Let's talk water

[beverlyt]

We left for rustic camping on Friday afternoon with 3 gallons of drinking water and came home Sunday morning with barely any left. (we drink A LOT of coffee) We also went through about 5 bottles of bottled drinking water.

I also used another 1 1/2 gallons to wash my hair. I'm figuring the average full shower would use about 3-4 gallons of water.

How much water do you bring along? How long does it last?

Has anyone used the Collapsible Water Containers? Are they easy to keep clean?

All this water gets HEAVY. How much are most people bringing along?
Bev

[mikeschn]

Bev, I would start with the amounts shown below, and then add based on your personal experience, ie washing hair and showers...

Mike...

Water
Whether you stay at home or leave town, you've got to have water. If your area has lost electricity, the city water pumps may not be working. The water could be comtaminated. If you're out of town, there might not be any bottled water available, or there may be a severe shortage. The solution is to keep some water in your teardrop. How much? You should store 1 gallon of water per person per day for food preparation and drinking. Another ½ to 1 gallon is recommended for bathing and hygiene, and to wash dishes. That's 12 gallons of water. Water weighs about 8 pounds per gallon, so 12 gallons weighs 96 pounds. You'll definitely want to store that above the axle.
More information on water can be found here: http://www.nationalterroralert.com/read ... ewater.htm

[Chip]

Now ya got me worried,,,4 to 5 pots of coffee a day (we both drink a lot of coffee) thats over a gallon,,,got no hair so thats not an issue,,,guess I need some to cook and clean up with,,,that means I am needing 2 gallons or more per day,,a long weekend will take up over 5 gallons to be comfortable,, guess I better make provisions for a big jug or stay close to the source,,

chip

[Laredo]

Tips for saving water from years of Scout camping:

1. Instead of using loose ice or refreezable blue ice, wash and dry milk or soda bottles and fill to within 1'' of the top with water. Freeze at home and use in your icebox/cooler. Half a dozen 20-oz soda bottles treated this way are way cheaper than the same weight of 'blue ice' and will provide you with cooking, drinking, or washing water as well. Cooler contents won't waterlog as bad.
2. Camp shower alternatives for saving water start with the 'Navy shower' method (a quick allover rinse, then lather and scrub with the water OFF, then a quick final rinse) and go the gamut. There's everything from wet ones (the military sells them as field shower cloths, and Target sells huge ones as "adult disposable washcloths) to the age-old wet washcloth in a ziplock bag. I know some campers who keep a small artificial chamois cloth and no-rinse body wash/shampoo. I know a couple of backpackers who keep an empty 20-oz soda bottle with a lid in which they've made sprinkler holes with a heated needle. They'll fill the bottle just over half full of water, then add about a cup of boiling water, put on the lid and have a warm shower or bath. The same bottle with a not-pierced cap doubles as a spare canteen.

3. Cut back on dishwashing. There are several ways to do this: use tortillas or bread as your plate -- and with a little practice you can use tortilla fragments as a spoon, too. You can cook on/in aluminum foil (always pack out trash) that you need not wash afterward. My husband can cook eggs in a half an orange or grapefruit rind for breakfast, and this leaves no dish to clean. Shish kebabs are always a good option. I have learnt to love a local cafe's specialty dish -- they roll a biscuit flat, make an envelope of it, and bake a mixture of scrambled eggs, minced veggies, and diced ham in the crust this makes. They also serve soup in bowls of bread.
You can learn to make leakproof foil packets to cook in and pocketable foil pouches to drink from.

But you're still going to need about a gallon per person per day for hydration's sake.

[Steve Frederick]

I've been thinking about water storage.
First, I want to move the tank, now an aquatainer, from a cabinet, to below the trailer. Any suggestions?
I was thinking about a tank mounted under the galley near the axle. What kind of tank?
Second. Is pvc pipe, like the drain pipe, ok for drinking water? Don't ask why!:!:
Third, How do y'all keep your water storage nice and sweet? I left some water in the tank, and it got a little slimey.

[George T.]

Greetings from Colorado!

First of all. if you have a water tank in your trailer, ALWAYS empty it before you store the trailer. I usually open the drain valve on my last stop before coming home. This sloshes the water around and gets virtually all of the water out of the tank. I leave the drain valve open when the trailer is stored, that way, any water left in the tank eventually evaporates.

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To clean a tank, here is a method from http://www.horsemansdepot.com/common/installation_sanitizing.asp

To assure complete sanitation of your potable water tanks, it is recommended that the following procedures be used. This applies to new systems, tanks that have not been used for a period of time or tanks that may have become contaminated.

Prepare chlorine solution using one gallon of water and a 1/4 cup of Clorox or Purex household bleach (5% sodium hypochlorite). With water tank empty, pour chlorine solution into tank. Use one gallon of solution for each 15 gallons of tank capacity.

Complete filling of tank with fresh water. Open each faucet and drain cock until all air has been released and entire system is filled.
Allow to stand for three hours. -- Drain and flush with potable water. (Important)

To remove excess chlorine taste or odor which might remain, prepare a solution of one quart vinegar to five gallons of water and allow this solution to agitate in tank for several days by vehicle motion.-- Drain and flush with potable water. (Important).

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I have a 12 gallon tank mounted above and slightly behind the axle. It is flanked on either side by a 6 volt golf cart battery. The batteries are HEAVY and coupled with a full tank, add about 200-225 lbs to the trailer weight. This low centered weight, riding above a torsion axle with about a seven foot track makes the trailer corner like it is on rails.

I generally leave my tank empty until I come to the "last town" before my camping destination. Since most of my traveling is done in and around the mountains, I don't want to haul the extra weight. I ALWAYS keep 3-5 gallons of water in gallon jugs when I travel. Also, I freeze at least two of these gallon jugs and several two liter bottles of water to use as "ice" in the coolers. This way I have have ice cold water available as well.

I prepare a LOT of my food at home before a trip. I vacuum seal the food in varying portions and then freeze them. I use these frozen food packets in the cooler as "ice" as well. Drop the packet into a pan with water and heat. When you are done with your meal, the water you heated the food in will be just about the right temperature for doing cleanup. Keep it simple.

George T.

[beverlyt]

Thanks for all the great information.

Chip:
I hadn't really thought of shaving my head before...hmmmm..
nah

Bev

[mikeschn]

Nah Bev, that wouldn't be you... you'd best plan on an extra gallon of water...

or...

Go up to the U.P. The water in Lake Superior is so clean you can drink it. Wouldn't need to carry any water then!!!

Mike...