Campers avoiding added sugar
If you want a straightforward drink with camping meals and snacks, plain water avoids the need to compare flavoured-water recipes. If you prefer flavour, check the sugars figure on the exact bottle.
Who is this for?
Campers planning around refill taps
Your festival’s current refill facilities and container rules affect whether a large supply of sealed bottles is worth carrying to the tent.
Shoppers choosing fruit-flavoured water
Sugar-free and low-sugar variants are different choices. Compare the per-100ml nutrition information and ingredients rather than relying on fruit imagery or the word “water”.
What should you check?
Choose the drink type first, then match the bottle size and quantity to what you can carry and refill at your event.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Plain water | Check whether the bottle is plain rather than flavoured or enhanced, and whether its size suits use at the tent or while walking. | I want an unflavoured drink with camping food, without choosing a drink that adds sugar or caffeine. |
| Fruit flavour | Compare sugars per 100ml, the stated serving size and the ingredient list. Volvic UK describes its Touch of Fruit Strawberry as low sugar, but says it contains sugar and stevia leaf extract; its Sugar Free Strawberry is a different variant. | If I prefer strawberry flavour, I need to know whether the particular bottle is sugar-free or simply low sugar. |
| Carrying and refills | Check pack size alongside your journey to the tent. Confirm the named festival’s current refill points, bottle-entry rules and permitted containers before deciding how many sealed bottles to take. | A larger pack could stay at our campsite, but I also need something manageable to carry during the day. |
| Sparkling water | Check that the product is plain sparkling water if you do not want a flavoured or enhanced drink. Choose bubbles for preference, not as a presumed advantage over still water. | I prefer a fizzy drink but still want to check what else, if anything, is in the bottle. |
| Enhanced water | Read caffeine and sugars per bottle, not just the product name. Buxton Water lists 75mg caffeine and 9.2g sugars per 400ml bottle of Peak FOCUS Lemon & Mint, and says it is not recommended for children or pregnant or breastfeeding women. | I do not want to pick up a caffeinated drink by mistake when I am buying ordinary water for the campsite. |
Common buying mistakes
-
Assuming all flavoured water is sugar-free
A low-sugar recipe can still contain sugar, while a sugar-free recipe may contain sweeteners or other ingredients. Volvic UK lists sugar and stevia leaf extract for Touch of Fruit Strawberry, but sweeteners for Touch of Strawberry Sugar Free.
Read the sugars per 100ml and ingredients on the exact flavour and bottle size you intend to buy.
-
Packing a large supply before checking refills
Multipacks can serve a campsite base, but they are bulky to transport if suitable refill points are available. Glastonbury Festival described free refill taps for its 2025 event; that does not establish the arrangements for another festival or year.
Check your event’s current refill and container guidance before choosing how much bottled water to bring.
A large pack also takes up carrying capacity and space at the tent.
-
Treating enhanced water as plain water
Some enhanced drinks contain both caffeine and sugar. Buxton Water lists 75mg caffeine and 9.2g sugars in a 400ml bottle of Peak FOCUS Lemon & Mint, with a warning for children and pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Check the full label when you want an ordinary drink to have with meals, particularly if caffeine matters to you.
Brand references for this choice
These ranges illustrate distinctions to check on the label; a brand name alone does not identify a bottle’s ingredients or size.
Highland Spring
Offers plain still spring water and flavoured still water, making the exact variant important when choosing for a sugar preference.
- Highland Spring lists plain still bottles from 330ml to 2L and says its displayed flavoured-still range has no added sugar and 0g sugars per 100ml.
- Check the purchased flavour and size rather than applying a range description to every bottle.
Evian
A natural mineral water option for shoppers who prefer plain water in a bottle they can carry.
- Evian presents on-the-go formats and publishes mineral-composition figures for its 1L natural mineral water.
- Check the size and pack format of the product you are considering against your carrying plans.
Volvic
Offers plain water alongside flavoured ranges with different sugar descriptions.
- Volvic UK lists 0g sugars per 250ml serving for Touch of Strawberry Sugar Free 1.5L.
- That sugar-free product contains sweeteners and a preservative. Standard Touch of Fruit Strawberry is described as low sugar and contains sugar and stevia leaf extract.
Buxton
Has plain mineral water as well as enhanced drinks that call for a separate label check.
- Buxton Water lists still mineral water in several bottle sizes, including 500ml and 1.5L.
- Peak FOCUS Lemon & Mint is a different product: Buxton lists caffeine and sugars per bottle and warns that it is not recommended for children or pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Tesco
Its bottled-water range provides a place to compare individual bottles and multipacks from different brands.
- Tesco Groceries has listed large still-water multipacks from Buxton, Highland Spring and Evian.
- Check the particular listing’s bottle count and size when comparing packs.
Sainsbury's
Its own-label British bottled still spring water includes a 2L format for use at a campsite base.
- Sainsbury's identifies its 2L product as still spring water and lists mineral values per 1000ml.
- Its product information warns that the cap could be a choking hazard for small children.
Joybuy water options
These options cover plain, sparkling and sugar-free flavoured bottled water in pack sizes suited to different carrying and campsite plans. Check your festival’s current refill and container rules before choosing a quantity.
Image unavailable
Volvic Touch of Strawberry Sugar Free, 6 x 500ml
Consider this strawberry-flavoured option if you prefer individual bottles to carry during the festival. The pack contains six 500ml bottles; check the label of this variant for its full ingredients.
Image unavailable
Highland Spring Sugar Free Strawberry Still, 6 x 1.25L
The six 1.25L bottles suit a plan to keep flavoured water at the tent rather than carry a large pack around the site. Check this strawberry variant’s ingredient and allergen information against your needs.
Image unavailable
Highland Spring Still Water, 6 x 1.5L
Plain still spring water is an option for keeping at a campsite base with meals. This pack contains six 1.5L bottles; consider the distance you will carry it and whether you can refill at the event.
Image unavailable
evian Mineral Water, 6 x 500ml
Choose this plain mineral-water pack if individual bottles suit your plans for time away from the tent. It contains six 500ml bottles; check the event’s bottle-entry rules before packing them.
Image unavailable
Buxton Sparkling, 8 x 500ml
This is a sparkling-water option if you prefer bubbles to still water. The pack contains eight 500ml bottles; choose the quantity with your carrying and refill plans in mind.
Questions about festival water
Should I choose plain water with festival camping food?
Plain water is a straightforward choice when you want a drink without added sugar or flavour. If you prefer flavoured water, compare the exact variant’s nutrition information and ingredients rather than assuming every fruit-flavoured bottle is sugar-free.
Is low-sugar flavoured water the same as sugar-free water?
No. Volvic UK describes Touch of Fruit Strawberry as low sugar and says it contains sugar and stevia leaf extract; its Touch of Strawberry Sugar Free is a separate product. Read the sugars figure and ingredient list on the bottle you intend to buy.
How much bottled water should I take to a festival?
Choose a quantity after checking your event’s current refill points, bottle-entry rules and the journey from transport to your tent. Glastonbury Festival described free taps for its 2025 event, but those arrangements should not be assumed for another festival or year.
Is caffeinated enhanced water interchangeable with plain water?
No: check what the particular drink contains. Buxton Water lists 75mg caffeine and 9.2g sugars per 400ml bottle of Peak FOCUS Lemon & Mint and says it is not recommended for children or pregnant or breastfeeding women.
What should I compare on a flavoured-water label?
Compare sugars and energy on the same per-100ml basis, then check the serving size and ingredients for sugar, sweeteners and other additions. For a festival, also check the bottle size against what you can carry and the containers your event permits.