Ratgeber
Drinking water when trekking: treating and carrying it
Water from streams and huts should be filtered, boiled or chemically treated before you drink it if its quality is uncertain. As a rule of thumb two to three litres per day are enough, more in heat and at altitude. Adventure is a Swiss travel agency offering advice by video call.
Von Adventure, Stand
Schritt für Schritt
- Clarify beforehand where water is available along the way.
- Choose a treatment method: filter, boiling or chemical agents.
- Test filters and tablets at home before the trip.
- Fill up at the cleanest source, not in standing puddles.
- Plan reserves for dry stages and heat.
Checkliste
- Filter or disinfection tablets packed
- Two to three litres of capacity
- Extra collapsible bag for camp
- Electrolyte powder for heat
- Filter instructions to hand
- Backup in case of failure
- Drinking bottle easily accessible on the rucksack
Clean water matters more on trekking trips than almost any piece of equipment. Drinking too little lowers performance, contaminated water leads to stomach and bowel complaints. This guide explains the common treatment methods, compares advantages and disadvantages and shows how much water you should plan for. Please clarify medical questions with a travel medicine consultation. With the right method, drinking water on the way remains a solvable matter.
Where water is available along the way
In the Alps and on many hut routes water is often available, but even there streams below pastures are unsafe. In Nepal, Peru or Tanzania the accommodation or guides usually provide boiled or treated water.
Before the tour, clarify where you can refill and how long the dry sections are. That determines how much you have to carry. Ask guides or hut wardens on the spot about the quality of the sources. They know the region and where water flows reliably. On some routes you can buy bottled water along the way, but that creates waste. Treating your own water is usually the more environmentally friendly and cheaper solution.
The common methods compared
Filters remove bacteria and parasites, are easy to use and hardly change the taste. Not all models capture viruses, so it is worth checking the manufacturer's details.
Boiling is the most reliable method, but costs fuel and time. Chemical agents such as tablets are light and practical, but do not work immediately, and the taste can change. Observe the waiting time on the packaging.
Many travellers combine two methods, such as a filter and tablets as a reserve. For large groups or long tours, gravity filters that treat a lot of water at once are suitable. For individuals, small pumps or bottle filters are more practical. Activated carbon filters improve taste and smell, but are no substitute for disinfection. Read the product details carefully.
How much you should drink
As a rule of thumb two to three litres per day apply, more in heat, exertion and at great altitude. Drink regularly in small amounts, rather than only when thirsty.
With heavy sweating, salts are lost too. Electrolyte powder can help, but does not replace medical advice. If complaints persist, seek medical help. Salty snacks and drinks with minerals supplement fluid intake. Warning signs such as dark urine, headaches or dizziness call for a break and more drinking. Ration the water over the stage, for example with a fixed amount per hour. That way you end up with neither too much nor too little.
Practical tips for camp and hut
Draw water from flowing spots, not from pools, and take it above settlements and pastures. Let cloudy-looking water settle before filtering.
Clean bottles and filters regularly. A collapsible bag makes fetching water in camp easier, and an easily accessible drinking bottle reminds you to drink. On stages without a source, carry water in bottles that are watertight, and distribute the weight evenly in the rucksack.
Health and precautions
Before trips to regions with uncertain water quality, ask at a travel medicine consultation which precautions make sense for you. You can check vaccination recommendations and advice with the FOPH (BAG).
You will find more on equipment in the [packing list for trekking](/m/adventure/planen). We also advise you on your specific destination in a video call. Inform your travelling companions about the method, so that everyone proceeds in the same way. A single mistake can affect a whole group.
Typical mistakes in handling water
A common mistake is drinking too little because treatment is a nuisance. If you use water only sparingly, you lose strength and concentration. Plan treatment as a fixed part of the break.
Ice cubes, unwashed fruit or brushing teeth with tap water in regions with uncertain quality are equally problematic. Think of these sources too.
If you use a filter, you should protect it from frost, because frozen filters can be damaged. Check the manufacturer's details.
A common mistake is trying out filters or tablets only on the first day of the tour. Test the method at home beforehand, so that you know the handling, waiting time and taste. Also note that a filter can freeze in frost and develop cracks unnoticed. Carry it in your sleeping bag on cold nights. Also plan a second method as a reserve, in case the filter clogs or breaks. Always draw water where it flows, and not from standing puddles.
