carrying water in winter

[supranihilest]

I put my water bottle inside a sock in my backpack. Never had an issue with it freezing.

All Nalgenes, then, with wool socks around each? (I usually take 3-5 liters, so it would be 3-5 nalgenes).

I do hate having to take my pack off and open it up each time for water. Maybe it's psychological, but I feel like I drink less water when I do that.

Yes, socks around each and put them on the inside of pack so they're up against your back. It is a pain taking your pack off for a drink but at least they won't freeze. I generally drink very little on winter hikes though, and don't take much more than a liter. 2 at the most. So much easier to climb without all that extra weight. I drink up before I start and dress so I don't sweat. I once did a winter Little Bear with just an 8 ounce can of coke having forgotten my water. I would not recommend this though.

So THAT'S why it took us 18 hours! The truth comes out!

[HikerGuy]

Another Nalgene user here, I usually just wrap them in clothes. I'll use bottle parkas if it's really cold, but then I'm not likely to be out.

Also, water bottles freeze from the top down, so store them upside down.

[CaptainSuburbia]

All Nalgenes, then, with wool socks around each? (I usually take 3-5 liters, so it would be 3-5 nalgenes).

I do hate having to take my pack off and open it up each time for water. Maybe it's psychological, but I feel like I drink less water when I do that.

Yes, socks around each and put them on the inside of pack so they're up against your back. It is a pain taking your pack off for a drink but at least they won't freeze. I generally drink very little on winter hikes though, and don't take much more than a liter. 2 at the most. So much easier to climb without all that extra weight. I drink up before I start and dress so I don't sweat. I once did a winter Little Bear with just an 8 ounce can of coke having forgotten my water. I would not recommend this though.

So THAT'S why it took us 18 hours! The truth comes out!

Haha probably didn't help. I think there were other reasons though. Somehow I managed to not open it until halfway down the boulder field. BEST coke I ever had!

[JQDivide]

HydroFlask.

Or buy a cheap version at Walmart or Ross, Insulated bottles are the way to go.
I'll also use an insulated bottle holder so I don't have to take off my pack.

If you have two bottles, start with one HOT and one warm or room temp (drink this one first).

Yes, some people use their bladders and do all kinds of things to keep them from freezing. Too many things that can go wrong. Reduce that risk.
If you are out long enough, the bladder hose or mouth piece will freeze.
(I'm not talking about a 2-hour snow shoe at 10K... but for a 14er/13er dark-to-dark kind of day... use a bottle.)

And I will add, hydration is one of the inconveniences of winter hiking. Having deal with hot/warm water at the start of the day. Making sure things day liquid.
Or if you keep it in your pack... and the wind starts blowing and you don't want to stop....

You can also mix with Powerade/Gatorade, they don't freeze as easily as water, but they will eventually freeze.

Joel

[blazintoes]

Regardless of how fast you move in the mountains you should be prepared for worst case scenarios. At the risk of being labeled a finger wagger, there is a time and place to be lazy in the mountains and that time is never. Think prophylactically and get ahead of any foreseeable problems. Hence, don't be lazy even if you're fast.

My pack is always heavy. The old adage that if you think your pack is too heavy, you should train harder is always ringing in my ear. The answer to your question is have everything you need just in case. What if you get benighted on your day-trip? Will you survive? In winter regardless of day-tripability, I always have a neoprene Camelbak with an insulated hose that I keep inside my jacket to prevent freezing. I like having accessible water any time I want. I also carry an insulated Nalgene with electrolytes and a fat plastic straw as I've learned that every time I screw the cap off and drink from the rim it leaves a trace of water that freezes the cap shut. The straw prevents the rim from freezing. I also carry a stove just in case I am benighted I could heat up water and stick a nice warm 32oz Nalgene in my bivy to keep me warm because shiver bivying sucks.

There are times I also bring a thermos full of hot tea because it is very nice to have a warm cup of anything when I'm out in winter. And finally I always carry and chew gum because it keeps my mouth moist in the dry winter air. Furthermore and one last thing, everything I carry is a back up in case any one thing should fail. If your Nalgene freezes and you don't have a stove what are you going to do? As long as you don't exceed what I call the laws of 3 you may survive:

3 minutes without oxygen
3 hours at extreme temperatures. Too cold or too hot.
3 days without water
3 weeks without food
Hopefully you make it back in 3 days, have oxygen and don't get caught in extreme weather.

I've attached a picture so you can see the insulated Camelbak tube. Get one!

[Ptglhs]

I wear a cold gear underarmor base layer, a callback 2.5L with hose over that, then insulating layer, she'll, amd then my pack. It keeps the water ckose enough to me it stays liquid. Blow the water back into the bladder (clear the line) and keep the hose next to you too.

As another poster noted: have enough gear, consumables, layers, to survive an unexpected night out.

[Will_E]

I don’t drink water unless it’s the only option (Chi Basin was only winter trip this applied), I take 3-5 bottles of Powerade zero, it seems to have a lower freezing point than water, *and* tastes way better. I keep them all in my pack except 1 that I put in my shirt, body heat keeps it plenty warm. Never had issue with the other bottles completely freezing, they’ll freeze just a little but thaw out quick enough once they move into the shirt rotation.

[Istoodupthere]

I take a wide mouth nalgene with an insulated cover and put that in my pack. Then I take an extra bottle of water and put it in my coat pocket. I haven’t had an issue with freezing if I drink that first.

[daway8]

Yes, I'm very much in the don't want to stop and take my pack off to get a drink category.

But I tend to move away from the hydration pack once temperatures start getting below freezing. Sometimes I'll use a wide mouthed Nalgene (NOT the narrow mouthed ones) in a pair of wool socks, stored upsidedown.

But for the crazy cold sub-zero days I use a GSI microlite (a super lightweight thermos type bottle). I'll stuff it down into a pair of wool socks and then stick that down into two neoprene water bottle sleeves that I keep clipped to the harness on my pack. I have a carabiner that clips the handle of the bottle to the clips holding the sleeves onto the pack so it can't fall out accidently.

Just unclip and unscrew to drink. Backups are stored in their own pair of socks stuffed down into the pack.

I also don't drink a great deal on winter - a single 17fl oz bottle usually gets me to the summit. Then I chug a like sized bottle filled with hot apple cider or such at the summit and swap out the bottle on the harness for the one on the pack (if needed) which will usually get me back to the trailhead. Especially for a longer hike I'll have a 4th bottle stowed but rarely used (so basically 1.5-2 liters).

[DestroyMySweater]

I also carry an insulated Nalgene with electrolytes and a fat plastic straw as I've learned that every time I screw the cap off and drink from the rim it leaves a trace of water that freezes the cap shut. The straw prevents the rim from freezing.

Amy, I really like this idea, because I've noticed the same thing you do: freezing/ice starts around the cap where you've been drinking. I've just wondered if the straw-top lids would let more air in / not insulate as well. Have you ever had any trouble with freezing on the straw? Also, is the Nalgene top you're using: https://nalgene.com/product/multidrink-cap-with-straw/? Thanks for all the other great advice as well!

[DestroyMySweater]

But for the crazy cold sub-zero days I use a GSI microlite (a super lightweight thermos type bottle). I'll stuff it down into a pair of wool socks and then stick that down into two neoprene water bottle sleeves that I keep clipped to the harness on my pack. I have a carabiner that clips the handle of the bottle to the clips holding the sleeves onto the pack so it can't fall out accidently. Just unclip and unscrew to drink.

David, this seems like a good system. Do you happen to have a picture of it? By "harness" do you mean your shoulder straps? Also, glad I'm not the only one hating to get the pack off for a drink.

[DestroyMySweater]

For those of you carrying your bottles inside your jacket or inner layers - are these 1 liter bottles? Man, my pockets in my fleece and puffy aren't that big. I'm not sure I could get a bigger bottle in there, and that seems really uncomfortable. And Ptglhs, a 2.5 L bladder inside your inner layers? Man alive. I guess I just need to try it....