There are a variety of ways to include water in your Everyday Carry. Since water is actually fairly heavy—and there’s no way to make it lighter—it all depends on how much water you want to carry. If you frequent dry desert environments, you’ll want more water in your EDC. I like to have a plan ahead of time depending on where I’ll be. Here are some great ways to carry water with you in your EDC:

• Camelback Hydration Packs and Bladders. Camelback is a manufacturer of hydration backpacks, water bladders and water bottles. This is a flexible carrying solution. The bladders come in different sizes and can be tucked into virtually any bag.
• Water Bottles come in many different varieties, sizes, shapes and materials. There are even water bottles that have their own filtration units that can purify virtually any water as you drink it. If you want the empty bottle in your EDC and know you’ll find water when you need it, you can use the bottle as a container for extra EDC items.
• Canteens are just another type of water bottle that were used before the water bottle was popular. Canteens are usually more rugged and made for ease of carry often with a shoulder strap.
• Lock Sacks are waterproof bags originally developed for people who are active in water sports. They keep important items dry so well that they have become very popular in the emergency preparedness community to protect everything from emergency food, to electronics. You can use one of these to contain your EDC items, or even keep a folded one in a pocket. In a pinch they can serve the opposite function—holding water in! If you keep your gear in this bag to keep it dry, then you can easily rely on having dry fire starters.

Since a water bottle and other water carrying devices can be bulky and cumbersome, there are many survivalists who prefer to rely on their ability to find water when they need it. Most preppers that I know don’t carry a water container in their EDC, but keep one nearby when at all possible.

However, many still carry some way of purifying the water they find. One of the easiest and smallest water purification systems you can carry are “point-of-use” water purification devices and field water disinfection techniques.

1. Water purification tablets are the smallest and easiest to carry disinfection technique. Aquatabs are the world’s most recognized and largest selling brand of water disinfecting tablets. There are also many other options, including iodine tablets that are common potable water treatments as well. Even plain iodine liquid can be found in any pharmacy and can be used to disinfect water. In a crisis, keep an eye out for iodine to scavenge, but you should be aware if you or anyone you’d be supplying water to has an iodine allergy. These tablets often do nothing to help with particles suspended in the water and don’t aid in the taste of water. They’re purely for disinfecting water and making it safe to drink.
2. Straw water filters come in many compact sizes and are great as a point-of-use water purification device. Not only do they remove bacteria and other dangerous elements that can potentially be in the water, but they help filter out bad tastes and materials suspended in the water. No one likes drinking nasty tasting water, unless you’re extremely dehydrated and in a life-or-death situation.
3. Other water filtration devices, such as Katadyn water filters, can process more water than a straw style filter. They make an “ultra light” product line of filter bottles and mini pump filters that may work well for you in your EDC.
4. Remember to use your survival knowledge as your main EDC water-supplying tool. Think about what you have that can help you harvest water from your surroundings. Water is all around us as long as we know how to get it and how to make it safe to drink. Think about rain catching, dew collection, and the various places that water is likely to collect naturally.