Choose plain still water to go with hiking snacks if you want a drink without added flavourings or sweeteners. Sugar-free flavoured water is an alternative if you prefer the taste, but check its ingredients as well as its sugar content. For either choice, plan how much to carry around the route, weather and opportunities to refill; the British Mountaineering Council says drink requirements vary with distance, terrain and conditions.
If your walk covers changing terrain or weather, plan the amount of water you will carry alongside your food. The British Mountaineering Council says requirements vary with distance, terrain and conditions, so a bottle size alone cannot settle the question.
Plain water and sugar-free flavoured water are different choices. If you want to avoid added flavourings or sweeteners, check the ingredients rather than relying on the sugar claim alone.
Small bottles can be divided between rucksacks, while larger bottles can be used to fill suitable carry bottles before leaving. Check the amount needed for each walk separately from the size of the pack bought for home.
Choose the drink type and carrying format separately, then check the total volume against the walk you have planned.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Route capacity | Consider distance, terrain, forecast and refill opportunities. The British Mountaineering Council says food and drink requirements change with route and weather conditions. | I need enough to carry for this particular walk, not just a convenient number of bottles. |
| Drink ingredients | Read the nutrition panel and ingredients list. Volvic lists 0g sugars for Touch of Fruit Lemon & Lime Sugar Free, alongside citric acid, flavourings, a preservative and sweeteners. | If I want flavour without sugars, I still want to know what else is in the bottle. If I prefer no added flavourings or sweeteners, I will choose plain water. |
| Carrying format | Check individual bottle size, pack count and how the bottles fit your rucksack. A multipack’s total volume is not a recommendation for one person’s walk. | Smaller bottles may be easier for me to divide between pockets or walkers; a larger bottle may suit filling a carry bottle before departure. |
| Hot conditions | Review the forecast and when you will walk. UK Health Security Agency guidance advises planning physical activity for cooler times in hot weather and drinking plenty of fluids. | On a hot walk, I need to revisit my route and water plan rather than assume my usual pack will suit the conditions. |
| Food alongside water | Plan snacks and drinks as separate supplies. The British Mountaineering Council advises carrying enough food for the walk and bringing emergency food. | A sugar-free drink does not take the place of the snacks and food I plan to carry. |
A flavoured drink can list 0g sugars and still contain other ingredients. Volvic’s Touch of Fruit Lemon & Lime Sugar Free, for example, lists acid, flavourings, a preservative and sweeteners.
Read the ingredients list as well as the nutrition panel. Choose plain water if avoiding added flavourings or sweeteners is the deciding factor.
The British Mountaineering Council says drink requirements vary with distance, terrain and weather. Its heat guidance also cautions that needs can be underestimated in hot, windless conditions.
Check the forecast, route and refill opportunities before deciding how much water to carry. Do not treat one 500ml bottle as a full-day allocation.
A multipack may be useful before several walks, but its full contents need not be the format you carry on the hill.
Compare the individual bottle size with the space in your rucksack, or fill a suitable carry bottle from a larger one before setting off.
Food and drink are separate parts of a hill-walking plan. The British Mountaineering Council advises carrying enough food, snacking during the walk and bringing emergency food.
Choose water for your drink and pack food separately for the route you intend to walk.
These ranges illustrate drink types and pack formats; a brand name alone does not identify the ingredients or bottle size of a particular product.
Highland Spring lists still, sparkling and flavoured still water, including 500ml and 750ml formats and multipacks.
A Sainsbury’s still-water listing includes Evian natural mineral water in a 6 × 500ml pack.
Volvic lists plain natural mineral water in a 500ml bottle and a Touch of Fruit Lemon & Lime Sugar Free variant.
Buxton describes its water as British natural mineral water sourced from the Derbyshire Peak District.
Tesco’s grocery range lists own-label British natural mineral still water in several larger formats alongside branded water.
Sainsbury’s lists own-label British bottled spring water in 12 × 500ml, 6 × 2L and 5L formats, alongside branded still water.
These options include plain water in small-bottle multipacks, one sugar-free flavoured water and larger bottles for stocking up before a walk. Choose how much to carry based on your route rather than on the pack total.
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A plain-water option when separate 500ml bottles are useful for packing or sharing. The six-bottle pack contains 3 litres in total; decide how much to take according to the walk, weather and refill opportunities.
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Still spring water in individual 500ml bottles for dividing between walks or walkers. The 12-pack contains 6 litres in total, but the amount to carry still depends on the route and conditions.
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A flavoured option if you prefer lemon and lime to plain water. Volvic lists 0g sugars, but the ingredients include citric acid, flavourings, potassium benzoate, acesulfame K and sucralose. The pack contains six 500ml bottles; plan food and the amount of drink to carry separately.
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A plain, non-carbonated water option in separate 500ml bottles. The six-pack contains 3 litres in total; use the route, forecast and refill opportunities to decide how many bottles to take.
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Still spring water in a larger-bottle format for stocking up before walks or filling smaller carry bottles. The six 1.5L bottles contain 9 litres in total; a 1.5L bottle is a different carrying choice from a small individual bottle, and the pack total is not a route-specific requirement.
Pack plain water if you want a drink without added flavourings or sweeteners; choose sugar-free flavoured water if you prefer its taste and its ingredients suit you. Sugar-free does not mean ingredient-free: Volvic’s Touch of Fruit Lemon & Lime Sugar Free lists 0g sugars alongside acid, flavourings, a preservative and sweeteners.
Do not assume one 500ml bottle will cover the walk. The British Mountaineering Council says drink requirements vary with weather, distance and terrain. Check the route, forecast and refill opportunities, then decide how much to carry.
For an ordinary hill walk, you can plan water and food as separate supplies rather than choosing a specialist drink by default. The British Mountaineering Council advises walkers to bring plenty of water and carry enough food for the route. Individual medical or specialist endurance needs call for advice tailored to those circumstances.