The engineering of Roman aqueducts says much about the importance of water. After much struggling and learning, if I had to do it over again, the water supply to my camp would have been my number-one priority, just behind basic shelter. Having clean, flowing water was a game changer. (It’s not drinkable, creek water pumped to a barrel and treated with chlorine tabs, but still, nothing made such an impact in my quality of life out there. Not even the tent.)