Water storage best practices

I'm really interested to hear people's strategies for bulk water storage on big walls. 

The classic move is the grocery store gallon jugs, but if you get the wrong one they have a tendency to break/smash and lose your water. 

I'm thinking about the more durable of the soft bottles (like this) but am worried they'd get crushed by the weight of stuff on top. 

What I really want is a reliable, re-usable, lightweight gallon jug. 

Thoughts? 

I've been eyeing the MSR Dromedary bags because they're supposed to be the most durable but the new version is reported to give a bad taste to water, even after multiple washes. 

Dromedary bags are super durable and space savers if you don’t mind that garden hose flavor.

In my experience both the new and old versions of the MSR bags leached that taste. I’ve tried all sorts of solutions to remove it with no lasting success.  

Dromedary bags have there place in my kit, and that’s alpine wall climbing where I’d be filling them mid approach or at the base of the wall.

otherwise the standard grocery store gallons are suitable and a pleasure to drink. I’ve yet to experience one rupture in my haul bag. YMMV

Jesus you'd end up paying several hundred dollars just to carry your water compared to a few bucks at the grocery store. How often do the gallon jugs burst under normal wear?

I'm a big fan of 1L Smart Water bottles.  Clove a loop of paracord around the neck of each one, and clip it to your harness.  They're tall and skinny, so you maximize the volume of water packable in a single layer of water bottles crammed in the bottom of your haul bag.  I can fit 26 bottles in one layer in the Metolius El Cap haulbag.  I now re-use them exclusively as my water bottles for all outdoor activities, they're quite durable.

The problem with larger (gallon plus) jugs is that they don't pack as efficiently in a round haulbag.  You're left with odd-shaped gaps of wasted space between the jugs.  You also ending up pouring water from the jugs into another bottle, which is an unnecessary hassle.

Go with the Dromedaries. They last forever.

I have used 2L soda bottles and they are incredibly durable and reusable.

2L bottles with carbonated plain water - add gatorade powder to whatever portion you don't need for cooking.  Simply fantastic...and the bottles are exceedingly durable.

Sam Skovgaard wrote:

I'm a big fan of 1L Smart Water bottles.  Clove a loop of paracord around the neck of each one, and clip it to your harness.  They're tall and skinny, so you maximize the volume of water packable in a single layer of water bottles crammed in the bottom of your haul bag.  I can fit 26 bottles in one layer in the Metolius El Cap haulbag.  I now re-use them exclusively as my water bottles for all outdoor activities, they're quite durable.

The problem with larger (gallon plus) jugs is that they don't pack as efficiently in a round haulbag.  You're left with odd-shaped gaps of wasted space between the jugs.  You also ending up pouring water from the jugs into another bottle, which is an unnecessary hassle.

That's a pretty sweet idea. Thanks!

In my personal experience, the droms can open fairly easy and leak. They’re durable as all heck, admittedly but I prefer 2 liters with full slings taped to them(can be used as rap/lower out tat as you drink them) or paradors wrapped around the neck. The two liter bottles and smart water bottles can get pulled out from the haul bag easily, flatten down, and still be reused.