What Size Water Bottle/s

[Mark Greenwood]

Hi just a few weeks to go now, and my bag is more or less packed.

I've decided not to take a water bladder, but to use bottles instead.

So my question is, bearing in mind that a litre of water is a kilogram in weight plus its container. How much water do you experienced pilgrims carry and in what sized bottles?

Also do you include the weight of your water in your pack weight. Obviously it's reducing periodically as you walk?

Thank you, and Buen Camino.

 

[David]

Good question. I wait until I get there and then buy 2 x 750 ml clear plastic bottles from a supermarket which I refill. Ideal size for me and prefer them to 1 litre bottles.
I also drink until full before stepping out.

Re pack weight and lists - people often leave out water, snacks, emergency food supplies, etc - so they tend to be unreal. It is fully loaded that you will carry that counts. I saw one list recently that was said to be 3.5 kilos in total .. but ... light pack of 1 kilo, two litres of water - well that is 3 kilos already!

 

[Paul-CH]

It really depends on where you are walking and what time of the year. I had only two bottles of 500ml on Camino del Norte in June 2017, Via Tolosana in April/May 2022 and Via de la Plata March/April 2023. What I did was drink enough before I left the village, so I did carry the water inside me and the one liter in the bottles. But I was lucky and it was never too hot.

 

[Scott Fraser]

Hi just a few weeks to go now, and my bag is more or less packed.

I've decided not to take a water bladder, but to use bottles instead.

So my question is, bearing in mind that a litre of water is a kilogram in weight plus its container. How much water do you experienced pilgrims carry and in what sized bottles?

Also do you include the weight of your water in your pack weight. Obviously it's reducing periodically as you walk?

Thank you, and Buen Camino.

How much water to carry depends on time of year, daily weather and how many possible refill options you have along your route that day.

I buy two plastic 0.75 liter Evian bottles at a grocery store on Day 1 and then refill them as you go along. I’ve found Evian bottles to be very durable and they should last the entire Camino. (Get the ones with a flip top as that’s easier than the screw top).

Two bottles will give you 1.5 liters capacity which should be adequate most days without a refill. You don’t have to fill or refill them to the top every time so you can minimize the weight depending on conditions.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Hi just a few weeks to go now, and my bag is more or less packed.

I've decided not to take a water bladder, but to use bottles instead.

So my question is, bearing in mind that a litre of water is a kilogram in weight plus its container. How much water do you experienced pilgrims carry and in what sized bottles?

Also do you include the weight of your water in your pack weight. Obviously it's reducing periodically as you walk?

Thank you, and Buen Camino.

I do exactly what David does. I buy water when I arrive and use those plastic bottles, replacing when they get ugly. The only route I've used or needed a bladder on was the VDLP in the summer. Otherwise, along the other routes I've walked, the stages are short enough and there is water in every village, especially on the Camino Frances.

 

[Jodean]

My metal water bottles are 500ml and I seldom fill them all the way. It really depends on the weather and if there are a lot of places with either fountains and/or cafes on the path I am walking that day how full I make them.
I just recently read an article about plastic water bottles that sounded quite scary, how the small particles of plastic are going into our body. Especially when you turn the cap, or re-use them. This plastic is not made for this.

 

[Antnix1]

On the frances there were so many fountains and places to refill a couple of 500ml supermarket bottles of water would do.

For me, if it's hot and sunny I drink a lot of water.. I've a 3l water bladder i usually fill halfway or more plus a supermarket 500ml bottle stowed in the side pocket of my backpack (sometimes i add a sachet of electrolyte powder)

 

[J Willhaus]

All dependant on weather, season and distance to water points. This winter I carried a 333 ml bottle and never drank it all during the day's walk. It was cold and rainy. Lots of water points shut off for the winter.

Summer I carried up to 750 ml for walking on the same stretch. Plenty of water points and I could refill regularly. I always note when there won't be water points the day before and buy a extra bottle or two for those longer summer stretches.

We were caught out two summers ago when I was carrying all the water and CPAP machines and medications for both or us on the Aragones and we had sent Phil's pack ahead. I wasn't drinking enough and it was very hot and I had a heat injury that day which ended our Camino walking for the trip. Know your water points and take the heat onto account.

I wasn't drinking enough because it is a pain to take all my gear off and go to the bathroom in the weeds and I let Phil drink most of the water so I didnt have to carry it. Looking back now, it seemes a little silly, but it was not fun or funny then lying on my pack in a ditch full of stickery weeds and trash trying to take advantage of a sliver of shade cast by a cemetery wall. Phil wanted to call the Guardia Civil although he settled for a taxi driver (who probably saved me from further harm.) Thankfully, I did not join the cemetery crowd that day.

 

[Roland49]

I reused two halflitre singleuse waterbottles (lightweight and very sturdy, bought in Bayonne) in July 2019 and had only a single bottle last year on my CP. They did fit perfect in the bottle-holders of my waistpack. But I don't sweat a lot, so I am losing not a lot of water, even under the hottest conditions (many days reached 38°C in July 2019). I refilled it regularly, whenever possible.

 

[Mark Greenwood]

Thank you everybody, great advice.

 

[t2andreo]

I prefer the ubiquitous 750 ml water bottle that are bought already filled with water. I reuse them until the end of my Camino, then recycle them as appropriate. Generally, I will carry two, attached to the front of my rucksack harness using a NIte-Ize "Sip and Clip" bottle holder, to distribute the weight better.

Depending on the route and segment, as well as the time of year, I might add 2 - 4 more of these bottles, placed in my side rucksack pockets. They are carried as much for my need and use, as for sharing with others who might get caught short between tiendas, or safe water sources.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[Wooz]

On the frances there were so many fountains and places to refill a couple of 500ml supermarket bottles of water would do.

For me, if it's hot and sunny I drink a lot of water.. I've a 3l water bladder i usually fill halfway or more plus a supermarket 500ml bottle stowed in the side pocket of my backpack (sometimes i add a sachet of electrolyte powder)

Thanks for the positive comment about a water bladder. I don’t have great flexibility in my shoulders and have a hard time getting the bottles out of the side pockets and really don’t want to clip one in front. I switched to a bladder a couple of years ago and found I drink more. I do carry a small empty bottle with me for plane rides and that sounds like a good option to hang onto since I’m an electrolyte drinker too. Will be on the hunt for the perfect flip top size! Appreciate the affirmation that everyone’s choices need to be personal.

 

[Frankybaby66]

Hi just a few weeks to go now, and my bag is more or less packed.

I've decided not to take a water bladder, but to use bottles instead.

So my question is, bearing in mind that a litre of water is a kilogram in weight plus its container. How much water do you experienced pilgrims carry and in what sized bottles?

Also do you include the weight of your water in your pack weight. Obviously it's reducing periodically as you walk?

Thank you, and Buen Camino.

I walk with a bladder, and a 250ml 'emergency' bottle in case my bladder runs dry. ( the only issue with bladders is you have no way of monitoring levels unless you take them out).
Works for me, as I get the convenience of a bladder, with the safety-net of the small bottle.
As with everything though, all down to finding what works for you . .

 

[RJM]

I buy two sodas at the start of the Camino and after drinking the contents reuse the bottles as my Camino water bottles. I use sodas or similar because the bottles are thicker and have more secure lids than the ones used for the bottled water. They last me the entire journey and I throw them in the plastic bin in Santiago.
I have carried a third bottle sometimes of it is really hot or for the couple of long stretches with no infrastructure, that being St Jean to Roncesvalles and Carrion de los Condes to Templarios.
I just carry them in side pockets in my pack and drink one and refill it as needed. I don't use any of those inspector gadget looking setups with fish aquarium tubing criss-crossing about my body and pack, looking like the alien in that old movie Predator .

 

[dreaming]

I buy a 1 litre bottle of water at the start of the camino SJPP plus i have a 750ml water bottle with drinking spout. I fill both bottles along the way. I prefer to have the reassurance of having water.
Both bottles broke about Sarria so I picked up 2 x200 ml bottles at a donativo stall. I didn't need anymore in this section as so many cafe's. My pack felt so wonderfully light after this.

 

[Bob K (Phoenix)]

Personally, I no longer use plastic water bottles, especially the single use type. Not only are they very bad for the environment when discarded, it now appears that they could shed microplastics into the water, and therefore into you! Stainless steel is a bit heavier and more expensive, but a much healthier alternative.
As far as size, a couple of 750ml bottles should be fine in most cases.

 

[mattythedog]

Hi just a few weeks to go now, and my bag is more or less packed.

I've decided not to take a water bladder, but to use bottles instead.

So my question is, bearing in mind that a litre of water is a kilogram in weight plus its container. How much water do you experienced pilgrims carry and in what sized bottles?

Also do you include the weight of your water in your pack weight. Obviously it's reducing periodically as you walk?

Thank you, and Buen Camino.

I have done the CF 7 times over 3 seasons, plus a few other Caminos. I carry two 1/2 liter cheap water bottles for daily use, plus another empty one crushed up in my pack for occasional use on long dry stretches or to fill with wine, orujo, or juice. I always leave town with at least one full bottle, usually two. I drink profuse amounts of water before starting in the morning and as I walk, so even if my water suddenly disappeared, I could continue 4 hours before resupply. Fortunately, I have only run out of water on 2 occasions, but was able to resupply within an hour. This happened on Camino Ingles last year when numerous municipal water supplies became contaminated, and they shut off the public fountains---and it being Sunday morning, I found nothing open until noon.

 

[MARSKA]

All dependant on weather, season and distance to water points. This winter I carried a 333 ml bottle and never drank it all during the day's walk. It was cold and rainy. Lots of water points shut off for the winter.

Summer I carried up to 750 ml for walking on the same stretch. Plenty of water points and I could refill regularly. I always note when there won't be water points the day before and buy a extra bottle or two for those longer summer stretches.

We were caught out two summers ago when I was carrying all the water and CPAP machines and medications for both or us on the Aragones and we had sent Phil's pack ahead. I wasn't drinking enough and it was very hot and I had a heat injury that day which ended our Camino walking for the trip. Know your water points and take the heat onto account.

I wasn't drinking enough because it is a pain to take all my gear off and go to the bathroom in the weeds and I let Phil drink most of the water so I didnt have to carry it. Looking back now, it seemes a little silly, but it was not fun or funny then lying on my pack in a ditch full of stickery weeds and trash trying to take advantage of a sliver of shade cast by a cemetery wall. Phil wanted to call the Guardia Civil although he settled for a taxi driver (who probably saved me from further harm.) Thankfully, I did not join the cemetery crowd that day.

Sorry to hear about the heat injury. Happened to me, too, but not on the Camino. It's real and it's dangerous. Actually it wasnt so much about the heat per se or not drinking enough, it was the D%#* sun!!!! I can totally relate to taking "advantage of a sliver of shade".

 

[Robo]

Hi just a few weeks to go now, and my bag is more or less packed.

I've decided not to take a water bladder, but to use bottles instead.

So my question is, bearing in mind that a litre of water is a kilogram in weight plus its container. How much water do you experienced pilgrims carry and in what sized bottles?

Also do you include the weight of your water in your pack weight. Obviously it's reducing periodically as you walk?

Thank you, and Buen Camino.

This is a very hard question and as you can see from the replies, depends on many factors, such as:

1. How far you'll walk each day, and the availaibility of water top ups.
2. The weather.
3. If you intentionally hydrate before walkling (i.e. drink alot before you start)
4. Your health / fitness, and probably how much you sweat?
5. And lots of other stuff I'm sure.

From my own experience, my joints and tendons suffer as I start to even mildly de hydrate.
Others seem to go quite well carrying a small bottle of water.

I'd suggest you do a bit of trial and error.
Hydrate well before starting.
Be aware of where the water top up points are liklely to be (though be prepared for them to be dry/closed)
And take what water you think you'll need, plus a bit.
As you get used to your comfortable water intake, you can adjust your needs as you go.

Do make sure to check your hydration levels though. (Colour of your Pee. just google it)

How much would I carry on the Frances?
Depends on the stage, water points etc.
But at least 1 litre usually. Probably more.

By comparison, on the VdlP I usually carried 2 litres and sometimes more.
(As usually there was no water top ups all day........)

So take all the advice and experiences of others.......
But once there, be prepared to be flexible and adjust your approach as required.

Water Bladders?
LOL. Always causes a debate.
I've used them, but no longer do.
One simple reason. I can't monitor my water intake and the amount remaining.
I carry two (clear) water bottles mounted on the front of my pack straps and this allows me to manage water really effectively. I consume 1 litre per 10 kms. And 'monitoring' is as much about drinking enough, as it is about knowing how much is left.

I know, it just looks weird! 2 x 1 litre bottles. + drinking tube to sip as I walk.

I'll have to start paying commissions to my Camino Amiga (forum member) who took this photo!

Shade and Water - on the VdlP you bring your own...

• Robo
• Jun 12, 2023
• 6

 

[Robo]

It really depends on where you are walking and what time of the year. I had only two bottles of 500ml on Camino del Norte in June 2017, Via Tolosana in April/May 2022 and Via de la Plata March/April 2023. What I did was drink enough before I left the village, so I did carry the water inside me and the one liter in the bottles. But I was lucky and it was never too hot.

I can confirm that this Pilgrim walks light and fast!
I could never keep up with him.
All that training in the Alps!
Good to see you again @Paul-CH

 

[rogersoncharles1951]

Good question. I wait until I get there and then buy 2 x 750 ml clear plastic bottles from a supermarket which I refill. Ideal size for me and prefer them to 1 litre bottles.
I also drink until full before stepping out.

Re pack weight and lists - people often leave out water, snacks, emergency food supplies, etc - so they tend to be unreal. It is fully loaded that you will carry that counts. I saw one list recently that was said to be 3.5 kilos in total .. but ... light pack of 1 kilo, two litres of water - well that is 3 kilos already!

Personally I buy large plastic bottles ice cold water from cafes etc along the way I don't drink from wells as I have had stomach problems in the past few times nearly always plenty of options each day to replenish new bottles.always make sure by research what is your longest distance between points with nothing in between and have enough water with you.but sometimes a catering van pops up out of nowhere and gives you a delightful surprise.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

. I don't use any of those inspector gadget looking setups with fish aquarium tubing criss-crossing about my body and pack, looking like the alien in that old movie Predator .

. Yep, that's me. Well, kinda.
I use two water bottles, a 500 ml with a tube connected to it coming up and over my shoulder ( attached to my pack shoulder strap). The 1l I only ever use for refilling the 500 ml. ( That way I can share if necessary. Reduces need for washing too. )
Both are kept within my pack, because that way the water stays a lot cooler.

I use the tube system because I'm somebody that needs to sip frequently. When I stop for a break I will take out the bottle and finish it off, then refill. I refill both every chance I get, on three occasions water fountains have been turned off or unserviceable. One on the Primitivo (directly after the Hospitales) had been removed. I was carrying three liters that day, (2,500 + an Aquarius), used every drop. It wasn't particularly warm.

Also do you include the weight of your water in your pack weight.

No. Pack weight excludes water and food.

 

[Robo]

Personally, I no longer use plastic water bottles, especially the single use type. Not only are they very bad for the environment when discarded, it now appears that they could shed microplastics into the water, and therefore into you! Stainless steel is a bit heavier and more expensive, but a much healthier alternative.
As far as size, a couple of 750ml bottles should be fine in most cases.

I would love to replace my 'single use' water bottles (that I re-use for the whole journey) with something more environmentally friendly, but have yet to find anything this is both lightweight and 'see through'.

Suggestions most welcome.

For me, being able to 'see' the water level is an important aspect of my water management.
Using other systems, I have run dry before, and it's not funny.

 

[Marus99]

Personally, I no longer use plastic water bottles, especially the single use type. Not only are they very bad for the environment when discarded, it now appears that they could shed microplastics into the water, and therefore into you! Stainless steel is a bit heavier and more expensive, but a much healthier alternative.
As far as size, a couple of 750ml bottles should be fine in most cases.

100% agree with Bob. The world wd be a better place without plastic bottles. I use Decathlon aluminum bottles which are amazingly good value.

 

[Evan Lacer]

I typically use a 1-litre 58-pattern water bottle, which mates perfectly with a steel Crusader cup.


It’s important to get a genuine Osprey cup, as the cheap copies are not as sturdy and more importantly their caps leak. I do not generally bother with the matching Osprey plastic mug.

 

[dugavski]

Last May I bought a lemonade in the supermarket in Porto and had this 750 ml bottle all the way.
I still have it at home
It was enough since there are many places to refill it on the way.

 

[David]

100% agree with Bob. The world wd be a better place without plastic bottles. I use Decathlon aluminum bottles which are amazingly good value.

Disagree, the world would not be better without plastic as plastic has transformed every area of our lives, for the better. The problem with plastic is the lack of recycling.

Re metal bottles - the digging of ore, smelting, processing, the factory output making them - huge pollution and carbon footprint.

Re aluminium bottles (stainless steel much safer) - aluminium leaks into the water and then into the body, into the nervous system and into the brain. In high accumulations it is a poison ... Alzheimer's sufferers all have high levels of aluminium in their brains. The 'given' is that this is a coincidence, not a causative - I disbelieve that.

One of the reasons that I don't like eating out is that restaurants use aluminium pans.

The pollution problem is real, of course, but every product seems to have problems, don't you think?

 

[Jodean]

Plastic bottles are the problem. The filling, the transport, the storage, the disposal/recycling are all a poor use of our resources here on earth. Have you not seen the massive floating islands of plastic in our oceans, the amount of plastic in fish, and the amount we are ingesting into our bodies from plastic bottles? I use a glass at home and my metal bottles are used for a few weeks a year. Those plastic bottles from the store are the cheapest plastic and not made for re-use at all. Look up how many water bottles are actually re-cycled and what does that cost in resources?
I do not know any restaurant that would use aluminum pans. They are not good for cooking.

 

[David]

Plastic bottles are the problem. The filling, the transport, the storage, the disposal/recycling are all a poor use of our resources here on earth. Have you not seen the massive floating islands of plastic in our oceans, the amount of plastic in fish, and the amount we are ingesting into our bodies from plastic bottles? I use a glass at home and my metal bottles are used for a few weeks a year. Those plastic bottles from the store are the cheapest plastic and not made for re-use at all. Look up how many water bottles are actually re-cycled and what does that cost in resources?
I do not know any restaurant that would use aluminum pans. They are not good for cooking.

Agree - lack of recycling is the problem, so it is the human, not the product.
I am in the UK and I don't know of any UK or EU restaurants that don't use aluminium pans (yes, I do check them).
If you watch the Gordon Ramsey USA restaurants programs on tv every single restaurant uses aluminium saucepans (and frying pans sometimes).

It is true that plastic bottles leak tiny particles into the body, especially the cheaper ones, but so does aluminium - stainless steel is the best way to go I think.

When I was young the milkman daily delivered milk using an electric float with the milk in glass bottles, which he collected when empty. They were steam cleaned and reused.
All drinks in the shops were in glass bottles and there was a deposit on each one. As children we used to raid dustbins and so on to collect them and get the deposits back - instant pocket money, and work too.

 

[David]

Re water containers - bottles, bladders ... we are out there for weeks in often hot and sweaty conditions ... and it is fairly easy to turn our water containers into Petrie dishes.

The American cowboys kept a silver dollar in their water canteens to keep the water and container pure.
Silver is antibacterial - some more expensive plaster dressings contain it on the medicated pad -
so .. maybe we should adopt this? A coin of pure silver in each container?

In the UK any silver coin before 1922 was pure silver (then 50% silver, then cupro-nickel) - should be easy enough to find a pure silver coin in any country .. Ebay beckons!

Just a thought.

 

[BROWNCOUNTYBOB]

I read in Sheryl Strayed's book "Wild" that for long distance hiking, you should need to pee several times a day. This is a sign that you are well hydrated. I recall during our first few caminos, I didn't pee a single time during a 5 or 6 hour hike! So obviously I was dehydrated. Since then I make sure I drink lots of water. Some stretches are long between towns. On these I fill my one liter canteen and also a 1 litre bottle that can be collapsed, called a Platypus. There have been some stages in which I've drank both bottles of water by the time we reach our destination. Bob

 

[dougfitz]

it now appears that they could shed microplastics into the water, and therefore into you!

It is true that plastic bottles leak tiny particles into the body, especially the cheaper ones, but so does aluminium - stainless steel is the best way to go I think.

Inasmuch as these statements give the impression that a plastic water bottle will shed microplastics into the water you are drinking, they are misleading. My reading about this source of pollution indicates that breakdown of a plastic water bottle to create microplastics results from the longer term exposure to sunlight and mechanical interaction with the environment such as contact with soil and water, and the resultant weathering that occurs. Aquatic and marine plants and animals take up the microplastics in various ways that results in bio-magnification of the micro-plastic concentrations in food species we consume as humans.

I did ponder about whether flexion of the walls of a plastic water bottle in normal usage would result in the breakdown of the wall of the bottle, and creation of micro plastics that would contaminate the fluid in the bottle. I couldn't find a source suggesting this was an active mechanism for human consumption of micro plastics. The jury might be out on this, but it does suggest that these statements by @Bob K (Phoenix) and @David might be speculative when it comes to humans being a primary consumer of water polluted by micro plastic. That does not appear to be based directly on any science.

 

[Mahonsk]

Hi just a few weeks to go now, and my bag is more or less packed.

I've decided not to take a water bladder, but to use bottles instead.

So my question is, bearing in mind that a litre of water is a kilogram in weight plus its container. How much water do you experienced pilgrims carry and in what sized bottles?

Also do you include the weight of your water in your pack weight. Obviously it's reducing periodically as you walk?

Thank you, and Buen Camino.

Buy a bottle of water when you set off and use that bottle. Refill it as required. There are plenty of water fountains etc. if you see a sign on a water fountain that says “no potable” then the water is not really for drinking. If the bottle gets damaged, buy another bottle of water and repeat. Re weight, I wish I’d heard of the following, earlier…….Many Pilgrims, myself included, initially, get consumed with the weight issue. Rather than trying to lose a few grams or so here and there with what goes in your backpack or not, go on a diet for a week or so before you leave for Camino and shed a pound or two instead of overthinking the grams issue. Your legs will then be carrying less weight to start with, you’ll walk yourself Camino fit in about 6 days and then you can make constructive decisions about what you actually need in your backpack. Buen Camino.

 

[doggedly]

Yes, depends on the weather, how close you are to water refill stations, and your body.
I tend to be more like a camel and don't seem to need too much water.
For the Camino Portugués in Sept '22, I carried a stainless steel Klean Kanteen 18oz bottle (about 1/2 L).
With stops for food and drink, I was fine.
There were even some water fountains along the way. If you're concerned about stomach bugs, you can bring water purification tablets or filters for that.
For hotter scenarios, and if I'm not near a water source [day hikes in hot jungles of Costa Rica], I carry the 27 oz version (> 3/4 L).
If more water is needed, I'll fill a small "disposable" plastic bottle and add it to my satchel but it's not something I always carry with me.

 

[David61]

Re water containers - bottles, bladders ... we are out there for weeks in often hot and sweaty conditions ... and it is fairly easy to turn our water containers into Petrie dishes.

The American cowboys kept a silver dollar in their water canteens to keep the water and container pure.
Silver is antibacterial - some more expensive plaster dressings contain it on the medicated pad -
so .. maybe we should adopt this? A coin of pure silver in each container?

In the UK any silver coin before 1922 was pure silver (then 50% silver, then cupro-nickel) - should be easy enough to find a pure silver coin in any country .. Ebay beckons!

Just a thought.

Love this idea! I knew silver did not carry bacteria which is why nurses belt buckles used to be silver but did not know that it actually killed bacteria.
BTW, your point on aluminium is my view too. Years ago I read an article in a science magazine where a scientist made the link but he was discredited by invested parties. Imagine the damage to the industry if it was publicly accepted? Like you I avoid the use of it

 

[OZAJ]

I always take four half litre plastic bottles which I carry inside my pack, which keeps the water surprisingly cool.

 

[GPeachy]

I brought 2 Vapur foldable bottles. I never had to have more than 1 full at any time. They are super lightweight and are available in various sizes. They are easy to carry and to clean. They are also very durable. 8 years after my Camino, I am still using the same ones on hikes.

Vapur Water Bottle | 1L Wide Mouth Anti-Bottle | Element - Water

Reusable and flexible water bottles. Check out Vapur's 1L wide mouth Element anti-bottle in color Water.

www.vapur.us

 

[MikeJS]

Given that water is the most important item to have with you then I take 1.5 litres in a bladder (I find having the bladder with a drinking tube means I drink more frequently) and carry another 1.5 litres as a spare.