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Best strategy with water on long etapas?

peregrina2000

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I am on the camino now, and will not be doing the stage that prompted this question, but I would like some advice.

If you´re walking a really long stage without water in between, what´s the best way to dole out the water? I can reasonably carry no more than 3 L without feeling like a pack mule.

Is it best to wait till you´re really thirsty and gulp down a bunch? Or is it better to stay relatively well hydrated and drink regularly, trying to ration it to a certain amount of water per 15 minutes or something like that?

I´m sure there is science on this, but since falcon is out gallivanting through France, I´m interested in hearing other people´s experiences and wisdom.

I was going to walk a 42 km stretch tomorrow, but my two compañeros peregrinos have had a change or heart and decided we will only walk the 25 kms to Alpera on the Levante. I can deal with that easily, but I know there are some longer etapas ahead and would really appreciate your suggestions about how to ration out the water.

Buen camino and many thanks, Laurie
 
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During my 3 weeks of walking Sevilla-Zamora in the heat of July I carried 3 1/2 L water (2L platypus + 2 bottles of 0.75 L). I would typically use my bottles first knowing that I still had 2 L. The problem with the hydration system in your pack is that you don't know how much you've got left.

I usually sipped regularly rather than gulps but I can't say that this was based on any research, it just felt right. Given the color of my urine the 3 1/2 was never enough but I made sure that I drank sufficiently as soon as I ended a stage so as not to become dehydrated. My walking companion also carried the same amount but he added a liter of Aquarius to his water. Later on I did the same but only added a can or two.

This worked for me so sorry Laurie, no statistics, just empirical evidence :wink: .
Good luck en buen Camino.
LT
 
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Laurie, staying hydrated is the key. It's difficult to achieve good re-hydration once your levels have dropped too far without using electrolytes and salts. No harm in carrying a few packs of re-hydration salts with you and adding them to your water if you think your levels are getting challenged.

That said 3 litres seems excessive to me unless you are planning hard hiking in high temperatures. Better to start early, rest up through the heat and hike on in the evening. I know that can present problems if you are bed chasing on the Camino but it is still the safer and more comfortable way to hike in hot climates?
 
It's tactics more than strategy IMO

There are so many variables that there is no one right answer.

The thinner you are, the more water you'll need, and the better the small sips advice will be ... the bigger you are, the more likely it will be that taking heftier gulps at longer intervals will be better.

Terrain matters, too -- as well as your hiking speed.

When you are walking through well-watered land, with frequent drinking places dotted along the way, then you'll need to worry about this question far less ; whereas carrying 2-3 Litres will be an absolute necessity to tackle a long stretch of dry wilderness.

And the faster you walk, the less water you need to carry.

Carrying a small amount of wine, to be taken in small sips every few KM, can be a good idea BTW -- not only does it have some painkilling and muscular relaxation properties, but the vitamins and other qualities provide fortification and strength on the road provided you don't overdo it (except maybe at the wine fountain OFC :mrgreen: ) ...

Often, walking in France, I'd not bother carrying anything more than half a litre of either wine or water (and sometimes nothing at all) -- though in Spain this was rather more unusual (in many parts of Italy, water can be some utterly useless weight -- I'll never forget the time when a man whose house I was walking past, in Lazio IIRC, handed me the hose he was using for a car wash to me to drink from ; and out came some cool & delicious sparkling spring water !!!)
 
Laurie,
I haven't had to cover such a long stretch with no new source of water, but almost all of my Camino walking has been in late July so I can pass along a few water related suggestions. It's important to start the day well hydrated. Before you ever walk out the door in the morning, drink at least a full half liter of water. It's the easiest way to "carry" that extra portion of water. Your body gets dehydrated over night so if you don't catch up, you are already behind. And, plan not to drink the very last of your water until you have visually seen the water coming out of the next water source. As long as you still have some water left, psychologically you are not out of water yet. I am a big water drinker so I know that is easier said than done but there is a difference when you know you still have some water.

On those long, dry distance mornings, maybe it's best not to be drinking coffee. :shock: That one I haven't actually tested, but I think it is true. And a final idea, some hard candies would make you feel less parched.

This will be a timeless thread. Thanks for starting it!
Nancy
 
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Laurie,

When I walked the Levante it was in September, so much hotter than now. I think 3l ought to be fine. I drank as much as i could stand before starting, and then when i needed it. The only time I got in trouble was due to a mistake and some grape harvesters saw me right.

Andt
 
Laurie,

You might want to think about both sides of the water balance, and reduce the output as well as what inputs you will need. You can only really control how sweaty you get, and reduce your sweat output by walking at or below the point where you are actively sweating (if you are already doing this, you can probably stop reading now ). I know that if I am actively sweating, my body's fluid consumption can rise to just under 1li/hour. I suspect that it is around 100-200ml/hour normally during daytime activity.

You will still sweat (at least in normal conditions). Because you are outside and there will be a higher evaporation rate, you could be sweating more than you normally would and still staying dry.

I read up on this approach a few years ago, but a quick web search didn't find the resources I might have pointed you to about no-sweat and low-sweat walking techniques, but they revolve around adjusting your pace at the first signs of sweat not evaporating, ie damp patches forming under your arms or elsewhere.

I drink regularly, but use the onset of thirst as a trigger. You might not drink much in the first 1/2 hour or hour, but I find I drink regularly after that. The jury is out on whether to consume fluids before thirst, and for normal people, I think the evidence is that this isn't necessary. We are not sports people under intensive training or military operating at higher activity levels and heavier loads who might quickly develop a fluid deficit. The advice to these groups to drink before thirst might be justified, but I don't think that it is for the average pilgrim.

My view on sipping is that I take a reasonable amount when I drink, perhaps a 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup or more. Its hard to tell when drinking from a bladder. I know that there has been some research work on this, and there is a point where smaller sips become less effective when one is thirsty. I would recommend you take at least a mouthful each time, ie around a 1/4 of a cup, rather than really small sips that just moisten the inside of the mouth.

I always carry water purification tablets. I use the opposite approach to LTfit, and drink from the bladder first. If that runs out, I decant my bottle into the bladder. If I then have to refill from an untreated source, I use the bottle and add a purification tablet to that and leave it for 30mins or so. It can then be decanted into the bladder, and the process repeated. If you think 3li is your limit, I would use a 2li bladder and carry a 750ml to 1li bottle. This is on the basis that most purification tablets will treat up to 1li of water in 30 min.

Regards,
 
Very very helpful, thanks everyone. I hadn´t thought about the obvious point of drinking as much water as possible before starting out. I will start that tomorrow morning. Give up the morning coffee, well, that would be hard. (So maybe I will just take the advice I like and ignore the advice I don´t ).

Not to put too fine a point on this, one post said that the slimmer you are the more you need to drink. Another said that the less you sweat, the less you need to drink. Those seem to be inconsistent to me, because wouldn´t it be that the skinnier person will sweat less and thus need to drink less?

But in any event, my main question was clearly answered, that maintaining your hydration level is better than letting it drop and having to re-establish it. Thanks very much, that will be my strategy from now on!

From a very sunny and very friendly Alpera on a slight detour from the Camino de Levante (we are the first three pilgrims to ever use Alpera´s albergue -- two bedrooms with two beds each, bathroom, sitting room with table and chairs, and a heavenly patio out back covered with flowering vines).

I can´t get onto my blog from this location, but hope to update it tomorrow. Thanks for all the PMs and encouragement! Laurie
 
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On long walks what I try to do is start off as hydrated as possible (that starts the night before) and drink well at the last good water source before setting off. I try to avoid touching what water I have until midday and stretch out what I have from then on. Usually I can make 2 litres last all day that way in normal weather. I want to be near my destination when I hit the last quarter litre.
 

Coffee doesn't dehydrate a great deal. I'm sure somebody can find the science on this but I wouldn't give up coffee. I think net net the water in coffee out weighs the caffeine.

The point is to replace your sweat. If you sweat a litre over a period of time you need to drink a litre.


I've no idea about the slimmer bit. Maybe the idea there is less stored water in the body?

If it's a situation you're really sweating a lot and there for drinking a lot you need to worry about sweating out too much salt but you are need a fair bit of intake for this.
 
A few packets of electrolytes are a must, in my opinion. As an alternative to plain water, just add a packet to one of your bottles of water and you are far better protected against dehydration, than just plain water. Anne
 
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Hello,

You have probably asked a very important question for a lot of people.

I haven't walked the Camino but have many years experience of long distance and endurance walking. I don't profess to be an expert, all I can pass onto you is what I've learned is best for me and the advice given by others more qualified than I.

Take regular sips before you get thirsty and if your 'wee' looks straw coloured or has a strong smell you are likely to be dehydrated. Small sips regularly prevent you becoming dehydrated and very importantly - if you stop perspiring ( or glowing if you are a lady),or for some people get an unusal for you headache, you are on the way to dehydration so drink well, drink deep ( non - alcoholic ) and drink soon.

As for carrying 3 litres of water, some will say no, I say yes if you expect hot conditions.

Hope this helps.
Buen Camino
 

No -- the slimmer person will become dehydrated faster, because there's less water in their body to start with

It's less the amount that you sweat out than the ratio between sweat and body weight that you need to be wary of.

You're probably right that at the end of the day, the slimmer persona will drink less total water, but this does not contradict the need for more regular sipping.

It's hard for me to have a completely objective point of view though -- for while my body weight has varied tremendously on pilgrimage over the years, I also have water retention, which makes my own drinking regimen atypical.
 
Well since I had to take three pit stops in the first 90 minutes (and let me tell you, that is a challenge on this part of the Levante) walking this morning, I think I will scale back on my hydrating!

Walked to Chinchilla today in sunny warm weather. It was 26 or 29 depending on which guide you believe. Tomorrow to La Gineta is either 36 or 38 so this will be a challenge for me. Luckily the terrain is flat. Buen camino from Laurie
 
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At the suggestion of a Spanish peregrino, I have started buying a half liter of gatorade or aquarius or powerade or one of those electrolyte drinks. I usually drink it during the last hour on my way into town and find that it really keeps me going. What do the water experts think of that strategy? Is there any reason not to do it? I´ve never drunk these gatorade-type drinks before and usually don´t like sweet drinks, but find that it is a real boost at the end of a long stage. Thanks for the help, everyone, Laurie
 
I always carry a fat juicy orange for that last few kilometers.
 
My walking companion also carried the same amount but he added a liter of Aquarius to his water. Later on I did the same but only added a can or two.
Click to expand...

As I mentioned in my previous post I added Aquarius (found less sweet than the others) to my water rather than drinking it straight. I would put my platypus hydration system with water into the fridge in the evening and add 1-2 cans to it prior to leaving in the morning. I had difficulty eating during the first week due to the heat and found that this was one way to recoup.
 
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Perhaps if Gatorade and such like work for you that's what to do. Personally I get the same effect from half a dozen boiled sweets and plain old water.

Enjoy whatever you choose!
 
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