Hydration and camp

Once training moves outdoors the equipment list changes: something to carry water in, and somewhere to sleep when the trip runs past a single day. Both are chosen by capacity first, and by how they behave when everything is wet.

Bottles come down to insulation and mouth width. A double-wall steel bottle holds temperature and stays dry outside, though it weighs more, while a soft flask is almost weightless and adds nothing to the temperature of the water inside it.

Tents are quoted by person count, which assumes sleeping mats and nothing else. Floor area and the hydrostatic head of the fly are the numbers that describe what the tent will do in weather.

What actually decides a purchase here

Capacity against the length of the trip, both how much water you carry and how much floor you need.
Whether caps, seals, pole sections and pegs are sold as spares.
Weight and packed size against how far you have to carry the item.
For tents: hydrostatic head, taped seams, and whether the floor is a bathtub design.

Our picks in this category

Hydration and camp

Hydro Flask insulated bottle, 32 oz

A double-wall steel bottle that holds temperature and stays dry on the outside.

Best for: Training sessions, day walks and anywhere you carry your own water.
Watch out for: It is heavy when empty compared with plastic, and a wide mouth spills easily while drinking on the move.

Check price and availability

Dome tent pitched at a campsite in the evening

Hydration and camp

Coleman dome tent, 4 person

A dome tent with simple poles and a fly that covers the roof, for weekends out.

Best for: Weekend camping and a base for day walks from a campsite.
Watch out for: The quoted person count assumes sleeping mats only, so four people in a four-person tent is a tight fit.

Check price and availability