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A4 checklist with all illustrated steps. Tick the boxes on paper as you go.

FeatherSticks · Water

Refilling Water on the Trail: Where to Refill and What Is Safe

The tap said "not drinking water". Here is what that really means.

Quick facts

Best refills
Public taps, huts, cafés, campsites
Not drinking water
Untested or not guaranteed — treat it
Carry
≈ 2 L for 4 h at 18 °C (rule of thumb)
When in doubt
Boil, filter or disinfect

What you need

  • Two 1 L bottles, at least one wide-mouth
  • Collapsible 2–4 L water bladder
  • Water filter and purification tablets as backup
  • Metal pot or single-wall steel bottle for boiling
  • Coloured tape to mark raw and treated containers
  • Map with refill points marked, phone and power bank

Step by step

  1. Plan refills on the map

    1 Plan refills on the map

    Mark taps, huts, springs, villages and cafés along the route, note opening seasons and add a backup for every refill point.

  2. Read the sign at every tap

    2 Read the sign at every tap

    "Drinking water" means a tested supply. "Not drinking water" means untested or not guaranteed: treat it like a wild source.

  3. Ask at huts, farms and cafés

    3 Ask at huts, farms and cafés

    Ask politely before you use a tap that is not public. Most hosts help gladly; buying a drink or snack is a fair thank-you.

  4. Carry enough to the next source

    4 Carry enough to the next source

    At 18 °C and moderate effort, plan about 1 L for 2 hours and 2 L for 4 hours, more in heat. Work out your figure with the water calculator.

  5. Treat untested water

    5 Treat untested water

    Springs, wells, troughs and streams can carry germs. Filter, disinfect or bring it to a rolling boil for 1 minute, 3 minutes from 2,000 m.

  6. Keep containers clean

    6 Keep containers clean

    Never touch the spout with the bottle, keep raw and treated water in marked containers and cap bottles straight after filling.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming "not drinking water" means poisonous — or ignoring it and drinking untreated.
  • Trusting a cold, clear spring without treatment.
  • Relying on a single tap or spring without a backup.
  • Planning on seasonal fountains and huts in winter.
  • Touching the tap spout with the bottle mouth.
  • Mixing raw and treated water in the same container.
  • Trying to filter or boil seawater or brackish water.