Water ?

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TrailerManNJ

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I'm not really a straight water drinking fan, though I know I should be, as it's the cheapest, healthiest thing you can put in your body. Rather, I much prefer flavored seltzer & lightly-sweetened iced tea, which makes up about 95% of my liquid intake. Essentially, I'll only be using water for cooking purposes about once per day, and to brush my teeth. Maybe a few liters per meal if I had to guesstimate (boil water for food, make tea/coffee, etc.). My plan was to buy 4 or 5 one-gallon jugs of water every 2 weeks during my supermarket runs, and store them on the floor of passenger seat area for whenever needed. Pluses: Cheap (might cost $2 or $3), light to carry (I struggle with lifting heavier items due to health issues), and simple. But I see others using those larger, refillable jerry cans, and wonder what advantages they offer aside from less waste (the plastic bottling). Curious as to what other car-dwellers are doing, as I'm always open to better/easier ways of tackling things.
 
FWIW you can refill the 1-gallon water jugs too (if you can find any that are a full gallon -- many are annoyingly just short of that -- and have decent caps on them.)

I'm guessing the jerry cans are just better built and will last longer (especially the movable parts like cap and spigot). Curious to see what the experts/veterans say, though. I am a mere wannabe.

Whether you reuse water bottles or buy the jerry cans, refilling will be much cheaper in the long run. Mayo Clinic (https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-...nd-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256) says men need about 3.7 liters (~1 gallon) of fluids a day, so that would equate to more like 14 one-gallon jugs every 2 weeks, not 4 or 5. However much of that you swap out for tea or selzer will just be more expensive, not less.

BTW the jerry cans come in a one-gallon size too, if lifting is an issue.
 
The military Scepter water cans last forever and won't spill or leak. Refilling your water containers will save you lots of money, especially since you can pretty much do that for free if you know where to go. Plenty of good, safe water sources out there. The guy that invented bottled water is laughing as he is bathing in everyone's hard earned cash. If you're only ingesting 5% of your water storage, hell, just get your water out of a river or something.
 
I use the Scepter 20L water cans. Durable and more flexible filling since the top fill is big plus I don't have to worry about the plastic leaching if stored for a long time.

It is heavy, but much more cost effective then buying water and no plastic waist. It usually lasts me a few weeks if just boiling and supplementing drinking water.

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You could also do bottled water for drinking/tooth brush and just boil any other kind of water for food.
 
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I buy bottled water for cooking. A 24 pack of half liter bottles is only about $3 and lasts me over a week. I use the empty bottles to piss in and throw them in the garbage.
 
I use eight 1 gallon water jugs; good for 1 week for me and 'da pup. If I need more I carry a 5 gallon scepter water can that I transfer into the 1 gallon jugs.
I refill with local water. I also have a Britta water filter for when the local water tastes icky and a backpacking filter to render questionable water sources potable.
I found water sold in gallon jugs with screw on caps. Some have lasted 6 years.
 
2 - 6 gallon water jugs refilled every 5-7 days does it for me (one is used for hot water production). I also keep a gallon of spring water for cooking.

Cheers!
 
I would recommend buying the blue-tinted plastic refill bottles They come in gallon jugs at Walmart and other places too. Walmart has 3-gallon jugs as well that are easier to carry but if that's too heavy the gallon jugs are just as fine if not better since most water vending machines usually have a 1 gallon and 5-gallon option.

I'd suggest you try drinking more water as it's good for your health. Having a glass of water around you ready to sip can be a good way to drink more even if you don't think your thirsty small sips add up and help prevent kidney stones and other healthy issues. Drinking 1 gallon of water a day is idea through drinking, food, and coffee, tea etc etc. When I camped in new Mexico for 2 weeks I would bring out 18 gallons in my minivan. two 5 gallon refill jugs, one 5 gallon collapsable refill bag and three 1 gallon jugs that doubled as my extra wash up water if I was running short. Typically I would then have 3 gallons of washup water but I could refill them on the campgrounds so that was VERY helpful.

If you have the passage seat floor you COULD put two 5 gallon bottles in there and then just fill them up one gallon at a time. using a dolphin hand pump (no battery needed) or a small electric pump if you have the power system to recharge it. Then you could simple tap that water when you need it refilling a gallon jug as you needed it. Plus then you could put extra blankets or clothing over them to keep them protected and you be set. Everytime you stop somewhere like a rest stop you could take a gallon jug or a smaller jug and fill it up and keep filling up your jugs and keep getting water as you need it.

I wouldn't recommend the collapsable water bottle (more of a thick bag) it was tricky to use and it ONLY was helpful for me because I stayed out so long and needed to have extra water but didn't have space for a 3rd full size 5-gallon jug.
 
Curious as to what other car-dwellers are doing, as I'm always open to better/easier ways of tackling things.
I use and reuse (refill) these for drinking water. They have very nice handles and are durable. I prefer this clear type of plastic over the containers like Scepter or Reliance or any colored or milky plastic, because they don't seem to leach into the water at all... at least not that I notice.

In the west at least there are RO purified water stations everywhere that cost $0.10 to $0.35 per gallon to refill.

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The water is purified, so really no need. Could rinse with some chlorine every once in a while if you want.
 
I use four stackable 5-gallon jugs bungee-chorded to hooks on my wall. I drop a 12v water pump into one so there's no heavy lifting (too old for that). I have an inline filter that screws onto a garden hose to fill them with. (The filter is a must as some town's water has sediments dissolved in it that mess up RV water systems.) And I have one of those little filters built on a straw to suck water through to drink so germs can't get to me.
 
So with re-using the same water containers for extended periods of time, do you sanitize them periodically or is that not necessary if you’re filling with good water?
I have wondered about that, too. I just now googled and saw some really gross stuff -- but it mostly applied to the smaller bottles that you actually drink from, not the larger containers where you just pour from one (presumably clean) container into another. I have seen some vile-looking stuff build up in the smaller bottles if I wasn't careful (probably after adding some lime juice or tea, and just rinsing instead of really washing).

I assume the bigger containers are safer, because there are fewer ways introduce a contaminant. But what worries me is that "fewer" is not "zero."Some of mine sprang very tiny leaks along the seams, and you have to figure if water can get out, germs can get in. So I reinforced the seams with some kind of nontoxic glue, and I put the container inside a grocery bag if I need to put it on the ground.

Even just a tiny contamination can spread if it gets a foothold. I once had a contaminated box wine that was super gross -- that performated bit that you have to jam your thumb at to open it? right under that there was a small pile of moss-like stuff with little white worms crawling around in it. OK, wine ≠ water, but I'd be especially careful with any non-see-through container.
 
Anything you put organic materials in (or on) will get mold if not thoroughly clean. If you drink from the bottle then you are contaminating it with your saliva, and it needs regular cleaning! And many plastics will leach into the water. I'm not too picky about wash water, but I want drinking water to be pure.
 
Another vote for clear water containers and occasional cleaning of water containers.

Amazon has 2-gallon containers with spigots and wide top fill and handle. Easier to carry and clean. Stanle to.put on a table and have a spigot.

Most city water is like what comes out of your home faucet. If you can drink that you can drink most of the spigots you find in parks, dog parks, ball fields, campgrounds, etc. Just wipe off any spigot you are filling from.

Carrying a filtration system of some sort is always a good idea when out in the wild.

Don't freak out too much, and remember how good we have it and how many people on this planet have to fight for clean water.
 
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Coffee and tea are diuretics; they require additional clear water to flush from the body.
A few cups of tea or coffee a day without a compensating increase in clear water results in a net loss of hydration... as indicated by rancid dry breath, dry gums, splitting cuticles, and facial wrinkles.
The phrase 'a couple quarts low' comes to mind.
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An oft-repeated segment of the Rule Of Three (three minutes without air, three days without water, three weeks without food...):
"...men need about 3.7 liters (~1 gallon) of fluids a day...14 one-gallon jugs every 2 weeks...However much of that you swap out for tea or selzer will just be more expensive..."
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Fussing around the farm at a relaxed pace in cool weather, I can go through a quart or more each hour.
Rushing in hot weather, make that a half-gallon every hour... and then some.
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Part of the problem with 'one-size-fits-all' prescriptions is my issue with modern medicine in the first place:
* each of us is unique.
No standardized solution can work for every body.
It can come close, but an individual tailored recipe is best.
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b)
Let's look at the Rule Of Three for a sec.
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Without a recognizable source of breathable air readily at-hand, I tend to go off-task.
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Working or running without fluid replenishment, I tend to get woozy and off-task sometime in the first couple hours.
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My snacks are essential, I carry a complete pantry in any vehicle I occupy.
Missing a couple meals tends to get me quite grouchy, the job ignored.
Three weeks without calories, and I could easily imagine stewing a redwood picnic-table for the tasty stains.
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And 'yes', we use those one-gallon Crystal jugs for RO from the coin dispenser inside the grocery store.
We harbor some distrust of unsupervised dispensers outside in the weather and traffic.
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With a new Crystal-style jug, their water goes in the dog bowl or is restricted to worshing.
Filled with fresh RO, that is fine for drinks.
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To reduce contamination, we fill the gallons at the machine, then transfer to quart-size glass wine-bottles for mouth contact.
We clean our jugs and bottles with a 'bottle-brush' from a restaurant-supply.
I am comfortable with chlorine to smack those lurking cooties, but strongly avoid injesting the stuff.
I have no way to prove it, but I think a chemical designed to kill bacteria might/could be harmful to my cherished gut biome.
Your call.
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Aptos, California (south of the coast resort of Santa Cruz).
A couple decades ago, there was a one-woman water shop in a strip-mall.
The line was set-up to flush your jug and cap with peroxide, a rinse station, then a half-dozen RO spigots.
I hope it is still there, I believe she was performing a great community service.
 
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So with re-using the same water containers for extended periods of time, do you sanitize them periodically or is that not necessary if you’re filling with good water?
I sanitize about once a month: I use an ounce of bleach in an empty 1 gallon jug, shake vigorously, dump into next container, rinse, rinse, and refill. (I need about a cup of bleach for the 5 gallon jug.)

Advantage of small, portable containers is you can disinfect with a small amount of bleach by shaking and rolling to wet all interior surfaces.
Municipal water has chlorine in it so disinfecting probably isn't necessary, but doesn't hurt.
I never drink directly out of my 1 gallon jugs.
 
RO water has no chlorine. City water does but after a couple days it evaporates. Mold, slime, and bacteria can easily grow in reusable water bottles. It happened to me years ago. I didn't get sick but I felt sick thinking about the green slime I had been drinking. That's why before filling I like to clean the bottles with a pint of water and a few drops of unscented bleach. Clorox . com and other websites have detailed instructions. When I fill, I'm careful not to contaminate the water. All it takes is touching the inside of the cap. In addition I boil my drinking water.
 
Some City water has Chloramine in it, the water will have a slight green color and it doesn't evaporate.
 

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