Feedback - The trusty waterbottle

‘…I have been hiking for many years and over the last few years I see more and more people out walking with a blue tube clipped to their shoulders. I understand why people use them but is it really necessary? I have managed to survive for 30 years of walking through dales and in more mountainous regions with nothing more than a trusty water tin I had as a young lad…’

Well, you’re right. To an extent. Particularly while hiking or trekking, a bottle can be as good as a hydration pack. So why do people buy them? Well often just for ease of access. Stopping, taking your back pack off, getting your bottle out and then packing it all back up is a hassle. Coupled with that, if you’re walking in the summer or warm climate you’re going to need frequent access to fluids. You may not want to stop that often. Anything that ensures you drink frequently is surely a good thing.

The second point is that often hikers will combine bottles and hydration backpacks. They may have water in their backpack but keep a bottle or two of a sports drink separately for electrolytes / energy etc. But that’s not to take away from the above comments. Enjoying your sport is the main thing. As long as your drinking enough ;-).