Gear Haiku: Osprey Hydraulics Water Bladder

Osprey Hydraulics Water Bladder

Hiking With The Ten Essentials, #9: Hydration

Water is vital to all known forms of life, and certainly to humans. No water, no life. Even more important than food, you should always bring extra water and/or the means to treat water found naturally in streams, creeks, rivers, and lakes. Treatment methods for water include pump filters, gravity/squeeze filters, UV “pens,” and iodine tablets. Another means of treating water is boiling, but water should boil at least five minutes if not longer (which means a lot of fuel in some form or another.) I personally use a gravity/squeeze filter, which I find to be the most effective, convenient, and economic way to treat water. There are, of course, many ways to carry your water. Nalgene bottles, metal bottles, “soft” bottles, plastic “disposable” bottles, and water bladders are the primary means. Below I’ll discuss some of my favorite vessels and treatment methods. (PLEASE NOTE: I have no affiliation with any manufacturers or retailers listed below. I am simply offering my opinion regarding goods I’ve purchased as a consumer.)