The good ol’ water bag

When I was in the local Agra the other day, a familiar item stood out among the farming supplies and caught my attention. It was the good ol’ water bag. It brought back many memories and reminded me how much the world has changed in the last fifty years or so.

It took me back to my childhood when Chevies and Fords were the predominant vehicles on the road and you would often see a canvas water bag slung over the side mirror or front bumper, the paint rubbed off from the bag swinging in the wind over the many miles on the road. I remember a water bag hanging off my dad’s bakkie and the tractor when the workers were working along the fence line on the farm.

Popular in the 1900s to 1960s, water bags were used by travellers, farmers, miners and construction workers to keep water cool, even in the searing heat. They were soaked overnight and then filled in the morning. During the drive water seeped to the surface of the fabric, evaporating in the wind and cooling the liquid. The water bag also cooled down the hot radiator as the refreshing breeze blew onto the engine.

I remember how when you bought a water bag, you had to first seal it by putting a handful of mieliemeal into the water. The smell and taste of the water will always stay with me.

Today, cool boxes and car fridges have mostly replaced the water bag, and plastic bottles of water are readily available at shops and roadside petrol stations, but those water bag days still hold fond memories and a nostalgic feeling for the old days long past.