Whereas there’ll all the time be a heated debate about what the most effective hydration system or water bottles for winter mountaineering are, I feel we’d all agree that the minimal necessities for winter hydration are:
- The water you deliver on a winter hike can’t freeze
- The hotter the water stays, the higher, as a result of ingesting chilly water in chilly climate can chill you
- The bottle cap, hose, or mouthpiece can’t freeze and forestall you from ingesting your water
- Your water container ought to be capable to face up to scorching liquids
Whereas there are a number of hydration programs that fulfill these necessities, every of them has execs and cons in numerous climates.
Hydration Reservoirs and Ingesting Tubes
I do know many individuals who use hose-based hydration programs for 3 season mountaineering and like to make use of them in winter as a result of they decrease the barrier to staying hydrated within the drier winter air. In case you intend to make use of a system like this, it’s greatest to buy one with an built-in insulation sleeve just like the Camelbak Insulated Unbottle.
Along with reservoir insulation, you’ll wish to add ingesting tube insulation to your hydration system to maintain the hose and mouthpiece from freezing. Whereas this insulation generally is a bit difficult to slip onto a ingesting tube, it tends to be interchangeable between hydration system manufacturers.
In concept, the physique warmth that radiates out of your again will maintain your hydration reservoir from freezing in winter. You possibly can increase this by filling your reservoir with boiling scorching water, surrounding it with insulating clothes inside your backpack, and even stuffing a Grabber handwarmer into your pack’s hydration pocket to warmth it when you are mountaineering.
As well as, there’s a approach generally used to maintain your ingesting hose and mouthpiece from freezing. After taking a sip of water, blow into your ingesting hose to push any remaining water within the hose again into the hydration reservoir so it doesn’t freeze in place. This takes some apply to develop into computerized, nevertheless it does assist to maintain the hose clear, particularly whether it is wrapped utilizing ingesting tube insulation.
If there’s a draw back to utilizing a hydration reservoir, it’s that they’re troublesome to refill with boiling snowmelt on in a single day journeys with out burning your palms or getting your gloves soaked. However supplied you aren’t mountaineering in very chilly temperatures or taking extraordinarily lengthy day hikes, a hydration system could be tailored efficiently for chilly climate use.
Nalgene Bottles
Broad-mouth Nalgene Bottles (32-ounce) are additionally a highly regarded selection for carrying water in winter as a result of they will safely maintain scorching liquids, they’re straightforward to refill and clear, straightforward to drink from, and most hikers have a number of sitting round the home already. I favor utilizing the milky white 32 oz. Ultralite Nalgene bottles as a result of they’re lighter weight than clear ones.
It’s greatest to insulate a Nalgene bottle with a neoprene or insulated sleeve in case you carry it on the surface of your backpack, in a pocket, or clipped to a strap. In case you fill the bottle with boiling water, it would stay heat for a number of hours. With all water bottles, it’s greatest to make use of wide-mouth ones in winter in order that ice doesn’t type of their neck and to retailer them the wrong way up to stop the threads from freezing.
Alternatively, you may carry your whole water bottles inside your pack and insulate them along with your further clothes. Doing so will maintain them a lot hotter and for for much longer, nevertheless it takes extra self-discipline to cease, open your pack, and have a drink periodically. Prehydrating earlier than a winter hike is an effective approach to get a head begin on this and might cut back the quantity of water it’s essential carry.
I carried a Nalgene bottle in an insulation sleeve on the surface of my backpack for a few years and saved the remainder of my bottles in my pack, swapping them out in the course of the day. It’s a practical method to winter hydration if in case you have a backpack with pockets which are reachable and huge sufficient to carry a one-liter Nalgene bottle in an insulated sleeve.
Nonetheless today, I maintain all my water bottles inside my backpack as a result of they keep hotter longer. I’ve a drink each time I do a layer change, eat a snack, admire a view, seek the advice of my map, or take a brief break. Once I do drink, I attempt to eat a half-liter at a time, which makes it straightforward to maintain observe of how a lot water I’ve left.
If there’s a draw back to Nalgene bottles it’s that you simply usually must take your gloves or mittens off to open them which could be clumsy because of the lid-keeper strap except you narrow it off. It’s also potential to crack Nalgenes made out of exhausting plastic, so it is best to use the white Nalgene bottles made out of high-density polyethylene, if potential. They’re rather a lot cheaper too.
Metallic Bottles
I’m not a fan of insulated metallic bottles for winter mountaineering and assume they’re a nasty selection as a result of they’re too heavy to hold. This issues much less on a brief winter hike, but when it’s a must to carry three liters of scorching water on an all-day hike, the added weight could make a distinction. For instance, a 32 ozinsulted Hydroflask bottle weighs 19.2 ounces empty. Examine that to a 32 ozUltralite Nalgene Bottle that weighs 3.5 oz. That distinction provides up when it’s a must to carry three liters of water for a hike that lasts eight hours or extra.
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