Water in B.O.B.'s

[DaScribbler]

I currently maintain 2 B.O.B.'s and each one contains 3 Litres of Water in Datrex 125 ml / 4.227 fl oz Packets. These Packets have a 5 year shelf life and add considerable weight to each B.O.B.

In a few months I have to restock and re-work each of my B.O.B.'s. I am considering dropping the Datrex Emergency Water Packets from the B.O.B.'s as a means of reducing their weight.

Each B.O.B. contains 4 separate means to Filter/Purify water, so the Datrex Water Packets are not critical to survival by any means. But they may make a difference if circumstances don't allow water access for awhile.

So I guess what I'm asking here is... Do you carry water in your B.O.B.'s and do you feel the extra weight this adds to the Bag is worth it?.

Any and all input appreciated.

Thanks

[endangeredspecies]

no !
there no desert in canada

[Screedcrete]

Im In Canada and a rainforest at that. We have many means of water procurement here however I still carry water on all outings and a Bug Out would absolutely be NO different. I would say if I carried a few litres and another 2-3 ways of filtering my own would be sufficient for ME. I go an considerable amount of outings for fun with the idea of bugging out in mind. One of the first things I would say also is get out and use that pack for what its intended for because you can't listen to anyone else other than yourself anyway out in the field so these things must be done in the flesh as it stands so YOU know whats going to work for you. Fow example we hope to meet up with others that are more city bound and I would expect to see some water stored in packs there with those folks. Being subjected to city life in a SHTF situation you may very well want to have some small immediate water for hydration so I think the city will be a tough place indeed to see this trauma through. Most that are in such a cramped environment are willing and ready to flee these immediate areas and therefore make sure you are heading to a location ( or at least direction ) to water and safety. Even if I was in city I would go with a full 2.5l and have the ability to filter a few thousand gallons and my back up for the back up is a simple life straw that weighs very little and can be used in a lot of places and save weight in the pack. I can't stress enough getting out and understanding how you need to taper off your drinking habits to keep the supply on board from slipping away to easily. If you want to be even more of a roughneck ( I think this is TOTALLY NECESSARY ) I just go with a 1.5l empty water bottle (plastic) with the bottom cut off. Keep the lid on as it becomes a simple vessel for water if needed but more importantly I can use this with natural materials and make my own filter for the water and continue with a rolling boil for 2 minutes. This will allow me a filter that weighs absolutely nothing and with just a small amount of work, works well for me however in an urban location I would use the life straw over my roughneck approach as the materials will be a lot harder to find.

[JackDee]

My worst drinking water experience is during rainforest and mountain walks is about 1l for 2-3 days, carried around 2.5l. You can hold the need to drink, the body will say it's thirsty but you still can carry on. Lucky enough not to lose consciousness because of my heavy backpack.

My second favourite is tictac candy by eating just one candy at a time, let it kind of melt (tic tac is quite hard so it'll last long) and make the minty feeling on your mouth. If your mouth produce the saliva then just swallow it. So its like I drink my own saliva. A chewing gum might also do the trick but tictac lasts longer.

Boiling river water is my third option. No probs with that. Somehow I don't really worry to filter river water. Assuming no factory that dumps waste in the uprivers.

Fourth is filtering and boiling rainwater. Because recalling some science class that says rainwater is slightly acidic (honestly don't even know what that means)

Fifth is looking for edible watery thingy. Some wild berries or other things. A friend told me that some wild plants are poisonous, still lucky not to get one of those.

Sixth is sucking grass. Cut it on the stem like structure above ground and kind of bite the cutted end, not the furry ends. Some grass have a kind of sweet flavor. But I don't know if any can be poisonous.

Seventh is chewing the collar of the shirt I wear. Just to make the mouth busy.

[helicopilot]

I always have 4x 250ml bottles of water in my bag. I understand that this equals roughly 4.5 lbs of weight and I'm ok with that. My rationale is that I can't know if at the very moment that I need my bag, if I will also immediately need water. Think burns that you want to cool off, your partner going into heat stroke, etc etc etc. There would be no time to find a water source and to purify it. I can always take the water out of the pack, put one bottle in my cargo pant pocket, hold on to another one in my hand and offer one to somebody that needs one if needs be. Better to get rid of it than to need it!

For me, my bag (call it more Get Home Bag) is always in my vehicle and I take it when I go flying. I get mocked a lot for "taking the kitchen sink along", but it really came in handy several times when I had to land in the middle of nowhere due to mechanical problems or inclement weather. It was nice to grab a bottle of water, some beef jerky and wait it out... oh and share with the crew that promised to no longer mock me...

[helicopilot]

You can hold the need to drink, the body will say it's thirsty but you still can carry on. Lucky enough not to lose consciousness because of my heavy backpack.

My second favourite is tictac candy by eating just one candy at a time, let it kind of melt (tic tac is quite hard so it'll last long) and make the minty feeling on your mouth. If your mouth produce the saliva then just swallow it. So its like I drink my own saliva. A chewing gum might also do the trick but tictac lasts longer.

Boiling river water is my third option. No probs with that. Somehow I don't really worry to filter river water. Assuming no factory that dumps waste in the uprivers.

Fourth is filtering and boiling rainwater. Because recalling some science class that says rainwater is slightly acidic (honestly don't even know what that means)

Fifth is looking for edible watery thingy. Some wild berries or other things. A friend told me that some wild plants are poisonous, still lucky not to get one of those.

Sixth is sucking grass. Cut it on the stem like structure above ground and kind of bite the cutted end, not the furry ends. Some grass have a kind of sweet flavor. But I don't know if any can be poisonous.

Seventh is chewing the collar of the shirt I wear. Just to make the mouth busy.

JackDee, looks like you rely on "hope" for things to work out...

First, if your body is telling you it's thirsty, it's because it is. You can try to play the mind game and dismiss thirst, but your body still needs water. All the tricks you point out about TicTacs and sucking on buttons/shirt collars all rely on you having saliva, which in turn implies you are decently hydrated to produce saliva. Comes a point where you would be too dehydrated for these tricks to work.

As for eating berries, the digestive process requires fluids to function properly. I'm also quite concerned that you would suggest eating any berries without knowing which ones are safe. Same with grasses...

Lastly, of all the options you pointed out, rainwater would be your best bet. Though the ph may be off a bit, it wouldn't harm you during the relatively short period of survival time. Boiling it, then shaking it vigorously to re-oxygen it and letting it rest for a bit would make that water very acceptable for consumption.

[JackDee]

Helicopilot, thanks for the info. During that 11 days outing I was lost due to broken compass and missing map, ain't got GPS at that time.
Now always carry at least two compasses.

Water in BOB is surely essential, but the trade-off during selecting the contents is quite confusing. Mostly between water-food-clothing. However some survivalist & campers I know carry a whole much lot such as 10l water bottle and mini gas tank. Some others carry bulky equipment so As far as I've tried I prefer on carrying more water. But more water I put on my BOB, the heavier it becomes. I ended up splitting into 250 mils which is easier to manage. In my experience. one big bottle empties fast, four smaller bottles lasts longer.

Lately I saw many are too relied on pre-fab foods for outing with no consideration to use what's available in nature. And I've seen that the human body can adapt to scarcity of resources, so won't be too worry to push a bit to test the body limit. Indeed resting will recover a lot of power, so adequate rest is important. On other occasion I've also seen a group during outing and one of the member saying, "I can't take this anymore - we got no more water", the nearest post is just 4 clicks away. Ended up his buddies drag him on a emergency stretcher from wood and tents. After arrives at the post, the guy suddenly recover. The mental attitude man. Nowadays the mental breaks faster than the body.

My bug out plan is relying on mobility - on foot - through forest & mountains, therefore need a light enough BOB
Scenario type: scarcity of resources - escaping urban area

[Screedcrete]

Very interesting you should say that JackDee. As one whom likes to wander the woods as well, you and I both know if you know what you are doing it is really quite plentiful. Im not sure where you are but here in the coastal mountains it is pretty abundant.

I also agree with Helicopilot in the fact that your long overdue at the point of chewing your collar and Im sure you also aware of that as well What part of the world are you in JackDee?

[Zana]

I have lifestraws. As long as you have them you can drink almost any water safely.

[DaScribbler]

I've re-worked my Primary B.O.B. into a more portable means. I've dropped a Litre and a half of water and few other non-essentials, effectively reducing it from a 96 Hour B.O.B. down to a 72 Hour B.O.B. Overall, I've reduced its weight by 8 lbs, buts still weighs a little more then I'd like.

My second B.O.B. still needs to be re-worked (they're almost identical), will get to that in the next little while.

I maintain the B.O.B.'s only as a last means of survival. Regardless of the disaster my plan is to Bug In. I'll only rely on the B.O.B.'s as a last resort (House Fire, ect). Getting their weight down and keeping them effective will be a challenge.