a couple spray bottles, shower bag and eventually a good filtration device. I'll plan to post my 1st 2 week experience, Cry'n Bryan.

 

[minimotos95]

I don't recommend anyone drink as little water as I do, and definitely not all in coffee form but as is I have to refill once every 10-15 days I only use two gallon glass jugs for drinking (coffee) water and a 2 gallon soap container for wash water. Everything changes once you add dogs to the mix. the 80+lb GSD/husky and 20lb mutt I'm likely going to wind up with can easily drink 2 gallons a day during the summer. I don't like keeping drinking water in plastic even if it is BPA free food grade and all of that when glass is available, but once I'm taking care of those dogs somewhere without city water I'll have to sacrifice that.

 

[Almost There]

Thanks you all for the helpful info. I'll be hanging around N. AZ soon for summer/fall and getting a water plan down. I have one blue 5 gal jug and 11 of the tougher former vinegar bottles so given I have 2  65lb dogs and drink a lot of coffee I should maybe double that to be on the safe side starting out. I have used vinegar for shampoo and mopping cleaner before....good idea for dishes. I'll need to get a couple spray bottles, shower bag and eventually a good filtration device. I'll plan to post my 1st 2 week experience, Wabbit.

When you're ready for a water filter, take a look at Sawyers' filters. If you're going to want to do gallons and gallons a day then a larger system would be needed but for the occasional use just to supplement your water supply the Sawyers will work just fine.

 

[akrvbob]

In most of AZ it's easy to find water vending machines outside of stores, especially convenience stores. They are common in Flagstaff, Williams and Grand Canyon. It generally costs 30 cents a gallon but in the desert a quarter is pretty common. That's where I get most of my water. Tap water is safe but it doesn't taste very good and in the desert areas it is highly mineralized and leaves salt deposits. Most people drink filtered water here.
Bob

 

[Canine]

I've always used creek water in Mt.Just put a little bleach in it.I don't think I would do that most other places.Too much industrial pollution.Me and Vic camped on Squaw creek in the Gallatin NF for a couple of months a few years back.We had a swimming hole about 3 ft deep and the water temp was in the 50's.Made for some fun bath times.Hell,when you are young,you're bulletproof.

 

[SoulRaven]

Water weighs in at ~8.3 lbs/gallon.  I decided I did not want to use the larger (5-8 gallon) water containers because of the difficulty moving them around.

-- Spiff

FWIW, I usually fill my 2x 7 gallon jugs at city parks for free, and I have a fold up luggage style hand truck to carry the jugs back and forth.  Works great for many things and folds up very small.

 

[WriterMs]

I've always used creek water in Mt.Just put a little bleach in it.I don't think I would do that most other places.Too much industrial pollution.Me and Vic camped on Squaw creek in the Gallatin NF for a couple of months a few years back.We had a swimming hole about 3 ft deep and the water temp was in the 50's.Made for some fun bath times.Hell,when you are young,you're bulletproof.

Hi, Bob,
This is a bit off track on the water, but I was surprised to read you found a free place to stay (and for that long) on the Gallatin Range. I had to blow by most of the Bozeman area last year since I could not find a place free. The Flint Creek valley, the Butte area, eastern along the Yellowstone -- all great free camping. Even a free spot just outside Gardiner. So, if you don't mind, I'd love to know of a free place on the Gallatin.
Thanks

 

[SoulRaven]

And there's the need to keep it fresh if not bottled?

My system is I periodically store up drinking water by filtering it through a portable reverse osmosis system. I don't always manage to wash the bottles before re-use. Nevertheless, I've only had 2 bottles go "off" on me in 4.5 months of doing it this way, stored a month or two without using anything as a preservative - and, in fact, stripping away what chlorine would be there from the tap in the first place. I was worried about it at first, but once I discovered the water smells funky if there's a problem, and how rarely that happens even without cleaning them every time, I realized my system is okay enough for me.

 

[VJG1977]

This site looks good.  Locations of springs.

http://www.findaspring.com/

44 springs in California

 

[highdesertranger]

well I desert camp a lot there are springs everywhere, 44 in kalifornia there's got to be 44 million springs in kalifornia. I do use surface water for washing and prospecting but not for drinking unless I run it through a filter. most small towns in the west have a tap for free water just ask. if not go to the local water company they charge a nominal fee. one time we had to break out the calculator, the water was .028 cents per gallon and we needed 80 gallons. came out to 2.24 we left 4 bucks in the drop box, we still laugh about that one. why not just make it .03. highdesertranger