Storing and Transporting Water

So now that you've got some ideas of how to get clean, safe to drink water, how are you going to carry that with you? There are several options available, ranging in costs from free to quite expensive. Here are a couple of options:

1. The common, everyday disposable plastic water bottle. These are available everywhere, are cheap, lightweight, and can be disposed of to get rid of weight.

2. A hydration pack. These are flexible, compact, tough water bladders that hold large quantities of water that you can carry on your back. These are great for when you don't or can't use both hands opening and closing a water bottle. Most of these have tubes that can attach/detach from the bladder and allow you to drink straight from the bladder via the tube. The only downsides to these that I have found are that they can be pretty expensive (although you can find cheap versions too), and don't let you easily pass the water around to others.

3. Metal or plastic water bottle. These are tough, yet still lightweight and can be reused indefinitely. They also allow you to pass around the water source to others. Some of the designs, like the Naglene bottles have several available attachments that will allow you to do everything from filter water, to self-sealing spouts for drinking. The downside to these bottles are they can be bulky, and cumbersome to open for drinking.

Staying Hydrated
Hydration Pack Choices
Water Bottle Choices

Camelbak M.U.L.E Review

Before going on a ski trip right after Christmas, I was looking for a pack or a bag that would let me carry an extra set of gloves, sunglasses, water, snacks and my GPS unit. I looked at a lot of packs at Cabela's, Gander Mountain, REI, and other places but most of the packs were either too big, too small, or too expensive.

Eventually I stumbled across the Camelbak M.U.L.E series of packs. These seemed to be just the right size, could carry the included 3 liter water bladder and a few miscellaneous items, along with the price being in my budget. After further research I learned that Camelbak made a regular version and a Military/Tactical version. The only differences are the colors and materials used in construction of the packs and the fact that the Military/Tactical version came with the mil-spec water bladder, which is made of tougher, durable material, and it had an insulated tube. While I certainly wasn't going to be going into any combat zones or police raids with the pack, the added durability sold me on the Military/Tactical version. It was also only about $10 dollars more than the regular version when I purchased it on Amazon right before Christmas.

I took this pack on the ski trip and was very happy with the way it performed. The straps kept it firmly secured to my back, it wasn't too big and bulky when riding the lifts although it held everything I needed it to. The insulated drinking tube also kept it from freezing even though it was below 10 degrees on a couple of the days. I was able to carry snacks, and even a sandwich in one of the top pockets, along with my sunglasses, extra gloves, a GPS unit, and some extra hand warmers. 

After using it for 6 days skiing, I can honestly say that there is not one thing that I could improve about it. I have since used it when going on fishing trips, camping, and even playing paintball. The materials used are very tough and durable, and the black color doesn't stand out like some of the colors of the regular version.

Here is a quick slideshow that shows the ins and outs of the pack - 

If you are looking for a new, lightweight pack don't hesitate to check out the Camelbak M.U.L.E series, both the regular versions and the Mil/Tac versions.