The fluids that forest firefighting personnel prefer to consume are water and drinks containing electrolytes. These fluids are usually brand-name products contained in safety-sealed 500 ml or 1 L plastic bottles. The cost of
providing these products is relatively high. Other issues associated with this form of delivery are the logistics and
costs of collecting the empty bottles from the fire line or fire camp and transporting them to a disposal site. The Aviation and Forest Fire Management Branch of Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources asked FPInnovations
to investigate alternative hygienic means of delivering drinking fluids to forest firefighting personnel, and the
associated costs. FPInnovations examined various means of providing potable fluids to fire crews and compared the advantages and disadvantages.