10 Walking Essentials: Water

Thou shalt drink - before, during, and after walking. Your comfort and stamina depends on getting enough water while walking. You need to drink every half hour if walking at a moderate pace, more often if you are sweating it. You should let thirst be your guide - but make sure you have water available as soon as you feel thirsty. That will mean having a route with lots of water drinking options, or carrying water with you.

• Plan your route: Include a water stop on your regular walking route. Know where to find drinking fountains and if they are turned off during winter. You should be drinking a pint (500 mL) every hour, can you get that from slurping at a fountain or do you need to carry water?
• Bottle holder: The best way to carry water is in a pack. Get a waistpack with an external bottle holder to be able to get to your water quickly. Balance the load in the pack or get one that carries the bottle in the middle of your back to preserve your body alignment.
  Top Picks for Single-Bottle Packs
• Camelbak/built in systems: These gizmos allow you to carry water on your back, with a plastic tube straw to take a drink whenever you need. They balance the load well. Some waistpacks have a similar water pouch built in.
  Top Picks for Higher-Capacity Water Carrying Packs
• Water bottles: Buy a good reusable water bottle at a sporting goods shop. A bottle with a wide mouth allows you to clean it well between uses and easily add ice cubes.In recent years, the hard clear plastic bottles have usually been reformulated to be BPA-free.
  Top Picks for BPA-Free Water Bottles
• Round or flat? The traditional water bottle is round and fits well in an external holder, but you may want to have one that will fit into your waistpack comfortably. Look for a platypus water bottle, which is a flat pouch that will stuff well into your waistpack.
• Safe water sources: Never drink from a stream unless you filter or sterilize the water first. Most running water sources are contaminated with parasites and germs that will make you sick. That sparkling mountain stream is filled with Giardia, a very cute little smiling flagellate just waiting to infest your gut and liver.

Keep your water bottle clean. Wash it after each use with soap and water, or add a couple of drops of bleach and fill it with water overnight, then rinse thoroughly in the morning. Or, you may want to use a denture cleaning tablet.
Ways to Clean Your Hydration Pack or Water Bottle

Don't share your water bottle with anyone you wouldn't exchange a sloppy kiss with.

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