You can live 3 weeks without food, but only 3 days without water. That's the famous warning that all hikers need to be aware of.
If you're preparing to hike locally, or in an area you know well, it's fine to just take a bottle of water with you that should last for the entire hike. You may also find a Hydration pack that fits into your backpack might be worth considering, but just make sure you have water that will last you all day.
If you're more adventurous and tend to go on long hikes that last the entire day, or hikes that take you away for a few days, the wisest thing your can do if purchase a portable water filter.
Nowadays, these are small enough to be easily carried in your backpack, and are very simple to use.
If you're in the wilderness and run out of water, you may be tempted to take a sip from the river or a stream, or maybe a pool or lake...but this is dangerous. You just don't know if the pool or lake is contaminated with chemicals or poisonous objects. The river or stream may have a rotten carcase of some animal that is seeping all kinds of unpleasant things downstream!
With a water filter, you can eliminate those dangerous substances and be sure the water is almost as pure as a fresh mountain spring.
These water filters are not that expensive when you realize they could be life savers, and being only light and portable, they fit perfectly into your backpack without any trouble.
Expect to pay around $90+ (£65) for a decent basic water filter. The process is simple, just feed a tube into the source and let it run through the filter to produce fresh water. Clicking on the Katadyn above will take you straight to a page that explains how to use the water filter to the best benefit.
Water is so important for hydration, and this little contraption will keep you safe in times of trouble, or if you simply run out of water, lose the bottle, or spring a leak.
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