The "Space Shuttle" Water Jug Strategy? Am i only one?

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XterraRob
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Re: The "Space Shuttle" Water Jug Strategy? Am i only one?

Post by XterraRob »

Stash water bottles, dog poo, and dog leashes.
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dubsho3000
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Re: The "Space Shuttle" Water Jug Strategy? Am i only one?

Post by dubsho3000 »

supranihilest wrote: Sun Jul 03, 2022 1:01 pm
JaredJohnson wrote: Sun Jul 03, 2022 12:50 pm
supranihilest wrote: Sun Jul 03, 2022 12:37 pm if I see a bottle I dump it out and take it with me, because it's trash.
I don't have skin in the game but as far as I can tell from searching this forum, the community consensus is that your behavior is unwise and possibly unacceptable/dangerous, and jibler's behavior is acceptable and possibly wise. The idea being that somebody might really be counting on and need that water.
I am aware. I don't have the ability to discern between trash and a stash so I treat it as trash. Other gear, camp gear, etc. I leave alone. If it's labeled I leave it alone. Regardless it is poor strategy to rely on a stash like this. If the person/party in question runs out of water early, becomes injured, takes a different route down, etc., then what?
I would err on the side of a person returning to his/her stash, rather than removing trash. This here world is full of trash. I pick up trash when I see it, but I realize I'm just farting into the wind. Would you really risk someone returning to their stash and finding it gone? Seems irresponsible and cruel. Just to pick up one bit of trash? Go to almost any beach in the world and start picking up trash there. You could spend a lifetime.
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JChitwood
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Re: The "Space Shuttle" Water Jug Strategy? Am i only one?

Post by JChitwood »

I’m a stasher have been for years mainly because hiking a peak takes me hours upon hours and lugging an extra 2 lbs of water to the top can hurt my chances of gaining a summit. So I pack 3 one liter bottles and stash one about half way to the top and retrieve it on the way down. This worked superbly on hikes like Oklahoma in mid September and Gladstone in early October. Last July some friends visited and wanted to hike easy 14ers so we did Bierstadt and Sherman and both times my eagerly anticipated stashed bottles were gone. Pretty amazed it happened on Sherman since it was 10 steps off the trail and concealed in a pile of rocks. I plan on continuing to stash but will put masking tape on the bottle with my name and date and even time of retrieval.
"I'll make it." - Jimmy Chitwood
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Re: The "Space Shuttle" Water Jug Strategy? Am i only one?

Post by 9patrickmurphy »

But like... water filters are so easy to use.
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Re: The "Space Shuttle" Water Jug Strategy? Am i only one?

Post by 12ersRule »

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Re: The "Space Shuttle" Water Jug Strategy? Am i only one?

Post by ezabielski »

This is called the Jeep problem or the desert crossing problem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeep_problem

Caching is culturally accepted in certain places, like desert backpacking, but not in the alpine. Water filters are really easy to use, don't leave trash.
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Re: The "Space Shuttle" Water Jug Strategy? Am i only one?

Post by Monster5 »

Stashing water or other supplies is perfectly fine and common. You literally do that when you set up a tent, bivy, or anything else. Just stash it well so some a**hole doesn't leave you out high and dry. It's pretty damn easy to tell the difference between stashed water/supplies and trash. If not, err on the side of it being someone's lifeline.

That being said, just buy a BeFree (every couple years as the filter clogs).
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Re: The "Space Shuttle" Water Jug Strategy? Am i only one?

Post by greenonion »

Picking up an empty jug while assuming it’s trash is one thing. Picking up a half to mostly full jug is entirely another. Whether it’s water, lemonade, or pee
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Re: The "Space Shuttle" Water Jug Strategy? Am i only one?

Post by Bale »

I’ve only done this in the Grand Canyon as a cache on a multi day trip, anticipating a long, hot, dry hike out. Like Connor said, write your name and return date. After that, it’s trash.
If it has a yellow tint, I know Bill has been there :oops:
The earth, like the sun, like the air, belongs to everyone - and to no one. - Edward Abbey
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