Water inspections can be done by the unit preventive medicine officer. Do not add flavored beverages directly to canteens or bulk water storage containers. Flavorings added to the canteen reduce the effectiveness of water disinfectants. All traces of flavorings must be rinsed out completely before disinfecting the next canteen of water. Mix flavorings in a canteen cup and drink completely after mixing.
Plain water is the beverage of choice .
Glucose-electrolyte beverages may be useful under unusual conditions such as energy expenditure with restricted food intake. In hot weather, the amount of calories required actually increases slightly although the desire to eat goes down. Appetite suppression is a more serious problem in troops that are not heat acclimatized. The amount of salt lost in sweat varies depending on a person's degree of acclimatization. As the body adjusts, or acclimatizes to the heat, sweat contains less salt.