The human body consists of about 70% of water. We must replenish this water, otherwise the organism is dehydrated and collapse. The higher the temperature, the more we sweat and the more we have to replenish the fluids. The daily intake of liquids should be around 2-3 liters under ideal conditions. With increased activity and/or temperature it can be even 5 liters. But how to hydrate properly during our activities ? Are there any ways to help us carry as much drinking water as possible to be able to fulfill our needs ? Yes, there are so let´s reveal them.
Bag or bottle ?
Every ordinary civilian is used to carry water in bottles. Bottles have been used for thousands of years. Firstly they were made of clay (decanters. amphoras and so on), then from glass and nowdays also from plastic. We could have another long discussion about materials, but that is for another debate/topic. Let´s rather talk about why we should choose more effective solutions. No matter how advantageous the bottles are, there are some disadvantages too. They may not take as much as we want to, we always have to take the backpack off and they also may take up space for another necessary things. The solution here is hydration bag aka CamelBak.
Elegant solution
The names comes from a legend that a camel also stores water in its "bag" - hump. How does it look like then? Practically it is a bag from durable and strong fabric, which does not brake easily. This bag has a wide fill opening at the top to pour the liquid. At the bottom there is a opening for drinking hose. The hose has an antibacterial mouthpiece with the possibility of closing. And how all this works ? Absolutely elegantly - simply put the bag into the compatible backpack, the drinking hose put through the designated opening with mouthpiece attached on a shoulder strap.
Mobility and volume - the biggest advantages
The CamelBak has many advantages over the ordinary bottles. The biggest one is mobility. No need for taking off the backpack, we can simply drink from the tube placed on a backpack´s shoulder strap. Another advantage is volume. Camelbaks are made in different volumes with different space requirements. There is no problem to have 3-litre bag in the backpack, since the water spreads over the entire space that copies our back. The backpacks have special compartment for the hydration bag, which does not take as much space inside as 3 liters in bottles would.
The selection is not difficult
All we need is compatible backpack. There are also special hydration packs, which are small and made pretty much just for hydration bags. These packs are great for running, cycling, or short trips, that does not require much of a gear. Some of us may be interested in maintenance, which is of course needed even here. It is advised to clean it from time to time to reduce spread of bacteria. All we need to choose is brand and size. There is plenty to choose from in both cases.