For anyone who spends time hiking, staying hydrated is a problem that must be dealt with. If you cover a lot of ground while hiking, carrying water with you can be a pain in the butt. You can only carry so many bottles of water effectively before they really get in the way. The big thing that you want to avoid is becoming dehydrated.
Dehydration is probably one of the most common, and least appreciated, health problems if you're hiking. Why? Because every time you're active, your body releases excess heat through sweating. Sweating is useful; in a dry climate, the sweat evaporates and helps cool you down even more. Staying hydrated will help your endurance, help prevent heat problems, assist your body in working efficiently, and help prevent injuries (you're more prone to injury and heat stress when you're dehydrated). So obviously dehydration is something that we all want to avoid.
The best way to prevent dehydration is to drink lots of water and the best way to carry lots of water is a hydration pack. If you've never heard of a hydration pack, it's like a small backpack that holds water. Actually hydration packs come is different sizes, so the size of the pack itself varies depending on how much water you want to carry. The bottom line is that once you try a hydration pack, you'll always be hydrated while hiking. The days of trying to carry a bunch of water bottles will be over.
Hydration packs are incredibly durable as well as convenient. They are made of very tough plastic that will not leak or puncture, but can also be frozen. That is one of the nice things about them. You freeze your hydrations pack, then it melts while out on the trail, and you are guaranteed nice, cold water while hiking. Water bottles, by contrast, don't react well at all to being frozen, and will generally crack if frozen, especially if the bottle is full.
The bottom line is that to stay hydrated while hiking and prevent any form of dehydration, a hydration pack is the answer. Cyclists and bikers have been using hydration packs for years, and in my opinion, hikers should jump on the bandwagon. There is no better way to stay hydrated on the trail. Gone are the days of trying to carry enough water bottles with you for a nice long hike.
