I’ve been kayak camping before but I’m going on a trip where I won’t have access to drinkable water for 5 days. Anyone have any good techniques or products that would allow me to store and carry enough water for that amount of time efficiently?
options
Not cheap, but work well, are Dromedary bags.
REI used to have a water bag which was cheaper, but no longer available.
If you live near a wine producing region, sometimes you can find wine bags (the ones that are used inside of boxed wines) which work well. Don’t try to re-use from boxed wines, as the wine flavor would stick.
Some people re-use plastic bottles (Gatorade and such). They work, but downside is that they don’t collapse down when empty, so you don’t get benefits of savings space as your trip progresses.
I reuse two liter bottles
They’re cheap and you can move them around to trim the boat. When empty you can crush them down some to save space but if you have room at the start of a trip you should have more room as you use food.
Also look at what you can do to conserve water, such as washing dishes in salt water and then rinse with boiling water.
As mentioned the bladders work well and conform to the bottom of the boat. Sportsmans guide sometimes has them.
Good luck
Randy
you can use wine bladders
(inside fine box wines) to carry water.
I use two liter soda bottles too. They fit where no other thing wants to go. Make sure you do not jam them hard in the bow and stern. We had to shakedown one of our yaks on a chickee.
There is no reason to buy another doodad just to haul water.
Water Filter?
Not sure where you are planning to be, but for 5 days a water filter or water purifier might be an option worth considering.
MSR
I’ll second the Dromedary bags. If I recall the 10 L bag costs about $30. You want that heavy water at the center of the boat, not the ends, so something that uses minimal space is important to me. I don’t want to fill my dayhatch with soda bottles, because I’d have no more room for the other stuff that has to go there too. The Dromadary bag easily tucks in there under the other stuff.
Wine bags sound like a good idea. (too bad beer doesn’t come in bags). How durable are they?
platypus water bags
another way to go
http://www.rei.com/product/768128
http://www.rei.com/product/768127
Dromedary Bags
I’ve used the Dromedary bags for several years now. I have three 10 liter bags that I take on trips of 2 or more weeks in length. I also take a water filter. One bag is strapped against the front bulkhead just ahead of my feet. One goes behind the seat and the other goes up against the back of the rear bulkhead. Depending on the boat I am paddling the one behind the seat may not be full. If I know that I will be paddling into the wind all day that bag in the rear hatch may go into the very aft of the front hatch.
If there is any fresh water at all
just use a Katayden, (sp) filter.
They are small and compact. I call it “squishing” water.
If it is just salt water such as the Everglades 90 mile wilderness waterway, then five gallons shouldn’t be too hard to store.
cheers,
JackL
thanks
thanks for all the ideas!
WalMart sells
a collapsible 2-gallon water container for $8. get a couple of those, and put a camelbak bladder behind the seat for day use
camelpack
I haunt yard-sales and can always find a camelpack bladder for sale for a buck. If lucky, I find the platypus bladders.
I Seal the hose opening and make a bag from old jeans to protect the bladder. Thinner than the back-pack they come in.
I find that I can store a half dozen easily behind my seat which is more than enough water for the trip.
AND they collapse when empty so no big water-jugs wasting space!
Another vote for MSR Dromedary
You can go cheaper, but the MSR holds up well in hot and cold, it’s very puncture resistant, the cap is Nalgene / filter compatible, etc.
and you can buy them elsewhere
without screwing your local economy
but its not loss resistant
I wish it was orange.
I hate camping things that are black. I logged in twenty extra miles last year just to go back and retreive a lost Dromedary.
Mine now is festooned with fringe of orange survey tape.
Its not going to the Everglades though. I am not a fan of drinking hot water.
You flying in Saturday?
Charles,
If you are coming in tomorrow afternoon I need to know what fuel to pick up. Are you still flying in at 3PM?
Jon