W is for Water

Never assume there will be water where you camp! Have plenty with you and remember – you likely use more water than you think, so don’t skimp. Since water is essential for life and health, at a minimum you should carry:

• 1 gallon per person per day for drinking and sanitation (per ready.gov)
• Water filter in case you need to drink from a stream

During our epic car-camping adventure, the gallon water jugs we bought leaked (even before they were first opened) so we switched to buying smaller water bottles by the case and stashed them in all the door pockets and the crevice created with the back seat folded down flat for sleeping.

As for a water filter, many available nowadays are very effective, easy to use and compact. The one that came highly recommended from one of our super-outdoorsy sons is the Sawyer Mini, which "Removes 99.99999% of all bacteria, such as salmonella, cholera, and E.coli; removes 99.9999% of all protozoa, such as giardia and cryptosporidium" according to the manufacturer. At under $20, how can you afford NOT to get one for your car camping adventures?



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