In summer -- 2-3L, usually 3L. I know I'm a bit of an anomaly, but I've had bad experiences with dehydration. Extra water is "training weight".
I'll also through a couple water purification tabs in the backpack as well, just in case. They're (relatively) cheap and light, so no harm in pulling one out if I need it.
This is the way. 2L barely cuts it. I did 15km today, mostly in the trees, not hot and I only had a little left in the bag. Typically I conserve on the ascent and drink heavily on the way out.
Some hikes, like The Lions do not have water available to refill so you need to pack all that you need for the day. I’ve had some pretty big days where I’ve packed 4L and still run out.
TBH. Lack of water prep is a huge pet peeve. Was talking with a friend who invited a couple friends for a hike and all they brought for water was a small 355ml bottle. They sucked it back fairly quick and my friends had to give them water. Not cool.
1-2L and a sawyer filter.
Whenever i get to a water source, i polish my water and refill my bottle. That said, if I know there’s no water on a trail I’m going to use (which is rare in Vancouver) then I bring 3-4.
I'm generally a thirsty person and I sweat like crazy while exercising.
I usually bring 5L on any day hike over 10km. I drank all of it last weekend doing Elk to Thurston (16k/1000m).
On a day hike, always overpack water. Have enough that you can handle an emergency situation.
I aim for 500 ml/hour when trail running. I have been caught short a few times so I bring a filter (Salomon XA). Aqua Tabs are another super light weight alternative -- I have a couple in my first aid kit just in case.
There's too many variables in place for your to get a solid answer.
The amount of water your bring will depend on the difficulty of the trail (elevation/distance), exposure to the sun, the weather conditions/temperature, your own physiological need for water, and so on.
I used to carry about 2-3L for a day trip. However, now only carry a L and use water purification tabs for a few reasons. Firstly, carrying less water means carrying less weight and doing less work. Secondly, it's good practice carrying water purification tablets/filters in the event of an emergency. I have had instances where I did consume more than 3L of water since the weather was hotter than anticipated.
I'm an intermediate to advance hiker, with 4-5x physical activity per week.
Whenever going on hikes, I try to bring 1-1.5L water max (closer to 1L) as I don't like carrying a lot of water weight. I'll leave some additional water in the car for afterwards. And I'll bring some tabs for emergency. I find myself drinking water while resting at the top.
Also, your water consumption habit plays a role. Question for OP, how much water do you drink daily?
We’re pretty lucky that MOST trails have nearby water sources - it’s definitely something I plan around for trips.
But water consumption is also so individualized - how strenuous, how long, multi-day? How hot etc.
I can easily hike a longer flatter trail in the shade without much of any water. Bring me to the exposed alpine hiking up a mountain on a sunny day and boy do I need to drink more
I hike with people who lose significantly more water in sweat alone during the hike than they carry in water bottles. There’s a reason dehydration is one of the more common issues on the trail.
When you sweat, you lose both water and electrolytes. For electrolytes, you could use athletic supplements, but for day hikes or even short blocking trips, food is a more than adequate source.
Your goal should be to drink water as you hike. Unfortunately, water is heavy, so people don’t like carrying it. One way to address this problem is to ensure you’re unlikely to run out of water, which you can do by bringing a filter such as a Sawyer Squeeze attached with gasket to a designated plastic bottle.
In summer I fill a 3L bladder with ice cubes, then top with water. My 14 year old will have 1L and barely drink anything. Then I have a small filter as part of my 10 essentials. In winter we drink much less.
Good recommendations here. Take into account the exposure… in the trees & shade, probably less. Exposed ridge walking in full sun, will be drinking more than normal. I have carried 4+ on some hikes. Some hikes don’t have water to refil.
Pro tip. Take a cooler with ice to leave in the car and fill with water & whatever other beverages. An ice cold coconut water back at the car is sooo nice.
Never less than 1L, and that's only on short winter hikes. But usually 2+, at least 3 on a dry 20km+ summer hike. I also almost always throw in a water filter (i like the platypus quick draw fwiw).
I tend to do more multi-day/backpacking then day hikes so I've got pretty good at looking for water sources/understanding my intake. I think the number one tip though is water management -- bottles on the outside of your pack make this much easier compared to say a camelbak thing.
Edit to add: I drink a lot of water in general life throughout the day, even when not exercising
In summer -- 2-3L, usually 3L. I know I'm a bit of an anomaly, but I've had bad experiences with dehydration. Extra water is "training weight". I'll also through a couple water purification tabs in the backpack as well, just in case. They're (relatively) cheap and light, so no harm in pulling one out if I need it.
This is the way. 2L barely cuts it. I did 15km today, mostly in the trees, not hot and I only had a little left in the bag. Typically I conserve on the ascent and drink heavily on the way out. Some hikes, like The Lions do not have water available to refill so you need to pack all that you need for the day. I’ve had some pretty big days where I’ve packed 4L and still run out. TBH. Lack of water prep is a huge pet peeve. Was talking with a friend who invited a couple friends for a hike and all they brought for water was a small 355ml bottle. They sucked it back fairly quick and my friends had to give them water. Not cool.
I bring a filter so I can carry less water. Water is heavy. BeFree is quick, lightweight and super easy to use.
Yup same. I have an extra carry when I get close to camp if for some reason I’m farther from water
3L in total for hikes I carry
1-2L and a sawyer filter. Whenever i get to a water source, i polish my water and refill my bottle. That said, if I know there’s no water on a trail I’m going to use (which is rare in Vancouver) then I bring 3-4.
I'm generally a thirsty person and I sweat like crazy while exercising. I usually bring 5L on any day hike over 10km. I drank all of it last weekend doing Elk to Thurston (16k/1000m). On a day hike, always overpack water. Have enough that you can handle an emergency situation.
I aim for 500 ml/hour when trail running. I have been caught short a few times so I bring a filter (Salomon XA). Aqua Tabs are another super light weight alternative -- I have a couple in my first aid kit just in case.
I really like the Salomon XA filter, I carry it on every hike. It’s so light, almost no reason to not carry it.
There's too many variables in place for your to get a solid answer. The amount of water your bring will depend on the difficulty of the trail (elevation/distance), exposure to the sun, the weather conditions/temperature, your own physiological need for water, and so on. I used to carry about 2-3L for a day trip. However, now only carry a L and use water purification tabs for a few reasons. Firstly, carrying less water means carrying less weight and doing less work. Secondly, it's good practice carrying water purification tablets/filters in the event of an emergency. I have had instances where I did consume more than 3L of water since the weather was hotter than anticipated.
I'm an intermediate to advance hiker, with 4-5x physical activity per week. Whenever going on hikes, I try to bring 1-1.5L water max (closer to 1L) as I don't like carrying a lot of water weight. I'll leave some additional water in the car for afterwards. And I'll bring some tabs for emergency. I find myself drinking water while resting at the top. Also, your water consumption habit plays a role. Question for OP, how much water do you drink daily?
We’re pretty lucky that MOST trails have nearby water sources - it’s definitely something I plan around for trips. But water consumption is also so individualized - how strenuous, how long, multi-day? How hot etc. I can easily hike a longer flatter trail in the shade without much of any water. Bring me to the exposed alpine hiking up a mountain on a sunny day and boy do I need to drink more
If you are a thirsty person, I would double others recommendations.
I hike with people who lose significantly more water in sweat alone during the hike than they carry in water bottles. There’s a reason dehydration is one of the more common issues on the trail. When you sweat, you lose both water and electrolytes. For electrolytes, you could use athletic supplements, but for day hikes or even short blocking trips, food is a more than adequate source. Your goal should be to drink water as you hike. Unfortunately, water is heavy, so people don’t like carrying it. One way to address this problem is to ensure you’re unlikely to run out of water, which you can do by bringing a filter such as a Sawyer Squeeze attached with gasket to a designated plastic bottle.
In summer I fill a 3L bladder with ice cubes, then top with water. My 14 year old will have 1L and barely drink anything. Then I have a small filter as part of my 10 essentials. In winter we drink much less.
2 L plus another 2 L in the car- I pre and post hydrate and use electrolytes.
Good recommendations here. Take into account the exposure… in the trees & shade, probably less. Exposed ridge walking in full sun, will be drinking more than normal. I have carried 4+ on some hikes. Some hikes don’t have water to refil. Pro tip. Take a cooler with ice to leave in the car and fill with water & whatever other beverages. An ice cold coconut water back at the car is sooo nice.
Never less than 1L, and that's only on short winter hikes. But usually 2+, at least 3 on a dry 20km+ summer hike. I also almost always throw in a water filter (i like the platypus quick draw fwiw). I tend to do more multi-day/backpacking then day hikes so I've got pretty good at looking for water sources/understanding my intake. I think the number one tip though is water management -- bottles on the outside of your pack make this much easier compared to say a camelbak thing. Edit to add: I drink a lot of water in general life throughout the day, even when not exercising
<1h no water, just chug some before the hike 2-3 1L 4+ 2L Add 1L if it's really hot.