Eli5 How did travelers/crusaders in medieval times get a clean and consistent source of water

Question

Eli5 How did travelers/crusaders in medieval times get a clean and consistent source of water

In: 4489

Answer 1

By carefully planning their movements, from one source of water to another. Destroying the water wells (e.g. by throwing rotten meat into them) was an early example of scorched-earth strategy.

They often carried alcohol (beer or light wine), not to get drunk, but because it did not go bad (or at least not as fast as water)

Also, people had tougher stomachs back then, and much higher rate of disease despite it.