Hiking Water Needs in Zion – How Much do You Need to Carry?

Water keeps you hydrated when you are hiking in places like Zion Canyon, it is one of the most essential items that you should carry when you are going hiking.  You need to carry a lot of water, which makes your back pack heavier, but sometimes it’s a better idea to carry small bottles instead on big ones that are too bulky.  Most hikers do this mistake, they try to bring big bottles and they get tired while carrying them on the trail. So get small bottles, easier to pack and easier to carry.

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A lot of trails in Zion will have drinking water available at the trailhead, but not all. So it is still a good idea to carry at least one or two liters to keep you safe depending on the hike you’re doing. Being hydrated is very important in hiking. You get tired easily, but when you keep drinking water it supplies you the required energy to keep up the pace. You’ll also need to eat some snacks to get instant energy.

Essential Water Needs For Hiking in Zion

Water is essential when hiking, each individual has a unique requirement for water and their unique metabolism. There is no theory or formula for exactly how much water is needed to keep you hydrated.   And also there are many other factors that modify the water needs for each individual.

Here you can find few basic needs of water:

  • Generally a person requires about ½ to ¾ quart of water per day to stay alive, and it is sufficient for thinner people. But if a man is around 175 pounds then the baseline is 3 quarters per day
  • A common analysis is that for every 4-5 miles of hiking, you need an extra one liter of water.

The fact is that you lose water from your bodies in 3 major ways:

  1. Breathing – When you breathe you will inhale air takes in the moisture in the lungs and when you exhale you will lose it.
  2. Sweating- moisture will come out through the skin, though you don’t see the sweat.
  3. Urinating- Whenever you go to nature calls, along with the waste, it also removes the moisture from your body.

how much water is needed for zion

Variables That Affect Water Needs While in Zion

On that baseline of water needed, additional water will be lost due to many physical and environmental factors. You may also lose water from your body due to environmental and physical factors like:

  • Humidity – Low humidity can evaporate sweat very quickly and cools your body.  This gives you nice feeling, but it also increases your water needs.
  • Wind – The air that moves away from your body, also takes the moisture with it which is why you feel thirsty quite often.
  • Temperature – if the weather in Zion National Park is hot, naturally it makes you sweat. When the air gets warmer, then you lose the more water from your body.
  • Elevation – When you are hiking at elevated region, the humidity gets lower and you may need more water due to lower temperature and humidity impact.
  • Energy Level – When you are hiking you are, in fact, making more muscle movements; which generates heat so to cool you off you need to drink more water. Limit your activity levels to lessen sweating and heavy breathing to save body water.
  • Acclimation – your body accumulates to different kinds of environment over a period of time and it controls itself more effectively. Accordingly, a person consumes more or less water while hiking.

 Technique to Save Water

The best way to save water is hike during the morning hours and evening hours especially during the summer. It helps you avoid the direct sunlight effect on your body.  And also you can more peaceful hiking.

Maintain a steady pace while hiking; go slow so that you may not breathe heavy and no sweating.  Wear a wide hat with a brim and use umbrella to avoid sunburn.  Check the map to find the water refill spots. Carry enough water to keep you safe or look into a water treatment system. Drink lot of water and hike safely. That way your experience hiking in Zion National Park will always been one you can look back on and smile.

Photo Credit: J.B. Hill on flickr

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