The Bedouin of Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter live in perpetual 120-degree heat. They can survive on several cups of water per day. Imagine yourself in those same conditions, armed with a 200-ounce CamelBak loaded with your favorite turbo-mega-hydro drink – you’d be guzzling all day.

Now drop those temperatures by 140 degrees, to 20-degrees below zero. You’d still breathe hard with exercise. Your sweat would evaporate fast in the cold air. Your waterbottle would turn to slush and be near impossible to drink, but that wouldn’t be a problem. The cold subdues your thirst.

Staying hydrated in cold conditions is arguably harder, yet more important, than in hot conditions. In cold conditions water keeps your body lubricated. It increases blood perfusion to your extremities keeping fingers and toes warm and hypothermia at bay. Unless you’re a polar explorer from the Empty Quarter, staying hydrated in cold temps is a constant chore. It’s more complicated than bringing a 200-ounce CamelBak.

How much water is needed to stay hydrated in winter? The short answer: however much you need to stay hydrated. I once summited Denali with salty mountain man Mike Roberts. At the end of the 12-hour day he’d drank half a quart. I drank three times that much. I was parched. Mike was fine. Mike trained his body to function on less water. How do you know if you’re hydrated? Everyone’s different. But as a general rule, if you’re peeing regularly and peeing clear, then you’re hydrated. A quart is often enough on a typical, seven-hour day of midwinter backcountry skiing, if you camel-up beforehand.

Top-Loading Liquids
A key to staying hydrated is starting hydrated. Your body is a huge sponge. Start absorbing water the night before. Drink a glass of water for every beer. Keep hydrating in the morning – OJ, tea, coffee – it all helps. And keep drinking on the commute. I consume a full liter Nalgene of hot mint tea with milk and sugar on the drive. By sponging up before hitting the trail you won’t need as much on the trail.

Big question #2) What is the best winter hydrating method? This mainly comes down to CamelBak, or not to CamelBak. Let’s hit non-CamelBak options first.

Bottles
My preferred method for winter hydrating is a 32-ounce wide-mouth Nalgene bottle filled with hot Gatorade. I keep it warm by wrapping it in my extra warm layers and placing it against the inside back panel of my backpack. This technique works for most winter conditions – unless you live in Barrow. If it’s below 20 degrees add extra insulation with an Outdoor Research Water Bottle Parka, Forty Below Bottle Boot or a Nalgene Zippered Water Bottle Insulator. Don’t be tempted to holster a cozied bottle on your hipbelt – it will freeze and has a high nerd factor. If it’s really cold keep the bottle inside your jacket pocket or use a thermos.

Thermos
The word thermos is a synecdoche for vacuum bottle, just like Kleenex is for tissue. But let’s stick with thermos. For a thermos to work it must be vacuum-sealed – the product must say “vacuum” on it, and it won’t be the cheapest option. A vacuum bottle has hollow walls. All material between the walls has been sucked out so heat isn’t transferred by conduction or convection. As a result, the contents stay warmer longer. Trusted thermoses include those made by Sigg, Thermos, Nissan and Stanley. The problem with thermoses is they’re heavy, but so is a block of ice in your Nalgene.

Hydration Bladders
Better known as CamelBaks, hydration bladders are the ultimate hydration devices. The problem is they easily freeze. I think using CamelBaks in temperatures below freezing is setting yourself up for disaster. Never take a CamelBak winter camping. Always take caution using CamelBaks in cold weather or you may find yourself out-of-water-and-50-miles-to-the-oasis, parched as an Arab’s armpit. But if you enjoy tinkering with gear, and don’t mind the occasional frozen tube, then here are some bladder tricks.

• Fill the bladder with hot water.
• Keep the bladder inside your pack, close to your body.
• Drain liquid from the tube after every use by blowing back into the tube, or by holding the tube up and squeezing the mouthpiece so the liquid drains back into the bladder.
• Keep your tube short so liquid easily drains back into the bladder.
• Thaw the mouthpiece by turning the bite valve off and sticking it down between your shoulder blades and backpack.
• A sure-fire way to prevent freezing is to wear the bladder on your back, under a few layers and string the tube up by your neck. You will look like a hunchback though.

Stoves
In long days in super cold conditions, melting snow several times a day with a stove may be the only way to stay hydrated. Bring a white gas stove and a two-liter pot for powdery snow. Don’t bring a canister stove because they have reduced performance in cold temperatures.

Rehydrating
You will be dehydrated at the end of a long winter day. Keep a two-quart Stanley Classic Vacuum Bottle (~$40) from the grocery store full of hot tea in your car. If you prime the bottle with hot water before adding the tea the Stanley will stay warm for two or three days. Then you can appear staunch by driving straight to the bar – hydrating on herbal tea along the way – kill a few beers and still get 7,000-vertical feet of skiing in the next day.

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