Water Cooler and Water

[BBQdave]

I was thinking about my water system with coolers. This involves an igloo 5gal water cooler, and sometimes water sourced from the campsite faucet and sometimes water in containers.

Campgrounds that I know have good water, makes it easy to source water locally.
Dry camping or no campground water, I bring water frozen in containers (in coolers) to replenish my igloo 5gal water cooler.
I like my water system, easy to clean, maintain and transport. Always open to ideas and improvements on camp water

What's your water system? If you bring your own water to camp, how is stored? If you do not know the quality of local water, do you use a filtration device?

Thanks for your thoughts

 

[jmkay1]

I almost always bring at least 3-5 gallons of water from home in an aquatainer. However it started leaking around the valve lately.

 

[Susan Premo]

We never bring our own water.

 

[kitphantom]

We've always carried our own water, for 30+ years, tent camping, popup camping, and in the travel trailer. We carry at least one Aquatainer in the truck. We carry more if we know or thing that the campground may not have good water. We refill from the campground as needed, since we usually base camp for 6-8 nights.
We didn't have water systems in either popup. Our TT has a 20 gallon fresh tank, of which around 16-17 gallons is usable. After that, the pump begins to pull in air, because of where the intake is.
If we know the campground will not have water, we bring more water jugs. We have 2-1/2 gallon Aquatainers, and another 4 gallon one. We used to carry larger ones, but I can handle the 2-1/2 gallon ones but a 7 gallon one is too much for this older lady. Always, the jugs are stored spout up on top, only topped when actually using the spout.
We do use a Brita counter top filter dispenser, as carry-over from when that was our water source in the popups.
Once in a while, we'll take some bottled water. I know that the water at one campground we'll use this still tastes a bit off after filtering, although it's safe. I'll have a case of bottled water, some stashed in the fridge. The friend going with me drinks lots of water and is fussy about the taste.

 

[BBQdave]

Thanks for the replies all

Looks like water containers are the go to source.

@Susan Premo do you have a filter system for water or do you know the water is good at the places you camp?

 

[xxxapache]

I use a blue inline filter to fill up the TT tank regardless of whether I am at home or in a campground. My TT kitchen sink has a drinking water dispenser with an filter under tthe sink. I always leave home with a full tank and usually carry a 6 gallon Aqua-tainer in the truck for just in case. We usually have a case or two of bottle water between the fridge and truck bed.

 

[Raycfe]

We also bring our own bottled water for drinking

 

[jmkay1]

Got side tracked when I started to respond the first time.
I wanted to add that in addition to bringing water from home I fill the tanks at the campground. However my onboard tanks are usually for brushing teeth, washing dishes etc. I only drink from the stuff I brought from home. Im A little picky about my drinking water.

 

[Tonya Harding]

I take my chances, not worried about taste as long as it's not a poisoned water hole; wife demands bottled water, so in essence we cart some along. I do have a 5 gal. container I fill up at the campground...

 

[Warfarin]

I take a gizzilion gallons of water with me everywhere. Grew up in the desert and dad instilled bring lots of water with you into me. If no hookup I fill at home and if hookups I use their water. No use towing the extra weight if I don’t have to. I usually always have a cooler full of bottled water in my vehicle for day to day use. My dad was so stingy on water that he would never let me shower while we were camping because he was so afraid of running out. Then before we left he would open the petcock and dump 20+ gallons on the ground as we drove home. I think in 18 years of camping with him he let me take a cold shower (can’t waste propane on heating it up) 3 times.

 

[kudzu]

Hmmm... Until now I hadn't thought of how differently I handle water now that we are dogless. These days we usually have some drinking water with us but just a few smaller water bottles. The places we camp usually have good water. If we are dry camping, I just haul the trailer with a full tank.
But back when we traveled with dogs I brought gallons and gallons of extra water, in the van, in the trailer, more in the van. There was no way I ever wanted to get accidentally stuck somewhere and not have lots of water. Last dog passed a year ago. Now that it's just humans and my attitude seems to be... eh, we'll find something, somewhere, no big deal. Odd how much things can change.

 

[Sjm9911]

I always use the water tank and fill it a bit before the trip. Then top it off where we are at. But I also take at least one case of water and another of something else for the kido to drink. While I was only at one campground that had so so water, I want the choice. Besides, bottle water is easier to take on day trips to the beach, etc. We freeze them and take them in a small cooler. You do need a freezer for this.

 

[DM27]

Freeze a couple flats of bottled water to use as ice in our food coolers. As they defrost, use them for day trips, hikes, etc. Bring AquaRain filter and fill it with Campground water to use for drinking at the campsite.

 

[1380ken]

Outbreak of Legionnaires' disease linked to N.H. campground

Officials are warning the public about an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease tied to a campground in Meredith, N.H.

www.boston.com

 

[vggbrgr]

Hmmm... Until now I hadn't thought of how differently I handle water now that we are dogless. These days we usually have some drinking water with us but just a few smaller water bottles. The places we camp usually have good water. If we are dry camping, I just haul the trailer with a full tank.
But back when we traveled with dogs I brought gallons and gallons of extra water, in the van, in the trailer, more in the van. There was no way I ever wanted to get accidentally stuck somewhere and not have lots of water. Last dog passed a year ago. Now that it's just humans and my attitude seems to be... eh, we'll find something, somewhere, no big deal. Odd how much things can change.

Change em back! Dogs are good company!

 

[Dingit]

We always travel with a full tank. We carry Aquatainers as well. And frozen bottles in the cooler. Even places we go to that used to have water can't be counted on to have it these days. And none of them would have had places to fill a tank anyway. (I like to camp where RVs do not camp.)

When water is available at the camp site, we use it for drinking, cooking, etc., when convenient (like filling a kettle or pasta pot). If it tastes bad we use stuff from home first. I bet I could find a spot for a Brita in the popup though...

 

[Michael J]

I sanitize our tank in the spring from the winter sitting and middle of summer.

That being said 90% of our camping is with water hookup and normally the water is not bad, but I normally carry some water when we head out just incase in the onboard tank and drain when leaving if it didn't get used.

 

[kudzu]

If it tastes bad we use stuff from home first. I bet I could find a spot for a Brita in the popup though...

That was my solution. Sure, I filter what comes into the camper but water from the tank still tastes, well, kind of off. Bought the small, 6-cup Brita pitcher. There’s enough room in the little toy hauler.
For the Aliner I used a tiny Brita filter that could hang on the inside rim of a large cup. (It came with one.) Worked great if you only needed a cup at a time. It finally broke when I dropped it one time too many.

 

[Mad Mac]

we purchased a hand pump that fits 3 or 5 gall bottles and always either pack on or pick on up on the way. I have been able to get the 5 gal bottle for about $6

 

[BBQdave]

Thanks for your thoughts and experiences with storing water and carrying water and campground water

It's nice if you have room in your vehicle or rig to bring water from home, what your used to drinking.

And always a welcome resource to have clean drinking water at a campground