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Introduction
- If you have limited amounts of water with you when camping and the site has no running water, it might be necessary to ration water, unless you choose to purify water found near the camping site.
Step 1: Drinking Water
- Drinking enough water is necessary for general health and to retain focus and energy. Dehydration can lead to serious medical conditions. It's best to avoid rationing drinking water while camping. Ration water for other activities and purify water found in nature. If you still need to ration water, follow these guidelines.
- Drinking water cannot be rationed in specific amounts. Although many outside factors can impact water needs, each individual also has different needs. Instead, focus on rationing water for other use.
- The need for drinking water will depend on altitude, weather, climate, level of activity and the physical shape and health of each individual.
- Beware of signs of dehydration, such as exhaustion, dizziness, headache and a dry mouth.
- To decrease the need for water, encourage resting during the hottest hours of the day, between noon and 2pm.
- Avoid dehydrating food and drinks, such as coffee and tea.
- While salt can increase thirst, it can also be a necessary supplement during hot weather or intense exercise, since sweating includes loss of salt.
Step 2: Water for Other Needs
- If you want to conserve water when camping, focus on conserving water used during cooking, showering, washing and other practices instead of drinking water.
- If you have an RV, you might already have water hookups, but water resources will be limited. Consider practices such as turning of the shower when soaping and shampooing and filling up the sink with water to wash and rinse dishes to conserve water.
- Check the water monitor on a regular basis if the RV has one.
Step 3: Purifying Water
- Consider purifying water found in nature to increase your water resources. Never drink water from streams, rivers and other water sources without this process, as it can contain harmful bacteria. Water can only be purified from harmful bacteria. Don't drink water that could contain chemicals, oil, poison, sewage or other harmful ingredients, as a simple purification cannot remove it.
- Filter the water to remove any visible leaves and other items before purifying it.
- A simple way to purify water is to boil it for several minutes.
- If you have iodine tablets with you, you use them to purify the water. Follow the instructions.
- You can also use a water purification unit.
- For more information, see Mahalo's guide on How to Purify Water].
Conclusion
- While it's important to conserve water while camping if there is no running water at the site, you should not set limits on how much drinking water a person can use. This can cause dehydration, which can be a serious medical problem. Instead, ration water used for other purposes, such as showering, and consider purifying water in your surroundings to increase your water supply.
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