Water

The most important factor in choosing how to carry water is that it will be available and convenient to encourage you to drink enough while walking. You also need a container that will hold enough water to get you from refilling station to refilling station.
Single Use BottlesWith bottled water widely available, many walkers reuse the bottles. These bottles are more difficult to clean between uses because they don't have the wider mouths that refillable water bottles do. Be sure to wash them with hot soapy water and dry them thoroughly to prevent bacterial and fungal growth.
Refillable Water BottlesThese are available at all sports stores and outdoors stores. Wash these after each use with hot water and soap to kill any germs. Test your bottle to make sure that it is not going to drip or spill when carried, even when going up and down in altitude.
Platypus and CamelbakPlatypus water bottles are flat when empty and fill up like a tick. They may fit better into a pack and are easily stored. Compare Prices.Camelbak water carriers ride on your back, with a flexible tube straw to drink from. Compare Prices
Water CarriersOnce you have selected you bottle, how do you carry it? Carrying it in the hand puts too much strain on wrist and elbow. A hip pack with a bottle holder is a good way to carry it at your center of mass, the best place to add weight to not strain your legs. Many backpacks also have special pockets for carrying water bottles without having to dig to the bottom of the pack to find it when you want it. Look for the carrier that suits you best at a sports or outdoors store..

Gunnison River

The Gunnison River carved the canyon through hard, igneous rocks on its way to joining the Colorado River at Grand Junction. Over time the Gunnison produced steep canyon walls, which plummet to depths of more than 2,000 feet. The narrow canyon, only 1,500 feet across in some places, is cloaked in gloomy shadow for much of the day. This and the walls of dark gray schist and gneiss give the Black its name.
The Black Canyon is for experienced climbers only. There are no"easy" routes and there is no rescue. Hazards here range from poison ivy to loose scree to rattlesnakes lurking on your belay ledge. The sides of the canyon often jut out in spires and crags, most of the routes are long and complex, and the rock quality is inconsistent from route to route. That said, the Black offers the purity and adventure of climbing in a truly wild setting.
The best rock and most routes are found at the North Chasm View Wall. The moderate Leisure Climb will lead you up some great crack climbing along its six pitches.