how much water and other gear questions

[josephine]

Background: We live at about 5,000 ft elevation and are planning to do a 14er in 2 weeks. It will be my second and my husband's first. We're planning on doing Gray's Peak and possibly Torrey's depending on how much time and energy we have left once we get to Gray's. I am recovering from an ankle sprain so I know I won't be super quick. I've got a pair of trekking poles and good boots or shoes w/ankle brace - not sure which I'll use yet. We're planning to start at 3:30am & we have a toyota highlander to navigate the road to the trail head.

Specifically how do you figure out how much water to bring? When I rock climb all day in the heat, I bring 3 nalgenes. Will this be enough? Should I plan more?

Is there a way to download the route information from this site? Or would it be better to bring a printed copy?

Will route/path finding be a problem for Gray's? What about from Gray's to torrey's and/or from Torrey's back down? (My 1st 14er I was with experienced friends and we did some talus path up Mt. Yale - there's NO way I would be able to ever find that path again!)

The route descriptions reference elevation frequently. What do you use to tell your elevation? What do you recommend that's not terribly expensive? I'm not sure if we'll keep climbing 14ers or if we'll stick to rock climbing

Lastly, when I read the description for the trail to Gray's vs. the trail to Grays and Torrey's the photos are different. Am I correct that the path to get to Gray's is actually the same in both of these? Or is the Grays to Torrey's a different approach to Gray's - and if so, would it matter if i took the class 1 up to Gray's and then tried to get over to Torrey's using the gray's to torrey's?

Thanks for all your help!!!

[Flyingfish]

Specifically how do you figure out how much water to bring? When I rock climb all day in the heat, I bring 3 nalgenes. Will this be enough? Should I plan more?

A good rule of thumb is to bring one liter for every hour to 90 minutes of hiking. However, it depends on how fast you consume it and how much your body needs.

Will route/path finding be a problem for Gray's? What about from Gray's to torrey's and/or from Torrey's back down?
The route descriptions reference elevation frequently. What do you use to tell your elevation? What do you recommend that's not terribly expensive? I'm not sure if we'll keep climbing 14ers or if we'll stick to rock climbing

You will have no problem with route finding. The trail is exceptionally easy to find and is well built. As for elevation I do not find that knowing the elevation matters when I hike. If I do need to know I use landmarks in the route description to determine my elevation.

So I guess overall the route is very straight forward. Bring 5L of water or so and have a good time.

[Mtnman200]

Five quarts/liters is quite a lot based on my experience. Three each should be adequate.

Also, the Grays/Torrey's trail eventually splits, which is where you have to decide which peak to do first. Doesn't matter, as they're the same difficulty.

[rijaca]

Specifically how do you figure out how much water to bring? When I rock climb all day in the heat, I bring 3 nalgenes. Will this be enough? Should I plan more?

3 liters is plenty.

A good rule of thumb is to bring one liter for every hour to 90 minutes of hiking. However, it depends on how fast you consume it and how much your body needs.

So I guess overall the route is very straight forward. Bring 5L of water or so and have a good time.

Whose thumb is that?

[pmeadco]

Bring 5L of water or so ...

Wow! That is a lot of weight to carry. I rarely use more than 3L, and on an easy climb like this one I would probably bring even less.

If you have a smartphone then you already have a way to determine your altitude. See if you have an app that will spit it out for you. If you don't have one installed then grab something simple and cheap, like GPS Status. In any case, don't worry about it. The route finding on this hike is very simple.

[MtnHub]

I rarely use more than 3L on most any hike, unless it is a really long day like 12-15 hrs -- then I might consume 4L. But I don't seem to require as much as most people either and you certainly have a better idea of what your body needs.

I guess it's always better to have more than you think you will need (unless you carry iodine tabs or filter or have some other source of water in the wilderness). But 5L sounds like overkill for Grays/Torreys, and would be an awfully lot of extra weight to carry!

[LURE]

As for elevation I do not find that knowing the elevation matters when I hike. If I do need to know I use landmarks in the route description to determine my elevation.

I would just bring up that knowing, or having a good estimate on elevation, can be very valuable in determining your location on a map, rather than using location to estimate elevations with a map. Certainly not necessary on Gray/Torreys but good a good tool on multi-day back country excursions and less traveled unfamiliar areas.

[SkaredShtles]

Pro-tip: Drink 1-2 liters on the way up to the mountain. If you don't hit the restroom *immediately* upon arrival at the trailhead, you should have drunk more on the way.

I will also take a small filter (Sawyer Squeeze) with me so I don't have to lug several pounds of water on the trail with me. Be advised - this method requires extra planning and knowledge, as you need to know when you'll encounter your last source of water to filter.

[Rich H]

I use an app called topo maps+ on my phone for route data and elevation. You can dump the gpx file from here and load it directly to the app. I'm sure there are other apps out there. I can't imagine needing more than 3 liters for Greys/Torreys if you hydrate beforehand.

[TallGrass]

Five liters would be good for an all day ridge route on a clear hot day, but for cooler, shorter, or routes you can source water (above mines and cattle) to filter or treat, less. If can source, I might only pack 1-2 liters. Drink at and on way to TH. Ditch the nalgenes for powerade bottles and get a Sawyer squeeze. Always have at least one printed map, a freezer bag to keep it dry, and a compass (note declination) even if just a button.

[NetJetsHiker]

Download the 14ers.com app, select Gray's and Torrey and download the photos. Now you have your route information on your phone.

Search for "altimeter" in your app store. You will find many apps. Some will have maps as well. I use GAIA, but for this route and a 1st/2nd time on 14er, it's overkill.

2-3L of water should suffice. The water source for this route is mainly at the trailhead. Other mountains will give you better water sources further away. I have a Sawyer filter, spliced in line with the hose from my hydration pack.

[TallGrass]

Download the 14ers.com app, select Gray's and Torrey and download the photos. Now you have your route information on your phone. Search for "altimeter" in your app store.

Forget to charge up or switch to airplane mode, and lose it all when the battery dies. #printthemap