How Much Water is Needed In the Desert?

Video Transcript

"Hi. I'm Mike Meyers with Zion Wilderness Survival School for Expert Village. How many of you have set off on a hike with one of these thinking that that's all the water you're going to need? I hope after this particular segment that you never do it again. Water is essential to your survival. And, most people don't learn until it's too late how much water they really need especially in the desert. This is my pack. And, I'm going to show you what I carry as a minimal amount of water. This is a camelback, there are some other names, but basically a water bladder. This one is actually partially frozen. I freeze it before I leave partially and then I add water to it. This goes in my pack. The tube actually comes out and runs along the strap. So, I can drink continuously without having to stop and open up water bottles which helps me to hydrate continuously. Very valuable too. Recommend it if you're going to do any extensive hiking that you have these. In addition to this, I carry additional water, more water. I carry water bottles or other containers. In the desert on a normal day, you should have a minimum of one gallon of water per person. If you're going to do any really heavy work, you should have maybe two gallons of water. And, as a safety, a fall back position, you might want to have a third gallon of water. It's about eight point three gallons, I'm sorry, eight point three pounds per gallon. So, you're going to have that additional weight. But, it's a life saver."