And when it’s sunny on the snow it’s about 4-5 C warmer.

Sorry to hear about your current condition. I have recently stopped drinking coffee, and cut down on the beer, so I’ve been conscious to replace that fluid.

As gout symptoms are very diet related, if I was in your position I would do some sort of fast or juice cleanse for a week or two. Not only does it reset your body, but it also resets your taste buds, making it easier to maintain a healthful diet.

Keep in mind you can also get a lot of water from foods. Not just salad but smoothies or yogurt bowl or steamed vegetables.

I don’t like drinking water because the fact is you don’t need that much of it. When I was hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, walking 12 hours per day, I drank at most 3 liters, plus a pint for breakfast and a pint for dinner. So that’s 1 gallon total for extreme physical activity. In such a day I would pee maybe 3 or 4 times.

In normal life in an arid climate my water needs are about 1-1.5 liters. But this can entirely be covered by coffee or tea, a fizzy water, and maybe a beer or bedtime tea.

The only reason for the hydration obsession is excessive salt intake. Because salt and water are always a balancing act, excessive hydration will likely lead to salty snack cravings. If it didn’t we’d have a lot more cases of hyponatremia. The only serious side effect of being in the yellow pee club is kidney stones, but those are better prevented by lemon water and avoidance of spinach than excess hydration. I have no complaints of constipation or dry skin.

Drink when you’re thirsty. Eat when you’re hungry. Rest when you’re tired.