Plain water isn't the most hydrating drink around, according to a new study from health researchers at the UK's Loughborough University. Better are beverages with some fat, protein, or sugar. But not TOO much sugar. From CNN:

For example, milk was found to be even more hydrating than plain water because it contains the sugar lactose, some protein and some fat, all of which help to slow the emptying of fluid from the stomach and keep hydration happening over a longer period of time.

Milk also has sodium, which acts like a sponge and holds onto water in the body and results in less urine produced.

The same can be said for oral rehydration solutions that are used to treat diarrhea. Those contain small amounts of sugar, as well as sodium and potassium, which can also help promote water retention in the body.

"A randomized trial to assess the potential of different beverages to affect hydration status: development of a beverage hydration index" (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition) Read the rest

Bottled water is bullshit. Its production and transport to market are sucking the marrow out of our planet and the majority of the disposable bottles that it comes in wind up in landfills instead of recycling centers. Read the rest

The Hydroflask kept my daughter's water super cold during a baking hot road trip. I had a recyclable plastic water bottle and drank warm to hot water.

I usually don't buy into my daughter's fancy waterbottle addiction and stick with refilling empties. The Hydroflask stainless steel, double-walled, slip-proof water flask with a leak-proof lid is worth having! My kid put water and a few ice cubes in her lovely flask before we hit the road while I had frozen a Daisani waterbottle overnight. By noon I had hot water, and she still had cold water.

Then someone dropped a camera bag on my water bottle and a lot of my warm water escaped onto our camper van's floor.

I made my kid share her cold with the dogs.

I'm getting the 40oz version. She has a 64.

Hydro Flask 40 oz Water Bottle - Stainless Steel & Vacuum Insulated via Amazon Read the rest

Looking for an insulated travel tumbler? Consider this $10 Polar Pad Drifter Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Tumbler (30-ounce). It's nearly identical to the 30-ounce Yeti, but 1/3 the price. If 30-ounces is too big, Polar Pad has a 20-ounce model, also for $10. The nice thing about vacuum insulated tumblers like this is that condensation doesn't form on the surface. Read the rest