Originally Posted by Maelochs

Well, back then there were no cell phones ... there were rarely even telephones. Nowadays we call a cab, and think we are superior because we don't carry gear "just like back in the day."

Back in the day the road might end. Back in the day people died of exposure. Back in the day people didn't have the option of living in some self-congratulating dream-world because death was a real possibility.

it is true that people drank a lot less water back then, though. I have seen an article about siome racer from maybe the 50sd with a 12-oz (probably 750-ml) aluminum bottle stoppered with a cork on a little chain, saying how riders should breathe through their noses and drink water as sparingly as possible. This was back when race stages took many, many hours and the riders did (check the photos) wear tubulars like bandoliers across their bodies because there was no caravan of vehicles and helicopters and spotter planes ... dudes took of in some city and showed up six or 12 hours later in some other city.