BYOB

Bottle, that is. It is astounding the number of disposable water bottles people use, particularly when traveling. We all become hobos, and cling desperately to anything people are willing to give us (including free tiny water bottles on the airplane). Convenient as they might be, they are certainly no good for the planet. I'll help you break down some barriers that I had:

Barrier 1: Ick.
Reusing a water bottle for a week without washing it is disgusting. Agreed. I thought for a bit about carrying a small bottle of dish soap with me for this purpose, and was not terribly pleased with the idea. Then I found these little alka-seltzer-like tablets sold by SIGG to clean their bottles. Fill the bottle with hot tap water, allow to fizz, rinse and voila.

Barrier 2: Taste=ick.
Last summer I went to an unnamed theme park in the deep south with my husband. In July. As a friend recently said, the weather "felt like it licked me." In an effort to encourage the purchase of cool, crisp, clean spring water, said amusement park had no interest in cooling or filtering their drinking fountain water. Warm and slightly metallic in taste (although up to standards and perfectly potable), I thought desperately about solutions. Two exist: purchase gallon (or three gallon) containers at the grocery store and load up before you head to the park, or purchase some tiny flavor packets to help mediate the flavor. We did both: cool, delicious water in the morning, and purple-flavored water in the afternoon, when we were too hot, tired, and crabby to care much.

Barrier 3: Airport shenanigans.
It is true, you cannot transport large quantities of liquids through airport security. You can, however, transport an empty water bottle. Just dump it out before you walk through and refill on the other side. Too clumsy? Get one that clips to the outside of your purse/backpack.

Barrier 4: lazy.
I can't help with lazy. Maybe there is a blog that can. Just give it a try? Buy a small, resealable water bottle (kids size) and try it on the next trip. If you like it, buy one for everyone you know next holiday season.