I did a lot of hiking and backpacking in my teens, but I've only recently gotten back into it. I did a recent 3-day packing trip around North Manitou Island, which, unless you stay in the village, is completely backcountry camping (and no fires allowed). The three day trip really reinforced how important water is. A friend went with me, and she brought along her MSR dromedary bag. Due to the scarcity of water inland, the dromedary bag proved invaluable. Most of the trails and campsites are well inland from Lake Michigan. There are only 2 other water sources on the entire island. I carried my CamelBak reservoir and an additional water bottle. When it came to setting up camp, cooking and basic cleaning, our personal water containers were not nearly enough, even though we conserved water. The dromedary bag made all the difference since we had to camp a bit away from water sources. We were able to set up camp, hike a distance to water, fill the dromedary bag and return to camp with all the water we needed for the evening and next morning.

Because I had been out of backpacking for so long, I had forgotten how much water you really do use in a day! It was way more than I anticipated. It also really demonstrated how important fresh, clean water is, and how much you really should have on hand, whether camping, backpacking or surviving. With the exception of extreme weather, which may make shelter your first priority, water certainly is the most important resource one needs in any survival situation. Although you can certainly get by carrying only a canteen or reservoir, a secondary, large-capacity reservoir can be a great luxury. It certainly was on my trip!