toejam

I usually get by from one campsite to another on 3 litres/quarts. This summer I used a 70 oz. Camelback and a 1 qt. Nalgene wide-mouth bottle. My Camelback came with a neoprene cover that protects the bag and can be lashed to the outside or top of a pack or just thrown in.

I'm not a fan of the bladder. I'd really rather drink from, carry, and clean the wide-mouth bottles. Having the hose handy while hiking is not a big deal to me, and the bite valve ends up in the dirt every time I take my pack off. I filter water into the wide-mouth bottle and use it to fill the bladder. There's a way to filter directly into the bladder, but I haven't bought the kit.

I got the Camelback cause it is the toughest of the bladders, as far as I know. I've had a couple of Platypus's and they leak after a while (Good luck holding water in a garbage bag, Neville. You'd be better off putting the gear you want to keep dry in a garbage bag.)

So 3 quarts between camps on warm days with lots of hiking, usually another 2 qts. at camp. I don't do much backpacking where there isn't water available, but when I do I'll try all kinds of desparate things. I've carried 3 gallon jugs in my pack in Big Bend. I had a 1 gal. Platy I wore out, but usually it's just mik jug-style with a screw-on top. It's pretty miserable carrying more than 3 qts.