Have you ever popped champagne on a plane?

During the 13 hour trip I started thinking about how easy it is to get dehydrated while traveling and how in the past I have spent the first day or two at our destination just trying to get rid of the headache and tiredness I would feel after flying.  The last time we flew to Hawaii I was very dilligent to drink plenty of water and shockingly enough – no headache and I was able to adjust to the 5 hour time change within a day!  I thought it would be good to share my drinking water technique (yes it is more complicated than just “find water, drink it”) to help any of you who suffer from post-flight headaches or difficulty adjusting to time changes to stay hydrated in today’s world of carrying on 3 ounce or smaller bottles of liquid, $5 bottles of water for sale at the airport, and stewardesses who have a knack for offering you water right at the moment of the flight when you don’t want to be bothered with it.

Here’s what I do:

• Bring along a full water storage container – I like the Sigg Traveler Classic Water Bottle (1.0-Liters) which is coated aluminum (not ideal, but I like the lid better than the current stainless steel bottles and it should not leach aluminum unless you’re pouring hot liquids into it or storing acidic liquids for long periods of time).  However, if you prefer not to have any possible exposure to aluminum, try Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottles which also come in a nice container for kids sold as the Kolor Klean Kanteen Sippy Cup.
• Drink this entire container on the way to the airport and right up until you enter the security line.  Make sure the container is empty when you get into line or you’ll have to go dump it out somewhere and lose your place in line!
• Refill this container at a water fountain by your departing gate.  I personally tend to drink filtered water when I have control of the situation (either using a reverse osmosis filter at home or a Brita 42629 Slim Pitcher at the office) but I would rather drink tap water at the airport since bottled water is only subject to the same standards as tap water, and in many cases you’re just paying $5 for tap water that has been bottled in plastic which is probably worse than plain old tap water!  The only exceptions to this rule are when you are in an airport in a city that has problems with tap water (you can search this out on the internet to see what current recommendations are in your city) or when you are buying bottled water from a brand that you know and trust and you don’t mind paying lots of money to stay hydrated.
• Drink this bottle of water on this leg of your flight.  If you don’t like the taste of tap water (like me) bring along a ziplock baggie of lemon or lime wedges or a few sprigs of mint or another herb to mask the flavor.  If you are particulary prone to travel dehydration (manifesting as severe headaches, air sickness, or extreme inability to adjust to time changes) bring a little bit of Celtic salt in a baggie and put a pinch or two into each bottle of water to supply electrolytes.
• Repeat the above process for every leg of your flight, including arrival at your destination.  Drink that last bottle of water on your way home from the airport.