Submitted by Eric Daniel
When I signed up, military water containers came in 3 basic sizes; small (1-2 quart canteens), large (5 gallon jerry cans), and huge (36 gallon lister bags and 250 gallon water buffaloes.) There was no in between (your only option was to carry lots of canteens.) Prior to Desert Storm I did some looking around and came across the "old" (pre-me) Vietnam-era 5 quart water bag. These were just what we were looking for. They hold enough water to get you through the day, they are not bulky (they're essentially a 5 quart bladder in a nylon carry sack, which collapses as you use the water) and they are certainly a lot more durable and practical than carrying water in the thin plastic water bottles we got in Saudi Arabia. Even when I got off active duty and went to work for the Forest Service as a firefighter, this 5-quart bag was my preferred method for transporting water on the fireline. I have subsequently been issued a camelbak, which I use for convenience, but I still carry a couple of these 5-quart bladders as back ups. They are a lot cheaper than camelback bladders, and they allow me to stock up on water in the field (I can use a hand operated purifier to pump treated water into the bag and backfill the camelback, rather than use iodine pills.)
