What's the deal with always carrying a water bottle?

mtaratoot

TL:DR I think that the companies that sell high-end insulated water bottles are making bank and have convinced us that we can't go more than 500 meters unless we carry water. What gives?

Preface: I think drinking enough water is very important. I am also a firm believer in bringing your own reusable bottle of water if you'll need water instead of buying bottled water. This is for traveling or hiking or just packing a lunch. Bottled water has a lot of negatives associated with it, but that's not what I'm asking about.

I was out for a walk yesterday for about 90 minutes in a park very close to my house. As I was about to walk home, I noticed someone carrying a liter of water. While this is a large park and a person can walk 10K without retracing their steps, I never bring water with me. I stay plenty hydrated. I thought it was odd that one person in this couple was toting along a liter of water just out for a little walk.

Today I went for a hike in a County park a bit farther away. I walked about five miles. As usual, I didn't bring water with me. There was plenty for me when I got home. Actually, there was plenty in my car - this park is far enough that I drove.

I noticed many people carrying water bottles. Stainless steel water bottles. Now friends, it was not hot out. It was about 45 degrees F (about 7C). The sun was out part of the time, but it was overcast.

Then I noticed something that made me scratch my head. It was mostly younger people who had water bottles. All of the folks that appeared to be under 40 had a bottle. Mostly steel. The exception was people who were trail running - three or four of them. There was one younger woman who had a running vest, but the others just had their shoes. There's a university in my town, so there's some down time for younger folks to get out and recreate during "normal work hours." That's when I like to hike. I also saw quite a few folks closer to my age. Not one of the people who appeared to be 50+ had a water bottle. None.

I know a lot of folks have an idea that you need a gallon of water per day. That's really not necessary except under some specific conditions, like hard training and/or in hot, hot weather especially if you're out a long time. If I'm going kayaking or canoeing all day, I bring plenty of water. I might even bring another beverage. If I'm just taking a canoe out for an hour from the ramp near my house to fish the other side of the river - probably no water. If I'm going to hike ten miles, I'll bring a liter or two. If I'm going up a mountain, I'll not only bring water, but I'll bring a cold beer in an insulator to enjoy on top. Not on a leisurely walk or hike.

I just don't get it.

I think that the folks who make very expensive double-wall vacuum-sealed insulated water bottles are making bank, and they have convinced people of a certain age that they can't leave home if they're going farther than to check the mail without a liter of water. Even if they're just going to the mailbox maybe.

I guess it's possible what was in those flasks wasn't actually water.... That would explain it. Nothing like a picnic with wine, cheese, and fresh artisan bread at the top of a hill or mountain that has a spectacular view, but these folks were just out for a short hike.

What do you think is going on here? Has a generation been duped, or am I the ignorant one?

AnnPT77

I think it's individually variable.

I don't buy the gallon of water per day myth. But experience tells me that I'm somewhat sensitive to under-hydration. (I do sweat ridiculously much, even with ridiculously low exertion.) After I figured that out, I carried a water bottle with me a significant fraction of the time everywhere, including at the office, so I'd remember to drink enough to avoid problems.

I don't take water with me on walks in moderate weather, but do if it's hot and I'm walking several miles. (I do use a steel bottle, because I drop water bottles a lot even with a shoulder strap, but it's not insulated because I prefer my drinking water at ambient temp. Every once in a while I need to remodel it with a hammer if I want it to sit reliably upright after I've dropped it X number of times on hard surfaces.)

I always take a water bottle in the boat when I row, and I make the newbie rowers take out a water bottle in hot weather, because IMO it's safety equipment for the activity. It's easy to become underhydrated enough to affect energy level, possibly even affect coordination. Having the water and not needing it is NBD. Needing it and not having it, not so good.

I always take a water bottle on my bike. Usually I drink some, and am happy I had it.

Hereabouts, I don't notice the pattern you mention of young people having water bottles and older people not. Some people do, some don't, but I haven't noticed an age pattern. A friend I walk with regularly always takes water on short (like 2.5-3 mile) walks, and pretty much always drinks some. She's close to my age (few years younger), but has multiple chronic, severe health issues - I think that has something to do with how frequently she prefers to drink water.

Among the rowers, the inclination to take water in the boat doesn't have an age correlation that I've ever noticed, other than maybe that older people are more likely to express hesitation about drinking it while rowing because there aren't restrooms in the boat, whereas younger people's expressed resistance seems to be about thinking they're too tough and sturdy to need water.

I think I disagree with your thesis, or at least think it isn't the trendy thing among younger folks here that it is there.

mtaratoot

Now that you mention it, the person YESTERDAY was over 50. Maybe that's why I noticed it. Today though, it was just odd. No backpack, just carrying a bottle.

And now that you mention it, a friend I walk with who's also over 50 always carries water and drinks it often. She also carries a backpack with way more stuff than she needs to bring on a leisurely walk. Part of that may be to increase bone density by adding mass to her walking; that's an issue for her.

When I carry water on a hike, it's in a backpack or lumbar pack. I don't like to have to carry something in my hand. I don't even like to use my hiking poles that much. In the summer, I'll carry water even if it's just five or six miles. I also carry a snack.

At the gym, I bring water and drink it regularly even if I really don't need to.

I am going to try to continue making observations. Today was the first day I noticed it. Maybe it was an anomaly. Water is great. We're very fortunate here to have very high quality drinking water right at our tap. It won a regional (small region) best tasting water competition in 2023. We often win that the year we change the carbon in the filters at the plant.

If you drop your bottle often and dent it, you're better off with a single-wall bottle. Dents in the vacuum bottles can reduce their thermal properties. I don't like ice cold water either, but on a long hike, I will toss a couple ice cubes in at least one of the bottles so it's not too warm, especially for the bottle that stays in the truck. The single wall bottles are also lighter. I still use Nalgene bottles for river trips and some hikes. I probably still have some of the old polycarbonate versions that can leach BPA, and I ought to ditch 'em.... recycle 'em.

I just thought it kind of odd.

Onward!

runstatsgirl

If I'm going for a vigorous walk or run of any distance I carry water. I tend to sweat easily and am a member of the, uh-hm, over 50 crowd. I may or may not drink it but like the other poster, I see it as better to have and not need than vice-versa.
I used to enjoy distance running and when I was out I'd always bring water. I found if I didn't, even on short runs, it messed with me mentally. Lol. I'd think about how thirsty I was the entire time. I had many running friends that rarely brought water so I think it's just a preference.

Retroguy2000

I don't know if it's an age thing, but I do think people in general over-emphasize the need for water when they're out. If you're sufficiently hydrated in advance, you should be fine for most activities.

When I go out for an inline skate for an hour, I drink a glass before I leave and when I return. It's not needed during.

COGypsy

I live in the high mountain desert and I think we generally just drink more up here. But in my experience, the water bottles have become a legit fashion statement. Having one, particularly one of a couple of specific brands, is as important as hydration. They’ve become like purses—bottles go with particular situations/places (Stanley gets carried into the office, skinny Yeti lives in the car) and colors and styles are tracked like crazy to get the latest and greatest before anyone else. The water is almost secondary to the container itself.

tomcustombuilder

Lol, it's like people chugging protein drinks while at the gym...

henridw2095

I often feel self conscious guzzling lots of water at the gym after work and am thinking others will think it’s idiotic…(not that I care).

People might have their own reasons, in my case it’s working long hours in a space where drinking is not permitted and therefore catching up. The second reason is making an effort to drink more due to whole foods-based diet (70+ g of fiber day), which causes GI trouble when you don’t drink enough.

That said, the hydration hype is of course lots of marketing. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ .

herblovinmom

So for me personally, I take water everywhere I go, except around the corner to check the mailbox.. I won’t leave to the supermarket or any chores with out my bottle of water, if I’m out and about with a bottle and run out I will immediately head home or go get more water. I’m a water hog. I even carry water in the house with me from room to room. No joke. I’m being totally honest. That being said, I live in the desert, its a city desert, yes, but I’ve been trained from a very young age you don’t leave without water as the desert doesn’t have much. We have extra water in our vehicles and every member of my family is trained to grab a water bottle if we’re leaving the house. We own lots of reusable water bottles and fill them from our reverse osmosis system. We have two, that’s how much I love fresh water. One up stairs and one down. And I still carry water everywhere I go lol.. I can say that my labs show I’m chronically dehydrated, I obviously carry more water than I consume. I do get symptoms of dehydration easily and no I’m not very active, I don’t do strenuous activities, I don’t sweat much, I mostly just walk a mile or two, maybe a short run, I do walk/run with my water bottle though. Some low impact exercise like yoga, barre, not much physical activity, no sports or anything high impact, every once in a while I’ll do a HIIT workout but nothing crazy enough to require all this water I carry everywhere lol and I havnt noticed the age factor. I’m of middle age, almost 40.. most ppl around here carry water bottles, maybe not to the grocery store but most other places especially places of activity like parks.

nossmf

Water bottles in my office are definitely a fashion statement. I work on a military base, where most of the young kids have to wear identical uniforms with strict haircut standards. The one place they can display their personality at work is through the stickers they affix to their water bottles. (Working at high elevation in an office with air scrubbers which actively pull humidity out of the air for the sake of the computers, drinking water non-stop throughout the day is required to avoid dehydration, so everybody has a water bottle and uses it.)

Sett2023

I bring water with me everywhere (54 years), ditto my husband and son (56 - 20), and ditto my parents (about 80).
I know that when I go out for 5 minutes it wouldn't be strictly necessary, but after both me and my mother ended up in emergency room more times (2 me and 2 she, for different reasons but all linked to hydration - not enough for her / too "concentrated" for me), and after being warned that if only we had drink more/better it wouldn't have happened, and having noticed that yes, that's true!, because since when we drink more / better (that is, not three glasses in a row, but half a glass every now and there) we never had those problems again, we stick to it.
I was thinking: maybe you didn't noticed older people having it only because they don't "show" it? For instance, you'd never say we have ours water bottles, because we too hate having things in hand, so for instance my son and husband use backpacks; I use a lumbar pack or, when I'm dolled up, the purse; and my parents keep it in the bag of the walking frame of my father...?

Joy_in_the_Simple_Things

I pretty much bring my water bottle with me everywhere for a few reasons:
1. I sweat easily
2. I'm prone to UTIs and it's important for me to keep liquids going
3. I get cotton mouth sometimes and having water on hand keeps me comfortable
4. It's easier to get enough water in every day if I'm able to keep a small, but frequent amount of water going down

I don't use an insulated water bottle, but a sports bottle since it's also what I use for my fitness classes. If I go hiking any significant distance I usually use a hydration pack so I am hands-free and can also carry a few things in the pack.

I am NEVER sad or regretful that I have water available!

Edit to add: I am 52 and couldn't care less about trends or fancy water bottles.

mtaratoot

I mentioned something about commercial bottled water. I may not have mentioned that it doesn't have as stringent regulation as tap water, at least in the USA. I think it was the Environmental Working Group that did a study and found that 60% had microbial contamination that would result in a violation if it were tap water.

Well, I just found another reason to eschew buying bottled water; micro- and nanoplastics.