One of the main questions we get about a bug out bag is how much water should I carry? The answer is 1-3 days worth of water. The number of days, and the amount you’ll need per day varies by a person’s situation though, so there really isn’t a one size fits all answer. Really, that amount, per our guide, could range from 1/2 gallon to 3 gallons of water. Here’s our guide for helping you decide how much water to carry with you when getting out of dodge.
How much water do I need in a day while bugging out?
We recommend having at least 1/2 gallon of water per person for a day’s worth of water, and more depending on your situation and environment. A person can live on 1/2 gallon of water for 24 hours if they’re not exerting themselves a lot. In fact, most people in the US are generally dehydrated and don’t even drink that much water in their regular day. It’s not optimal, but if you’re in a bug out situation, you’ve moved past what’s optimal and you’re in survival mode.
If you live in a desert state, you’ll want to up that amount of water. We’d recommend at least a gallon of water per person if you live in a desert, or in a warmer climate. Most premade bug out bags or 72 hour kits only plan on you having 12 ounces of water per day. That’s not even a full one of those cheap disposable water bottle’s worth of water. That’s why we plan on at least 1/2 gallon per day. If you get a situation where you need to stretch that out, by the 12 ounces per day guide, that is 5.3 days worth of water under strict rations. Our goal is to never have to be under such strict rations though, and we do that by answering the next question as well.
How many days of water should I put in my bug out bag?
There was water everywhere where we lived in Indiana, but you can go miles without finding water in Utah, where we’ve also lived. If you live in a place like Alaska where there is snow on the ground for 75% of the year, you’ve literally always got water under foot, so there’s that to consider. The number of days worth of water depends on your environment.
You also need to consider that one gallon of water weighs about 8 lbs. If you plan to carry 3 days of water, at 1/2 gallon per day, that amounts to 12 lbs just of water. That jumps to 24 lbs if you’re planning to carry a gallon of water per day for those 3 days. That’s a lot of weight. It could be necessary weight though, depending on where you live, and where you’re bugging out too. Ideally, if you’re carrying the water on your back, we would recommend, if possible, to not try to carry more than 2 gallons of water on your back. That’s a lot of water weight.
So in total, for your bug out bag, you’ll need the amount of water per day times the total number of days you’ll need to carry for, which could range between 1/2 gallon and 3 gallons.
How should you carry your bug out bag water?
We recommend buying water in prepackaged pouches, not bottles. The goal with your bug out bag water is to have it stored safely. If its packaged professionally, you don’t need to worry about it growing bacteria, going bad, or generally having problems. These pouches are surprisingly thick and sturdy, and can stand up to being jostled around in a pack, unlike a lot of plastic water bottles. This pack here is the best bulk deal we were able to find, so we thought we’d share it with all of you.
Canteen for Gathering Water On the Go
If you’ve got water you’ve filtered while bugging out, you’ll need to put it somewhere, and you’re not going to be able to reuse those little packets of water. Because of that, you need a solid water bottle that you can refill. We recommend a stainless steel option. This 2.2 liter bottle from Navaris can hold a little more than a half gallon. Most bottles in this size are the vacuum sealed insulated bottles. You don’t want the vacuum sealed bottles though in a bug out situation. The vacuum seal is nice for keeping beverages cold or hot, but it adds weight, and takes up space. By not having a vacuum sealed bottle, you gain more water storage. This is your modern canteen.
Know where water is
Identify other water sources along your possible bug out paths. If you’ve got a bug out location in mind, I would trace that path on OnX, or Google earth. I love OnX because I can download the map on my phone and mark water and other features. You can also look on that downloaded map to find water as you are bugging out without needing internet or service, in case the grid goes down.
Go learn your local terrain. I’ve lived in Utah, Indiana, and Oregon. I know how to find water in each of those environments, and there are similarities and differences between them all. Learn how to find water.
Get yourself a bug out bag water filter
Our favorite water filter is the Platypus Gravity Works Filter. It’s extremely simple and very effective. It’s also built extremely well and durable. It’s our go to filter.
If you’re considering a life straw I would strongly urge you to get the Sawyer instead. It’s very similar, but the sawyer is built better, and has the ability to connect a water bottle to it. If you’re looking for small, minimalist, compact filter, this is the one you want.
What’s the Status of Your Bug Out Bag?
Water is a vital part of your bug out bag, but you need all the right gear in a SHTF scenario, and there is little margin for error. While water is obviously one of the very highest priorities, when your life depends on it, you want to make sure you’ve got all the right gear. For that reason we put together an extensive bug out bag checklist to help you determine if you’re prepared, should you ever need to get out of dodge.
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So for your bug out bag, how much water do you need? You need the amount of water you drink in a day, multiplied by the number of days you need to carry in your situation. Generally speaking- between 1/2 gallon and 2 gallons of water, though some people may need more.
