Water

Of all the modern convenience that I left behind when I moved into a tent, running water is what I miss the most. No electricity? No problem. Earth closet for my tent toilet? Well...okay. Heat with wood? Cook with gas? Sure. Drink warm beer in the summertime? I suppose I'm even used to that now. But carrying in containers of water is pretty inconvenient.

It turns out that finding a water supply is fairly easy, and we're all very lucky in this country that clean water is so readily available. Most people are happy to let me use their outdoor spigot. I found that out last November when I first started living this way. I was looking for a water supply and I noticed a spigot outside of a country store. I went in and bought a few items and started talking to the store clerk. I explained that I was camping in the area and needed to occasionally fill my water containers. They said, "Sure, help yourself!" From that day on, I made it a point to be a good customer at that place, and gave the clerk a dollar each time I filled a container. I'm sure they referred to me as "the water guy".

At my current location in Brandy Station, my landlord let's me use his hose spigots anytime I want. The closest one is on his guest cottage which is about 150 yards from my tent. It's a nice walk, especially carrying 7 gallons of water.

Filling up at my landlord's place

And that's one of the things that I really appreciate about water: it's *heavy*! One gallon weighs a little over 8 lbs, which means my 7 gallon container is almost 60 lbs when full. That's heavy enough to really knock you off balance when you carry just one container. And while carrying two gives you nice balance, it's over 100 lbs! And for some reason I just can't seem to fill those containers part way. I'm always compelled to fill them to the top. That's because water is so precious to me now.

I use Aqua-Tainers to carry my water. They're tough, and the spigots hold up well. I have two, one in my bathroom and another in my living area.

7-gallon Aqua-Tainer

My average water consumption is about 3 gallons per day. Here's the breakdown:

• Bathing: 1.5 gallons. I take sponge baths.
• Cleaning: 2 quarts. I do dishes every few days, which takes about 1.5 gallons.
• Cooking: 2 quarts. A pot of coffee, and maybe rinsing some veggies.
• Toilet: 1 quart. My tent toilet is an earth closet which consumes no water, but I urinate in a dump sink and flush each time with a cup of water.

In the summer, my water consumption increases a lot. That's because I often take two baths a day, and I typically use more water for each bath since I go outdoors and pour cold water directly over my head. Those are 2-gallon baths, and that gets me to around 5 gallons per day in the summer.

In my tent, each cup of water is precious to me, and I've gotten very good at putting every single drop to work. For example, I rinse my soapy hands with just a 1/2 cup of water. And it takes less than a gallon to rinse a full drainer of dishes. When I shampoo, I use 1 cup to wet my hair, and 2 more to rinse it.

But my extreme sensitivity to water conservation disappears when I'm back in a conventional house. For example, when I'm staying with friends I'll take long, guilt-free hot showers and enjoy each moment. And I'll often leave the water running while I brush my teeth. That's because I don't have to carry the water that I'm using there so there's no real penalty for wasting it. (Hmmm...no penalty for waste. Now that's a topic for another post!)