I've done a lot of desert travel, mostly by foot, including walking across Wyoming on the CDT. One bit of wisdom I gained along the way is to use multiple smaller containers, 2L max, so a single container failure doesn't put you in danger. It's also easier to balance the load. I've also seen bite valves and tubes fail, sometimes through user error, so don't rely on something with a tube to be your only source of water. The most water I normally carry is 7L, which I do with two 2L Platypus bladders and three 1L soda or Smart Water bottles. An advantage of the commercial soda bottles is that it's easy to replace one, often from the side of the road, in case of loss or failure, or you just want to carry a little more one day. And they fit in a bike bottle cage.