Water consumption?

[owtdorz]

Wife and I are planning a BP trip on our tandem mtb and it may be a few days between water sources and may not be able to setup caches. Terrain would be flat to moderate climbs. This will be done at temps of mid 30s low and upper 70s high. What is the average water use per day for food, drink, etc? I know this would only be a guesstimate since everybody is different.

[Aushiker]

I tend to budget with 3 litres for riding and 3 litres for camping. Generally works out about right over a few days.

[ascar_larkinyar]

I am high metabolism and sweat a lot.  So I use this.  26 oz. Per hour is the max a body can absorb.  The rest gets pee'd out.  Use that rate for riding and half that for resting.  Meals are what you need.

[offroute]

Everybody is different, indeed. This is what shakedowns are for – put in a long day, and tell us the answer. 

[wahday]

I typically plan for about 9 litres over a 24 hour period. I carry as much as 6 litres at a time as I live in NM which is especially dry and fairly hot. Typical scenario is starting out with 3litres on the back and then refill that plus another 3 litre bladder I keep in my frame bag before camp. That will usually get my through until about noon the next day for another refill. If pressed, I could do with less, but this is how I tend to plan it out for best case scenario. This includes drinking and cooking.

The temp ranges you mention will help, but a "few" days without water may mean carrying a pretty hefty amount for two people. Are there no potential water sources to filter from along the way?