Hydration Basics: How To Make Sure You Won't Be Hating Life On The Trail

I realized I may have jumped the gun by diving into finding the right reservoir before going over basic hydration tips. Staying hydrated (no matter how you actually take in the liquid) is one of the most important ways to make sure you enjoy yourself outdoors. 

You may be wondering, "It's 5 degrees in Denver right now, so I don't think I'll be breaking a sweat any time soon. Do I really need to worry about staying hydrated during a polar vortex?"

The answer is a resounding yes. Colorado is dry, and gets even drier in the winter. Even if you don't live in Colorado, your body uses up a lot of water to heat up the freezing cold air that you breathe in all winter long, making hydration a year round priority.

Adventures in Hydration: My Quest To Find The Right Bladder

By now, I've realized that most people actually refer to bladders as reservoirs, but why pass up the opportunity to use a completely ridiculous term for outdoors gear? Plus, it's funny to see people's reactions to sentences such as, "I need a new bladder, mine keeps leaking."

Immature humor aside, I've been on the hunt for a reservoir once I started wanting to go on longer hikes. Your first and most obvious option for hydration is a water bottle, but a reservoir lets you go hands-free and bring a lot more water with you, which is important if you're going to be out on the trail for several hours.