[pct-l] water collection and storage

[ned at mountaineducation.org]

Our leadership teams usually total two or four. They usually share water overnight and over the day's Basecamp time. We all sleep in the same tent. When we arrive at Basecamp, someone goes for water in bulk to bring back to the tent. This sealed Dromedary bag stays in the tent to keep it from freezing overnight. We fill our canteens out of it over the course of the 3-day skills training weekend so we don't have to revisit the lake or creek edge where falling in is always a possibility.

This Spring, while we were filming up in the snow along the Crest between KM and the MTR, we saw many open-topped fabric buckets used by other thrus to collect water for overnight. Not a bad idea, really, but I sure wouldn't want it inside my tent, concern being spillage that might get bags, pads, and clothing wet in the snow environment we teach in. 

When it comes to snow, ice, and water collection, the less time you have to spend doing it while balanced at the edge the better. The less the stuff has a chance to splash on you, get your gloves wet, dribble on your legs as you snowshoe back to your tent, or leak inside the tent, the better. In the summer, getting wet is no big deal. In the winter, depending how wet you get and how fast you can get into dry clothes, it can be life or death. We do this every winter; I wouldn't make a big deal of it if it wasn't true. So, select your type of water storage that will protect you from getting wet. For us, it can storm for three days while we're stuck inside our tent playing cards, reading books, and sleeping, so we need some kind of well-designed for pouring and sealable water storage device. 



Ned Tibbits, Director
Mountain Education
1106A Ski Run Blvd
South Lake Tahoe, Ca. 96150
    P: 888-996-8333
    F: 530-541-1456
    C: 530-721-1551
    http://www.mountaineducation.org