[pct-l] Water Caches?????????

[enyapjr at adelphia.net (enyapjr)]

Wayne Kraft asked "Can anybody explain to me why so many seem to be using so much
cached water?"

Only by assumption!  It comes from the ultralight/lightweight philosophy - carry as little weight
as possible, and water is heavy...  but the problem lies in those "so many" confusing "water
cache" for a "known reliable water source" - they are far different entities to you and me...

Say the 30 mile stretch between known water sources also had a water cache at 10 miles and
another at 20 miles...  You or I would camel up at the first water source and then leave carrying
at least 8 liters - sufficient water for the entire 30 mile stretch if prudent...  But many, to save
weight, would only carry 2 or 3 liters from the first source because there is "water available" in
10 miles at the cache - and all they really think about is that would be at least 10 pounds less
to carry!  Then they fill up another 2 or 3 liters at the "water cache" for the second 10 mile stretch...
And so on...

But what if that first "water cache" is dry?  Then, hopefully, someone like you or I come along!
And when you tell them you have between 5 and 6 liters of water - "That's great," Dry Tongue
says, "We can split it.  That's plenty to get 10 miles to the next water cache."  ...And they
probably wouldn't see any flaw in their logic on that either!

Happy (not thirsty) trails!!!