Citrus Raspberry Electrolyte Drink Mix for Camp, Just Add Water
Mix sugar, salt, citric acid and ground freeze-dried raspberries at home and store the powder in a jar. At camp, no stove or fire needed: shake about 2 tablespoons into 16 ounces of cold treated water. It takes about a minute and makes 8 bottles.
Long hot days make plain water feel flat. This mix gives you a tart, lightly sweet drink with a little salt in it, which helps when you've been sweating on the trail. It weighs almost nothing and needs no heat.
You make the powder once at home. At camp you scoop, add water and shake. It's not a medical product, just a tasty way to get people to drink more.
Citrus Raspberry Electrolyte Drink Mix for Camp, Just Add Water
- Prep
- 10 min
- Serves
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Heat
- No heat
- Pack weight
- 0.5 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- No cooler needed
- No stove
- Low water
- One-pan cleanup
- Shelf-stable
- Prep ahead
Ingredients
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Gear you'll need
- Spice grinder or small blender
- Mixing bowl and dry spoon
- Wide-mouth jar or zip bag
- Tablespoon measure
- 16-ounce water bottle with a tight lid
- Water filter or pot for boiling (if using wild water)
Steps
-
Grind the raspberries
At home, blitz the freeze-dried raspberries in a spice grinder or small blender until they look like fine powder. Pulse in short bursts so it doesn't clump.
-
Mix the powder
Add the sugar, salt and citric acid to the raspberry powder. Stir with a dry spoon until the color is even. Whisk well so the salt doesn't sit in pockets.
-
Jar it dry
Spoon the mix into a clean, dry jar or zip bag. Keep the lid tight, since any damp will make it clump. It keeps for months in a cool, dry spot.
-
Treat your water
At camp, fill your bottles from a safe source. If the water is from a stream or lake, filter it or boil it for 1 minute (3 minutes above 6,500 feet) and let it cool first.
-
Scoop and shake
Add about 2 tablespoons of mix to a 16-ounce bottle of cold water. Cap it and shake for 15 seconds until the powder dissolves.
-
Taste and adjust
Add a little more mix if you want it sweeter or tarter. Drink it cold, or let it chill in a shady creek eddy for 10 minutes.
Trail Notes
Portion the mix into small zip bags, 2 tablespoons each, so each bottle is ready to go. Press out the air and double bag them if you'll be near water.
Use freeze-dried strawberries or mango instead of raspberries. Skip the citric acid and add 1 tablespoon of powdered lemonade mix if you can't find it.
Always use a dry spoon in the jar. One wet scoop turns the whole batch into a brick.
Pack out your empty bags. Don't rinse a sticky bottle in a stream or lake. Carry the rinse water 200 feet from water and scatter it.
Campers ask
Can I make this drink mix without citric acid?
Yes. Swap in powdered lemonade mix for tartness, or just squeeze in fresh lemon or lime at camp. The flavor will be a bit softer and the mix won't keep quite as long.
How long does homemade electrolyte drink mix last?
Stored dry in a sealed jar away from heat, it keeps for several months. If it clumps or smells off, throw it out.
Is this safe to mix with lake or stream water?
Only after you filter or boil the water first. The mix doesn't make untreated water safe to drink.
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