It is just way too bloody hot here in the Northwest. Usually we get two weeks out of the year where temperatures are unbearably high…we passed that two week mark about two weeks ago. Increased heat means an increased chance of dehydration, heatstroke, heat exhaustion and the usual infirmities that come from laboring in unbearably high temperatures.

Probably more energy is used for heating/cooling than for any other household use. I know that in places like Florida the generators people buy are bought more with an eye towards keeping the air conditioning going more than anything else.

You don’t have to be a rocket surgeon to know that if youre going to either muddle through a power outage or live in a situation where every watt counts (an off grid location, for example) some form of low-energy climate control would be nice. It seems like theres a lot more options for heat than there are for cooling.

I read somewhere about sinking long lengths of poly pipe a few feet underground and blowing air through them. The idea was that the air is cooled as it travels through the pipe, because of the fairly constant temperature in the ground, and that cool air is then vented into the structure you want to cool. The drawback, as I recall, was that condensation/moisture became an issue. A ground heat pump system works on a similar principle, I think, but your power requirements are higher because of the need to run pumps. The former idea would use, at most, an electric fan, which is easier on the wattage than a pump.

I’ve read very nice things about the dome homes that periodically pop up on the forums. Proponents say they are easy to heat and easy to cool. Maybe, but I’ll bet the thermal mass of the concrete, rather than the shape, has the most influence.

Speaking of high temperatures and the subsequent heat related issues, I cannot stress enough how important it is to ‘keep hydrated’ which simply means ‘drink lots’. How much? Every idiot knows you can die from not drinking enough water, and Im sure many folks know you can die from drinking too much water (and Im not talking about drowning). How do you know how much is enough? When I taught hunter safety to kids the rule we taught was that when you go take a leak and your urine is clear (like water) then you’ve done a good job keeping hydrated.

Water is bulky, heavy awkward stuff to sling around but theres no way around it (short of prepositining it or grabbing it on-the-go from natural sources). The best method of carrying water in such a way that you can use it on demand is the CamelBack type hydration systems. Canteens are swell but they are noisy when half full. Nalgene bottles are even better than canteens but they can be awkward to swig out of and they also slosh. Both containers require you to remove them from a pocket or pouch to use. The CamelBacks (which Im now going to simply call ‘hydration systems’) allow the user to drink hands-free while on the move by utilizing a flexible drink tube. I cant imagine you’ve never seen a hydration system but think of a medical IV with tube (which is in fact how the original idea evolved). You sling the pouch of liquid over your shoulder or in your pack, snake the tube over your shoulder to a convenient location (like your pack strap) and suck liquid through the tube as you need it.

Several brands of hydration systems are out there and I’ve tried all of them. CamelBack makes some good stuff as does BlackHawks ‘Hydrastorm’ line. The edge for ‘tacticool’ goes to the Hydrastorm for inline filters, bigger bite valves and disposable reservoirs. If you put a flavored liquid, Gatorade for example, in your hydration reservoir youre always going to have some residual flavor and the increased possibility of bacterial growth. Disposable reservoirs let you fill ‘em with whatever you want and then toss ‘em rather than clean ‘em.

Hydration systems usually come with a ‘carrier’ of some sort – a fabric pouch to protect the plastic reservoir and provide some thermal insulation and attachment points. Some carriers are simply fabric pouches with D-rings for attaching to packs and other carriers are entire backpacks. I prefer the former since I can then use whatever pack suits my needs best, but I do have a few of the hydration systems that come with their own pack…theyre handy for bike rides and that sort of thing.

If youre gonna go buy a new hydration pack, make sure the fill opening is big enough to handle ice cubes…it’s a big deal. Also, larger fill openings mean its easier and faster to fill the darn things.

I prefer hydration systems that have a ‘lock’ on the business end of the drink tube. Why? If the reservoir is in your pack, and your pack is compressed by you leaning against something or taking a fall that pressure is going to squeeze that reservoir and force the liquid down that tube and if theres no lock on the end of your drink tube your going to get wet. And waste drinking water.

If, like me, you prefer to use a hydration system in conjunction with your own pack theres a few things to consider – make sure theres nothing that can poke a hole in the reservoir. I usually leave my reservoir in a cordura pouch to protect it inside the pack. A little forethought goes a long way here.

The section of drink tube that exits your bag will be exposed to the elements…liquid inside will freeze in the winter and get hot in the summer. When youre done drinking, blow into the drink tube to force the liquid in the tube back into the bladder. This clears the drink tube so it wont freeze or heat up.

The drink tube will flop around in a most annoying fashion if you don’t secure the end of it to something. Easiest way is find one of those metal spring clips with plastic loop that businesses use on ID badges. They usually consist of an alligator clip with a short length of clear vinyl strip attached. The vinyl strip has a snap fastener to form a loop that usually goes through a slot on the ID badge. Sound familiar? Put the plastic around the end of your drink tube and clip it to your gear to keep it from flopping around. CamelBack sells these things for a few bucks or you can get ‘em at office supply shops for less, or for free from your company’s front reception area.

Keep in mind many of these hydration reservoirs hold 70-100 oz. Of water. That can add up to some serious weight so try to load them up with only as much water as you think you’ll want. Make sure to squeeze out all excess air before closing the fill cap.

Now, with all those advantages I think so. They are the most convenient way to offer water to someone else, they are good for carrying water to cook with, and they are convenient to simply throw into a bag or box. I’ve become very fond of the Nalgene bottles for this role because of their nigh-invulnerability and the surprising amount of usability with other products (for example, some water filters are threaded to simply screw onto the top of the bottle). Nalgenes usually run $6-9 but in my opinion they are a bargain given the enormous abuse they can take. Get the genuine article. Accept no Chinese made substitute. I’ve taken my Nalgene bottle, filled it with water, and hurled it high and far across concrete parking lots and it doesn’t spill a drop. When the mushroom clouds fade the only things left will be cockroaches, mutants, and scratched but otherwise intact Nalgene bottles.

Someone, Im sure, will chime in about how they re-use 2-liter pop bottles or other one-time-use plastic bottles. Hey, more power to you. Two liter pop bottles are some tough customers…the soft drink industry spent a lot of money to come up with a container for liquids that could handle the stresses of interstate travel so why not take advantage of it. To me, there are some drawbacks..first, you’ll never get the taste of whatever was in there completely out. Second, these bottles tend to be clear and stored water usually fares better in opaque containers. Less likelihood of stuff growing in it. Also, theres not a lot of suitable pouches for 2-liter (or even 1 liter) pop bottles. Having said that, I do re-use my 20 oz, 1- and 2-liter pop bottles. I washe them out, fill them with water and put them in my freezer to help keep things cold in there if the power goes out.