Best Way To Carry Water While Skiing (Hydration Tips)
Not drinking enough is a surefire way to have a miserable time skiing. You'll have less energy and a greater chance of injury. Luckily, there are several products on the market to ensure that you have enough water, while you're exploring the mountain all day.
Many skiers opt to use a Camelback, as it's the most convenient method for carrying a significant amount of water. Alternatively, a water bottle like the CamelBak Eddy is not only lightweight but easy to open and drink from while wearing gloves or mittens.
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Why Hydration Is So Important While Skiing
If you allow yourself to become dehydrated, you will experience negative symptoms that can quickly lead you into serious illness. When skiing, it's important to keep your body in peak form — which includes hydration in order to maintain your balance and control.
Common signs of dehydration include:
- Nausea
- Headache
- Thirst
- Dizziness
- Weakness
If you or anyone in your group begin to experience these symptoms, water and extra electrolytes are recommended straightaway. If you start experiencing the symptoms of dehydration, you'll need to head back to the lodge for a rest and to recharge.
Another bonus of staying hydrated while skiing is that you're likely to shiver less. Hydration affects blood flow, so the more dehydrated you are, the more your body shivers in response to the cold air. Don't allow yourself to get caught in a bad situation. If you're going down the slopes and you suddenly find yourself feeling nauseated and dizzy, you're more likely to make a mistake, fall, and cause injury.
What Causes Dehydration on the Slopes?
When you're actively skiing, you'll naturally sweat. It's important to replace this lost fluid by drinking plenty of water. With so many warm layers on, your body can easily become overheated. Going too hard on the slopes can lead to increased fluid loss, which you'll need to replenish to avoid becoming dehydrated.
Another contributing factor to dehydration on the slopes is the fact that at a high altitude, the air tends to be dryer. The dryer the air, the more moisture is lost when breathing. It's best to drink enough water before, during, and after your ski session. This is one of the most important things to help your body during such a tiring activity.
You never want to be caught on the slopes feeling dizzy and lightheaded. Even minor dehydration can take the fun out of your ski trip.
How Do You Carry Water While Skiing?
Now that you understand why it's important to stay hydrated on the slopes, you may be wondering how you combat this issue. After all, carrying several water bottles isn't practical. Luckily, there are several great products on the market. They enable skiers to carry enough water, without getting in the way.
If you're unsure of how much water you should take with you, try weighing yourself before and after you ski. Calculate how much weight you've lost, and you'll have an estimate of the amount of water you should be taking with you. Generally, the conversion is 20 ounces per pound of weight lost, so, if you ski for an entire afternoon, you may lose several pounds of weight, which equates to needing approx 60 ounces (1.7 liters) of water. The amount of water you need depends on your body size and how much your body is used to consuming.
Best 3 Options for Carrying Water While Skiing
If you need to carry more water on the slopes, the options below offer relatively lightweight options. Depending on how long you plan to be out, you may need to choose larger capacity designs that hold more.
1. CamelBak Hydration Pack
This ski pack allows you to carry up to 70 ounces (1 liter) of liquid with you while you're skiing. Fitting easily on your back in the form of a backpack, you'll forget it's even there, and remember, the more you drink the lighter it will get.
This is one of the most convenient ways to drink water while you're outdoors, as you can sip through the tube. There's no fussing with opening and closing a bottle and you're sure to stay hydrated throughout the day.
2. Nefeeko Collapsible Water Bottle
This collapsible water bottle comes in a variety of colors, including black, blue, and yellow. While it only holds 18 ounces of liquid, it makes a suitable option if you're only going to be out for a short period.
If you have access to a refill station, you can use this bottle all day to ensure proper hydration. Once you're done with it, collapse it down and use the convenient carabiner clip to attach it to your gear.
3. Embrava Sports Water Bottle
While hard bottles don't have the convenient size of collapsible bottles, they can often hold more liquid at once. This particular bottle has a great loop attached that you can use to hook it onto your gear. This bottle holds up to 32 ounces (1 liter). Made from non-toxic BPA-free material, you can rest assured that this bottle is eco-friendly and safe to use over and over again.
How to Keep Water From Freezing While Skiing
Naturally, you don't want your drinking water freezing while you're out on very cold days. However, this doesn't have to be an issue with insulated water carriers. Many camelbacks and hard bottles are manufactured with insulation against harsh outdoor temperatures. Some collapsible bottles don't have any insulation, so if you're going to a particularly cold destination it's worth thinking about a different type of bottle.
Alternatively, if you don't have insulated water carriers, you can carry your water closer to your body. The heat of your warm body will keep the water liquid or you could put it inside your backpack between clothing layers for extra insulation. Purchasing insulated bottle covers, which wrap around your bottle also ensures the water stays drinkable. Insulated bottle covers don't cost much but they can be priceless on freezing cold days.
If you're skiing in the backcountry and plan to camp, you will need to think ahead and ensure you have a solution for this such as a camp gas cooker for melting snow.
Let's Recap
The next time you're heading towards a ski trip, make sure you pack a suitable container for carrying water. Think ahead about the destination. Do you need an insulated bottle? Do you need a larger size bottle for long days out? By determining how many pounds of water weight you lose on average, you'll be able to calculate how much water you should be carrying. Alternatively, simply refill your bottle throughout the day (all resorts will have free drinking water taps).
Whether you choose to go with a collapsible bottle or a Camelback, you'll be helping your body to recover and stay hydrated throughout your skiing day. After all, skiing can be intense, and even though it's cold out, you will still sweating and losing fluid.
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Hello, I'm Simon & I love skiing. I started skiing in 2007 and I founded this website to help new skiers learn everything there is to know about skiing. NewToSki.com has grown to be a trusted resource for over a million skiers to plan their ski trips each year and learn more about every aspect of skiing. Be sure to join my email list for the best tips and handpicked deals each week.
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