Camping Water: How Much to Bring and How to Store It
By Trailbound Editors · Published · Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Table of Contents
Quick Verdict
Budget roughly four litres per person per day for drinking, cooking, and washing up — more in heat or with children. Carry it in a mix: one rigid container that pours, one collapsible jug for refills, and a couple of bottles for carrying to the tap. The container that fails is almost always the cheap tap fitting, not the body.
Water is the heaviest thing most campers carry and the one thing you cannot improvise. Getting the budget and the containers right removes most of the friction from a trip.
Work out the budget before the trip
Count four litres per person per day for drinking, cooking, and a wash, then add:
- Heat. A hot day can double drinking water for an active adult.
- Children. They spill, they want more, and they wash their hands constantly.
- Dogs. A large dog drinks more than you expect on a warm day.
- Washing up. If you rinse dishes in a bowl rather than under a running tap, you use a fraction of the water.
Then check whether there is a tap on site. If there is, you carry less and refill — but confirm it is drinkable before you rely on it.
Containers that survive
A rigid container with a proper tap is the one you leave on the table; it pours without a funnel and does not collapse when it is half full.
A collapsible jug is for refills: it packs to nothing and pays for itself on the first trip. Keep it out of the sun and expect the seam to fail after a season or two.
Bottles carry water from the tap to the pitch, and they are also how you ration drinks on a walk. Two per person is a sensible minimum.
Keep the clean water clean
Use one container for drinking water and another for washing up, and do not swap them. Rinse and dry everything before storing it — a container stored wet grows a smell that transfers to the next trip’s water. Wash your hands before you handle the drinking supply, especially if you have been dealing with a stove, a fire, or a dog.
Where to put it
Keep water in the shade, off the ground, and away from the tent wall. A jug against a tent wall in the sun warms up and, if it leaks, soaks the sleeping bags. At night, bring bottles inside if there is any chance of freezing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much water do I actually need per day?
Four litres per person per day is a workable starting figure for drinking, cooking, and a basic wash. Hot weather, hard hiking, and children all push it up. Washing dishes separately can double the figure if you are generous with it.
Are collapsible jugs any good?
For carrying water from a tap to the pitch, they are excellent value because they pack flat. They are not for leaving in the sun, and the seams eventually split, so treat them as a consumable rather than a permanent container.
Can I store water in the car?
Yes, but not in direct sun, and not indefinitely. Warm plastic tastes of plastic, and any container that has held water in a hot car for a week needs a proper wash before the next trip.
