Extreme cold

I was thinking about something... thought i'd share it here.
Say that you wanted to photograph on K2, and you would follow the route to the top with sherpas and guides and everything.

If you got the same gear as everyone else but added a 2,6 gallon backpack with boiling hot water and a small hose that you could drink from, like some of those waterbackpacks you see, how long would it take for that boiling water to be at a drinking temp, based on the minus degrees on the walk up.

If you wanted to photograph just at the top, and from the last checkpoint to the top, you could fill that waterbackpack with boiling water... would it last all the way to the top?
Imo i believe that it could work to keep your body warm, atleast for awhile.. but for how long?
Would the waterbackpack also keep the camera warm?

It Depends. Do you have a water bladder that can take boiling water? How well are you planning to insulate it, both to minimize heat loss to the outside air and to prevent scalding your back when you first put the pack on? Don't forget 2.6 G is about 20 lb., in addition to the other stuff you'll be carrying, and you'll need some cooler water for hydration until the boiling water cools down enough for you to drink that.

This sounds like one of those "A train leaves from Cleveland and another from Albany headed towards each other" type of question.

Haha! Just a thought, although it can sound crazy.

It's a tricky physics question, but I do like the quirckyness of the concept. Rather than just waiting for the hot water to cool, you could use it to warm your own body (and be all fuzzy and warm charging up the mountain!). But in all practicality, I think carrying an additional 20 lb might keep you from reaching the summit all together, and I would wonder at how you would get 2.6 gallons of water to boil in your camp halfway up the mountain.

got to single digits in NC. cannot wait for spring to finally arrive!