Choose plain still water if you want a drink with camping meals without added flavourings or sweeteners; choose a sugar-free flavoured water if you prefer its taste, but check the exact bottle’s sugars and ingredients. Sparkling water is another option if you like carbonation. Smaller bottles are easier to portion out, while larger bottles suit a campsite base but add to the load you carry.
If you want flavour with a camping meal but are avoiding sugars, compare the nutrition and ingredients of the exact flavoured water with plain water. A sugar-free label does not mean the drink has no sweeteners or other added ingredients.
Individual bottles are simple to portion out; larger bottles or a refillable container may suit a campsite base. Consider who will carry the water, where you will fill it and how you will keep the container clean.
Plan how much water you can carry and where you can obtain drinking water. Mountaineering Scotland cautions against assuming an outdoor source is safe merely because the water looks clear.
Decide first whether you want plain, fizzy or flavoured water, then choose a bottle format that fits your route and access to drinking water.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars and ingredients | For flavoured water, read sugars per 100 ml and the full ingredients list on the exact variant. Check for sweeteners, acids and preservatives if these matter to you. | I want a drink with camping meals without sugars. Plain water avoids added flavourings; a sugar-free flavoured drink needs a closer look at its label. |
| Fizz and flavour | Distinguish plain sparkling water from flavoured sparkling drinks. Check the product designation and ingredients rather than assuming every fizzy water has the same recipe. | For meals, I might prefer bubbles or fruit flavour to still water, provided I like the carbonation or ingredients. |
| Bottle format | Compare bottle capacity and pack count with the number of people, length of the trip and distance you will carry the water. | Individual bottles make portions easy to distribute. If I am staying at a campsite base, a larger bottle may be practical, but a filled pack is heavier to move. |
| Water source and storage | Identify a drinking-water tap or plan the water you will carry. Clean refill containers; assess uncertain outdoor sources and use an appropriate treatment method where needed. | I need drinkable water throughout the trip, not just bottles for mealtimes. A refill plan matters more when I cannot return easily to a serviced campsite. |
| Water label | Check whether the bottle is still, sparkling or flavoured, and read any declared mineral composition for the exact product. Mineral figures do not establish a general health advantage. | If I have a particular taste preference or have been advised to check a mineral value, I want the figure for the water I am buying. |
Recipes differ, and even a sugar-free variant can contain sweeteners, acids or preservatives. Volvic UK lists these ingredients for its Touch of Fruit Lemon & Lime Sugar Free 750 ml drink.
Check the sugars line and ingredients on the flavour and bottle size you intend to buy. Choose plain water if you also want to avoid added flavourings and sweeteners.
Several bottles or a filled water carrier can be awkward to move, particularly if you are walking to your pitch or carrying water away from camp.
Match bottle sizes to the walk and the people sharing them; consider a clean reusable container where a serviced campsite has a drinking-water tap.
Declared mineral compositions differ between the Highland Spring, Buxton, Volvic and evian products described by their brands. Those figures describe the products, not a treatment or a reason to replace individual dietary advice.
Read the composition of the exact water if a mineral value matters to you; otherwise compare ingredients, bottle format and access to drinking water.
Mountaineering Scotland warns that outdoor water can be contaminated. The Camping and Caravanning Club also notes that water stored in containers can develop algae or bacterial growth.
Use a drinking-water tap where available and clean containers before refilling. For an uncertain outdoor source, assess it and follow an appropriate treatment method rather than judging safety by appearance.
These references help distinguish water types and labels; they do not indicate that every product from a brand has the same composition or ingredients.
Offers still and sparkling water, as well as flavoured formats.
Its sparkling natural mineral water offers a fizzy option for people who prefer it with meals.
Offers plain natural mineral water and flavoured drinks, including sugar-free variants.
Offers natural mineral water in formats including a 1 L bottle.
A grocery retailer whose water listings include own-label and branded multipacks.
These options include still water for sharing at camp, smaller bottles for individual portions, sparkling water and a sugar-free flavoured variant. Choose the format and label that fit your meals and carrying plans.
No image available
A sparkling option with eight 500 ml bottles for individual portions. Choose it if you want carbonation with meals; check the pack’s nutrition label for any dietary requirement.
No image available
Six 500 ml bottles offer separate portions for camping meals or day use. If you need a particular declared sugars or mineral value, check the exact pack label.
No image available
A flavoured option in six individual 500 ml bottles. Check the exact pack’s sugars, calories and ingredients if these affect your choice; the product information gives conflicting descriptions of its sweeteners and calories.
No image available
Six 1 L bottles suit sharing sparkling water at a campsite base. Consider the carrying load if you are walking to camp, and check the exact pack’s nutrition label if a declared sugars value matters to you.
No image available
Six 1.5 L bottles provide a larger still-water format for a campsite base rather than separate small portions. Plan how you will transport the pack, and check its label if you require a specific declared sugars value.
Yes. Plain water is a straightforward choice when you want a drink without added sugars, flavourings or sweeteners. If you choose a flavoured drink instead, check the sugars declaration and ingredients of the exact variant.
It can. Volvic UK lists citric acid, flavourings, a preservative and the sweeteners acesulfame K and sucralose in its Touch of Fruit Lemon & Lime Sugar Free 750 ml drink. Read the ingredients on the bottle you buy, as flavours and formats can differ.
The NHS cites six to eight cups or glasses of fluid a day as a general guide, not a fixed quantity to pack for every trip. Plan for your time away, activity, weather, group size and access to drinking water.
A drinking-water tap is normally available even at small campsites, according to the Camping and Caravanning Club. Use a drinking-water tap and clean your container before filling it; stored water in unclean containers can develop algae or bacterial growth.
Do not assume stream water is safe to drink untreated. Mountaineering Scotland advises avoiding obviously muddy sources and areas with substantial livestock; when the source is uncertain, assess it and follow an appropriate treatment method rather than relying on how clear it looks.