TBatty

I'm planning a trip for this summer through the desert in central and eastern Oregon. I will be fully self supporting, and camping along the way. I have a few stretches where restocking water is a concern, so I am curious as to how other people handle carrying a 2-3 day supply of water on a bike.

I am considering getting a couple of 4 or 6 liter MSR Dromedary water bladders and attaching them to a front rack like panniers. Is there a better option? I would rather not wear a camelback, but I am even less keen on collapsing from dehydration.

Thanks in advance.

staehpj1

We crossed central and eastern Oregon and never found we needed to carry more water than just for the day. We did dry camp once (or maybe twice?), but never on a day that we didn't have a chance to stock up on water shortly before pitching camp. Maybe you can pick your route and plan stops in a way that would allow the same approach?

That said I have sometimes carried the first extra water in a Platypus 2+ liter bladder and then additional water goes in either bottled water bottles or sports drink bottles saved or scrounged for that purpose. All that just goes in the panniers or sometimes under a pannier flap. If the weather is hot I avoid keeping water under the flaps because it seems to get much hotter than when inside a pannier.

In the California Sierras carrying a filter worked well, but that was where there were ice cold mountain streams fairly often there, especially since we were crossing back and forth between the wet and dry side of the Sierras fairly frequently.

fietsbob

Can You pack the trip gear into 3 panniers ? you can put that bladder bag in the other rear pannier.

or a couple smaller ones in the bottom of both panniers in back,
I will go there, packed low, because it will be your heaviest item.

raybo

I, too, have ridden across Central and Eastern Oregon, in July, no less, and didn't find a need to carry more than a day's worth of water. I wore a camelback, stuffed it with ice (nothing like ice water when riding in desert heat), and never came close to running out of water.

Are you planning on riding off-road and away from any resupply points? If not, you may find that carrying extra water is just adding to weight you are pushing around.

In addition to the camelback, I also carry a single water bottle, usually filled with a sports drink of some sort. The one time (on a ride following the ACA Southern Tier Route) I carried extra water, I bought a 1 liter bottle and shoved it into a pannier.

Here are 11 links to information about carrying water on tour. Not all of them will be of interest to you (as they are specific to other places), but several talk about ways to carry water and riding through arid areas.

Good luck!

Ray

Derailed

I carry a 96 oz Nalgene Cantene (link to item at REI) in addition to three water bottles. Usually I just keep two water bottles filled, but as my foreseeable need changes, I increase how much water I carry.

The bummer about water is that there's no way to lighten it (dehydrated water, anyone?). But, the nice thing is that if you realize you're carrying too much, it is no big deal to dump it.

So, I'd say as long as you have light, collapsable vessels in which to carry it you should be all set -- as you apparently already realize. That said, I'd do my best to avoid having to carry more than a day's worth... I've never found myself needing more that, fortunately, because it would take a lot of planning to pack it.

I recognize that's exactly why you're posting, but as others have mentioned, I'd be surprised if you do indeed end up needing to carry enough for multiple days due to a lack of refill options.

TBatty

Wow, speedy responses, thanks much! Gives me some ideas to consider, includeing not being quite so worried about carrying so much.
For those who are familiar with the area, I plan to head east from Prineville, through Fossil, then head south at John Day towards French Glen. Depending on how long it take me to actually get there, I hope use French Glen as a hub to do some day trips until the end of my vacation, when the wife will meet me with the car for the trip home (cheating, I know). This will be my first self-supported bike trip of any length, so I am maybe being a little anal about preparing for it. Plenty of car camp and backpacking experience, but new to bike touring.

xyzzy834

Not cheating at all. Any bike touring is a good time no matter how you get to the starting point or get home afterward.

Have a great ride.

Bekologist

I pack a 10 liter MSR dromedary bag, a two liter dromedary bag, and four and a half liters water bottle capacity. I put the big 10 liter pig - 18 pounds of water! - strapped to top of back rack when full.

I've been making the switch to Platypus bags, nice and compact when not in use. the Dromedary bags only slightly less so.

I carried a gallon on an ultralite trip this summer in the Marin Headlands by slinging 2- one liter Platypus bags off the back of a Carradice and two liters in the bottle cages.

Doug64

If you take the Trans Am route which I suspect the other posters are relating to, they are probably correct. However, we took Highway 20 across Oregon, Southern Idaho and Wyoming;and it gets somewhat warmer and also further between towns. We were also surprised when a place we had planned on picking up water was closed for the 4th of July weekend. The way we handled extra water was a couple of Platypus collapsible bladders. Just tucked them under a bungee on the rear rack or in the front panniers. We hit a couple of spots where we needed two days worth of water which is quite a bit if you count drinking, washing and cooking. It is also nice to have a little extra to pour over your head and down the back of your jersey. It is better to have it than wishing you had it.

I don't really call the Trans Am route portion true high desert. There are a lot of pine forests along the route from Redmond to the Idaho border. I worked in John Day and commuted home almost every weekend over 200 miles of that route. I also drove the other direction frequently. That exposure was one of the reasons we chose not to do the Trans Am route. The other primary one is that Highway 20 is the only contiguous road that spans the US. Newport, OR to Boston, MA. We also wanted to stay off the main bike routes (personal preference).

This is the road between Bend and Burns. We hit temps up to 109 F.


Between Boise and Mountain Home was not much better. The only road that goes through this part of the country, and the only freeway of the whole trip( about 65 miles)


Shade was such a novelty we stopped and took a picture of the first tree we'd seen in a couple of days.

valygrl

My favorite method of carrying extra water is to buy water in the last store before you set out into the no-water area, and just carry it in the containers it came in. You can keep them and refill from taps. When you leave the dry area, recycle the bottles. The great thing about this is how flexible it is - only carry extra stuff when you need to, and you don't have to buy anything special. If you drink bottled soda or whatever at home, you could save a few bottles & bring them with you.

It's good to plan, and as a newbie those plans can easily turn to worry. You'll settle down as soon as you get a few days under your belt, and overpreparation isn't such a bad thing.

Enjoy your trip, may it be your first of many!

LesterOfPuppets

When I lived in AZ I'd head out with a couple of 2-litre soda bottles that I'd previously emptied of soda.

prathmann

I sometimes carry a 'water bag' that consists of a double-layer thin plastic liner held in a nylon outer shell with a handle and has a toggle-spigot on the side. Only weighs about 4 oz. when empty and holds up to two gallons. Normally I only use it when in camp since one doesn't always have a water faucet right by the campsite. So I fill this and hang it at the camp so we always have water handy. But it has also served to carry extra water when necessary. I generally keep everything in my panniers and leave the top of the rack empty, but if I need to carry more water then I'll put the tent on top of the rack and carry the partly-filled water sack at the bottom of a pannier.

Cyclebum

1+

And take some water purifier tabs along, just in case.

Newspaperguy

One thing to consider is getting the topographical maps for your area, or a GPS unit with topographical maps. Good maps will tell you exactly where each steam or creek can be found.

There are of course going to be areas where water will still be hard to find. If you know you'll need extra water, take a few extra bike bottles in your panniers and fill them when needed. The bladders or soft drink bottles also work admirably.

And, as has already been mentioned, take some water purification tablets. You'll need them if you have to get water from a source of questionable quality.

Tansy

I've been having friends who drink boxed wine save the bladders for me. They're of a negligable weight, the good ones close securely, and if they start to grow algae, you can just chuck it and pull out a new one.
Wrap them in a towel and put them in a pannier. I'd rather have a trailer for carrying water, but your mileage may vary thar.

staehpj1

I agree with all of that 100% with one exception. Bringing soda bottles from home is unnecessary. I have never had any trouble finding some empty soda or sport drink bottles when I needed them, so why carry them when you don't?

Similarly why carry water bladders for the whole trip when you will probably only need them here and there? I do carry one because it is handy in camp, but extra capacity beyond that is usually sport drink or bottled water bottles picked up when needed and disposed of when not. BTW I find that for me it works best to distribute them in my panniers spreading the weight around and keeping things from getting unbalanced. I don't worry much about keeping the water weight low and leave them on top for easy access.

nancy sv

We took that same road and I would highly, highly suggest carrying extra water!!! If the temps are normal, you should be able to carry enough water pretty easily, but like Doug mentioned - the temps can soar!! If you happen to hit a heat wave, you'll need lots and lots and lots of water and there won't be any place to get it.

We are now cycling down in Argentina and are having to carry plenty of extra water. We've started strapping on 2- or 3-liter plastic Coke bottles - it works great. That way, we can carry them when we need them, but don't have to stash them away for when we don't need the extra.

Tourist in MSN

Two liter soda pop bottles are quite cheap, weigh very little and are quite sturdy. When you decide you do not need them anymore you can chuck them in a recycle bin. Fit well in most panniers or in a duffle on top of rear rack.

valygrl

I agree, but the OP is talking about a short trip that he already knows there are water issues, so may as well take bottles he already has rather than buy often-overpriced water in convenience stores. If he's already buying gatorade or whatever along the way, no need to carry the bottles.

staehpj1

Yes absolutely.

zoltani

Mmmmmm, water tastes so good after sitting in a 2-liter coke bottle all day in 109 degree temperatures!

Typically I use stainless steel bottles, but for carrying extra water I vote for the platypus bottles, love them, though I wish I had the ones with the handle like pictured above.

TBatty

Well, this has been my most productive thread to date, and lots of good information and ideas. Being a bit of a cheap bastard, I like the empty wine box bladder suggestion.

Doug64- I've driven Hwy 20 Bend to Burns a number of times, that is one long desolate stretch. Your pictures reinforce my memories of it. I'm going Hwy 26 so I can ride the painted hills and stop at the fossil beds, again areas I've driven, but once I head south from John Day I am less familiar with the area, that is where I am concerned with the water supply.

Part of my background is ten years of doing search and rescue, which usually meant aiding someone who was not prepared for the situation they were in. I don't want to be THAT guy

Thanks again for the suggestions. I am really looking forward to this trip.

zonatandem

Living in the desert southwest we know what 100+ temps and no-shade are like.
Have threatened to carry tea bags and toss 'em in our water bottles as the contents heat up.
Warmer than body temp water's not very palatable!
We usually freeze half-full bottles. Got room for 7 water bottles on our tandem.

Bekologist

i often make tea in a bottle by putting a teabag or two in a bottle exposed to the sun....

nancy sv

I VERY frequently throw a teabag in my water bottles!