One of the main challenges that individuals will find while hiking not only in the summer, but anywhere, or anytime of season for that matter, is avoiding dehydration. If you find that you are feeling thirsty, the beginning stages of dehydration have already started! Due to the hot, and extremely dry climate, elevation, and low humidity that can be found in the southwestern United States, dehydration is a real threat. Throw prolonged sun exposure into the mix, which there is plenty of out here, and you have yourself a very good chance of suffering dehydration if you’re not prepared. Don’t think that because you may not be in out hiking in the West, that you don’t need to worry about dehydration. It can happen in any climate.
While on the trail, and even if you don’t feel thirsty, drink water to help avoid dehydration
Symptoms of dehydration include:
- thirst
- increased sweating
- headache
- nausea
- muscle cramps
- extreme fatigue
- dizziness
- dark urine or lack of urination
In desert regions one should be drinking at least three liters during the day. It sounds like a lot, but with how hot and dry it is, you will need to replenish your fluids. If you or someone in your group is suffering from any of the symptoms above, take the follow action:
Find shade, which could be under trees, shrubs, or bushes. If there is no vegetation nearby, make some shade by using a tarp, an extra shirt, or anything else to provide cover. Have the victim slowly drink small sips of water at first. At first thought it seems to make the most sense to have the victim down a whole bunch of water right away. Don’t do it! They will just throw it back up, leaving them even more dehydrated than before. Once they can hold down small sips, you may slowly increase the amount, but it should never be large gulps of water all at once. Encourage rest until the victim is fully recovered and shows no symptoms. Closely monitor their progress the rest of the hike, and get them professional medical treatment if symptoms get don’t improve or get worse.
Hydration packs are backpacks with a water pack inside (and they have room to carry your other supplies too). They have a straw tube that hangs over your shoulder, so you can sip water as you hike along the trail. We always wear hydration packs when we hike. Here are some we recommend:
To see some of our favorite hiking trails, click here.
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