Hydration is an essential part of wellness during business travel. But it’s also harder than it should be to achieve and maintain. Between dry airplane cabins, boozy work dinners, and just the general friction of travel – travelers tend to get dehydrated, impacting their wellness and effectiveness.
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Why listen to me about how to maximize hydration while traveling? (For pleasure or business travel)
I travel for work or pleasure at least monthly and have been doing so for decades. I’ve spent time traveling domestically across the US as well as internationally in Europe, Africa, and Latin America. I’m always looking for ways to maximize my travel while balancing fitness & wellness. Specific to hydration – I’ve been experimenting with my travel hydration strategy for the past 7 years.
Why is hydration important for wellness?
Hydration has a direct impact on recovery and performance. When our body is fully hydrated, the other systems just work better.
- Recovery – We sleep better when we are fully hydrated. Personally, this positive relationship between hydration and sleep shows up in my Whoop habits data. Or learn more with this great Sleep Foundation article.
- Avoid jet lag – Hydration helps with adapting to new time zones. If you’re flying long distances for work, hydration is extra critical
- Performance – In 2023, most people aren’t performing business travel just to get out. The trip almost always has an important purpose, which means you need to be at your best for the big pitch or meeting. Proper hydration during business travel will help you perform during those critical moments.
Why is it hard to stay hydrated during business travel?
- Altitude and dryness of aircraft cabin – the air in aircraft cabins is typically kept at 10-20% humidity. This means that with every breadth, your body is taking on less water and is exhaling more. Additionally, the air pressure equivalent of 7000 – 8000 ft MSL is also dehydrating.
- Difficult access to water during travel – while it’s getting better, clean drinking water just isn’t available at every phase of a trip. Between having to go through TSA checkpoints with empty water bottles, older US airports, and being stuck in a seat on a flight, getting to water can be difficult.
- Small serving size of water during travel – even when the stewardess (or steward) offers you a drink, the serving size can be quite small. The average airline cup holds 8 oz (much of which is often ice).
- Lack of personal hydration in baggage – TSA checkpoints often keep travelers from carrying water with them because the bottle needs to go through empty. This causes travelers to under optimize for carrying their own beverages.
- Increased likelihood of drinking alcohol – many business trips involve social events. From customer dinners to team off sites, these gatherings can be a great opportunity to connect. But they often involve alcohol or less than healthy foods – both of which can lead to dehydration.
How to increase hydration during business travel?
With all of these factors stacked against your average business traveler – how can we stay more hydrated during travel? Below are a few strategies to increase hydration:
- Bring your own water bottle
- Pre-hydrate before your trip
- Drink water before bed
- Ensure you drink water at meals (even if you mix it between alcoholic drinks)
- Drink plenty of water on flights
Overview of water bottles for business travel
For me, the ability to carry the water bottle inside my briefcase or backpack is the first criteria. The next criteria is the security of the bottle inside my bag – I’ve had bottles open while traveling and it’s an easy way to ruin a flight. Utility is my final criteria – when traveling, I prefer tools that have multiple functions.
Purchased airport water bottle – ah, the standard, over priced bottle of water that is found in sundry airport stores all over the world. This can be a great backup if you forget your water bottle or want to double up on water before a flight. These water bottles can also be clutch in a country where tap water isn’t potable.
Nalgene 1 liter water bottle – Nalgene bottles are classic fare of hikes, international travel, and local climbing crags. These bottles are legendary for supporting hikes and back country adventures. I’ve personally got a handful in my garage (mostly covered in stickers). While the standard Nalgene does carry an impressive 32 oz of liquid, it has two distinct disadvantages for business travel. It’s size and it’s poor support for hot liquids. The trade off for overall capacity is size and it’s a deal breaker for me as it doesn’t fit well in my Tumi briefcase. Additionally, I like the option of putting coffee in my water bottle and the Nalgene isn’t great for that. I would say that it’s a great option if you’re planning to make dual use of your trip and get some hikes in. Link on Amazon
Stanley 2H.0 Flowstate – In 2023, the Stanley Tumbler became a suburban sensation with every mom wanting one (at least those that I know). It’s a great option for carrying tons of water in your SUV and as a defacto weapon in the case of attack. But it’s just too big and unwieldy for business travel. This beast is better left to the ‘burbs. But if you still need one, check out this Link on Amazon
Hydro Flask – Hyrdo Flask 18 oz makes a really solid water bottle that fits well in travel luggage. With a tapered neck and insulated body, the Hydroflask is a great option for business travel. I’ve not found the right lid to pair with the Hydroflask to allow me to use this bottle for both coffee and water, so it’s not my top recommendation.
Klean Kanteen – Cute play with letters, but they make a GREAT water bottle. After playing with many different water bottles, I’ve been using a slightly older version of this bottle for the past 4 years. At 16 or 20 oz, it holds enough water to augment a flight, but still fits well inside my briefcase. I also like that it’s insulated and doubles as a coffee mug for the middle parts of business trips. That might sound gross, but with a bit of cleaning, I find that it works well. I’ve got the upgraded café lid, which I love because it’s design has a low likelihood of opening during travel. Get your Klean Kanteen bottle and Café Lid today to upgrade your travel hydration!
Other business travel hydration tips:
- Maximize drink service – Order a can of sparking water from the stewardess on flights. This will get you 12 oz of water instead of just 6-8 oz of flat water. I generally pass on the ice to maximize the use of my tray table.
- Top off at the airport – Refill water bottles right after passing through security. Most airports now have bottle fillers that you can easily use to top of your water bottle. The website “Water at Airports” lists locations of many bottle fill stations as well as water fountains in airports.
- Upgrade your water – Nuun or other supplements can be great for adding electrolytes to your water. I’m a huge fan of Nuun tablets because they don’t contain sugar and generally taste great. I don’t use them for daily consumption, but will add them if I’m going to get a long run or bike ride in.
