Long Dry Stages?

[colinPeter]

Hi!

I've read some of the posts on "Bottles v Hydration Packs", much of which appears to comes down to personal preference.

I was wondering if some of the "old hands", have found any stages where 2 x 600 ml bottles would not be adequate in May/June?

Col

 

[JohnnieWalker]

You're right, it is an individual choice. It also depends on the route. On the Camino Frances there are regular fuentes to top up bottles. On other routes I've carried 2 - 3 litres of water in bottles at the hieght of summer. I don't like hydration packs but many people swear by them.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Col
The only waterless etapas I can think of are the long one between Carrion and Calzadilla de la Cueza, and the long countryside alternate way after Irache/Estella on to Los Arcos. If you take the Roman Road between Calzadilla de Hermanillos and Mansilla, you WILL need to carry lots of water.

And if you´re taking the Camino Aragones, it´s important to keep enough water on you, as all the villages (and fuentes) are on the hillsides. All the crap you hear about bad water on the Meseta is just that: crap.

Reb.

 

[jl]

Col,

On the Camino Frances I have only carried a on litre Neoprine (I think that is the right word - the really hard plastic ones that you can do a war dance on and they still remain intact!) bottle which I wear attached to my belt. It is easy to remove and fill up, drink from and so on. I have a small soft drink bottle in my pack for the rare stretches when I might need another water bottle. Whenever I stop for a coffee I always get a glass of water too.

Cheers, Janet

 

[colinPeter]

Thanks JW, Reb & Janet.

Advice much appreciated.

Col

 

[Minkey]

I'm one for bottles. Hydration packs are good for cyclists, but they taste funny! How about a couple of Sigg bottles tucked into the side pockets of your sack?

 

[spursfan]

in addition to your base supply (2 Sigg bottles, at least 0.6L each) you should probably have an emergency bottle of at least a litre (only fill when needed for long or dry stages - this can be a regular plastic bottle or, in my case, the platypus containers that pack flat when empty and weigh very little) - and bear in mind that carrying a little too much water is much better than running out, particularly in the summer

although I'm leaning against hydration packs because they're more awkward to re-fill I found that I tended to use less water with them because I was sipping small amounts more frequently rather than larger gulps from the bottles less frequently

 

[Anniesantiago]

I carried ONE one-liter bottle of water and had no problems filling it up along the way.
The only place you might need to carry TWO would be on the Meseta, but even there, I had no problems. There are plenty of fountains along the Camino Frances.