I'm new to the site and I'm happy to be here I have a lot of questions and it looks like theres a bunch of very knowledgeable people here, my first question to throw out there, I am going on an Elk hunt this fall and we are hiking in about 4 miles and will stay in there a couple of nights the problem is there is no water where we are going so we have to pack all the water we will need, what are your suggestions for the best way to pack about three gallons of water each? are there some neat containers for this kind of volume?

Thanks

Since the weight of the water can't be changed, I have no amazing advice to give except that I'd personally split the water into several containers, so it could be distributed through my pack better. I'd stay away from metal bottles and stick to plastic of some sort, to reduce the weight of the containers. Reusing some of those big-sized soda bottles might be something to consider. They are surprisingly durable if they aren't too old.

With that much water I'd want to be extra sure that the caps fit snugly and that the sides could not be easily pierced by anything in my pack.

You will have to think about water freezing, if your Elk hunting is in country that I am familiar with. Do not fill the bottles to the top- freezing can crack the plastic container. Leave about an inch at top for expansion. Not so much a problem when inside your pack going in, but a big problem while in camp overnight. Wide mouth bottles work better when it freezes. Once water in my Platypus bottle froze and it took two days to shake out all the ice! Often the lid will freeze tight. You then have to use your hands to warm it enough to open. One good thing about metal bottles is that you can heat the container to melt the ice. I would have at least one metal bottle that you can put on a stove. Once you get some water heated, you can stick the plastic bottles in the hot water to thaw. One idea is to make a hole in the ground for water bottle overnight storage and cover with leaves, etc. I would not keep water bottles inside the tent - if they leak you are in for trouble. One small bottle inside the tent at night for sips is fine, but not a bunch of them.

Beer doesn't freeze and goes well with breakfast in the morning.

Once the sun is up, you could likely put the water bottles in a black plastic bag and it would thaw pretty quickly.

You should be long gone out tracking elk by the time the sun is up! If you 100% trust your water bottle, sleep with 1 liter so you can go hunting in the wee hours of the morning.

A horse or mule!

Usually, putting the water bottles upside down the night before will do the job. That way the ice is at the bottom of the bottle, not at the cap end. It would have to be really cold for it to freeze solid!

At only four miles in, maybe a hike back to the cars mid-trip to retrieve more water would help reduce the weight of your initial load.

yep trip in set up camp and a trip out to get the water. Good idea.

That's what I would do... The second trip for the water should be fast and easy.

When I had to bring that much to drink I've used a 2.5 gallon flexible plastic container with a spout like this:



They pack well, seal pretty good, and are very durable. The spout is really handy when the container is set on a table or rock. I suspect that if you left a just a little slack in the plastic they would freeze just fine.

These actually do work really good for beer too. You have to get your beer really cold to lock in the CO2, and pour it in the container very slow so it doesn't foam much, and you have to fill it all the way up or get all the air out, no foam in the container, no air space. When you draw a beer the bag collapses so no air gets in it. Beer will stay fresh and carbonated for a couple days in one of these. Longer if you don't open the valve.

You might think the hardest part about using those for beer is hiding them in your buddies packs without them knowing, but it turns out to be getting them out without them knowing. I still haven't figured out how to do that...

Bill, if you don't mind my saying, that's a lot of beer you're talking about.

If your hunt is successful, you will be carrying more weight out, then water weight in.

However, I bet there is water there. Elk usually aren't desert animals. They live by water.

Thanks everyone, that gives a lot of stuff to think about, my next question is what is the best pair of socks for long days hunting in the hills? not to concerned about warmth just want them to be thick enough to keep me from getting blisters, anything out there that doesn't let your feet slide around?

That's a function of properly fitting shoes, not socks.

You do have to have comfortable shoes, or you are screwed. However, socks are an important part of the equation.

Thorlo socks are available in many stores that have camping gear. They are comfortable and don't smell when they get wet. I think they are wool, but they may be a blend.

Smartwool socks are very comfortable, but they stink when they get wet and they dry slowly.

I recently discovered Browning Merino Wool crew socks and I love them. They are about half the price of the others.

White cotton socks are a poor choice for those who are prone to blisters.

Thorlo socks are synthetic. I used to wear them (light hikers) until I discovered that Smartwool socks of the same thickness, under controlled conditions (hanging in the shade in summer, after removal from the washing machine) dry quite a bit faster (in my test, after washing, the difference was about 2 hours faster for merino wool). Also, merino wool feels dry and warm on your feet even when not 100% dry. (I took that into account in the above test and made sure the wool was really dry.) Strange, everyone else recommends wearing merino wool instead of synthetics to avoid odor! It's interesting that your findings differ, Gershon! (As a female, I don't get so stinky, or maybe my nose is less sensitive, so I can't test that feature.)

I agree, avoid cotton socks, or your feet will be constantly wet--cotton absorbs lots of moisture and is extremely slow to dry. That leads to blisters as well as (in hunting season) cold feet.

My Smartwool socks don't smell so bad - I think that's just your feet, Gershon.

Thorlos are synthetic or a blend of wool and synthetic.

What tends to smell really bad at the end of the day is my shirt... but unlike synthetics, wools washes out clean and doesn't smell the next time I put it on. All sweaty clothing items smell while they are sweaty...

Here is another option that may work well.

Fox River® Wick Dry Alturas Sock Liners

A friend of mine who hikes 5 miles everyday swears by these. They are very thin polypropylene, and he says they last a very long time. He also hiked the AT using these socks.

They dry quickly if they get wet, which I like.

The only reason I don't wear mine is all my boots and shoes are sized for a thicker sock.

Neither one of us gets blisters, so I can't comment on blister prevention.

Exactly where and when are you hunting? Conditions vary. I have late season hunted elk in in Wyoming -cold, cold, cold! Actually, my husband hunted elk in southern New Mexico (their season is in January) and it was 8 degrees F! He also hunted in southern Colorado where it was downright balmy.

I also am beginning to have some concern about going back-country hunting if you do not even know what kind of socks to wear. Sorry, it is the mother in me, worry. If you have hunted in this region before, but from a vehicle accessed base camp, you should already know how to dress for the conditions.

Have you figured out how you are going to haul out the meat if you are successful? Does the area or terrain allow a hand cart? If so, there is your answer to hauling in water. Do you anticipate snow on the ground? If so, you can melt snow for water.

I know that it sounded like I was a complete rookie but it couldn't be further from the truth, most of my hunts are on public land in Montana and we walk all day in snow sometimes other times it could be in the forties, the hunt I am going on in Oct is going to be fairly mild and we are hiking in 2 to 3 miles and camp and hunt from their, my concern is I am going to be with a guide and walking all day, I'm just wondering what the latest socks were that people that take longer hikes are wearing.