Staying Hydrated Hiking & Backpacking

[@JUANORQUIO]

W❤W! That’s Lovely And Wonderful Adventure! Cheers!🥂❤️✨

[@trilbyarnold3341]

Great advice. I educate other hikers, and generally carry the 10 essentials, even on a day hike, I have a small first aid kit, and am well-provisioned BUT on one occasion, I set out from my home at 8:30 a.m. after eating a bowl of oatmeal, on an easy, flat river trail in what I consider my "back yard", I didn't think I was going far or long and in my day pack was 1/4 liter of water and several dumbbells to help with strengthening my osteoporotic bones. I had broken just about every one of my own hiking rules. It was a beautiful day that led me onward and further afield until by 4:00p.m. I had walked about 9 miles.I was feeling pretty proud, given that I was still healing from a broken hip. I was feeling fine, though my stomach growled with hunger. With about a mile to go to reach my home I stood chatting with another hiker then entered the cottonwood forest beside the stream. I suddenly felt a little nauseous and believed it was from tightening back muscles. I sat down on a log. The next thing I knew, I was coming to on the ground, having wet my pants, and was wondering why there were dry leaves in my bed. I soon understood that I had fainted and had been unconscious for about 18 minutes. I couldn't stand, I was shaking and weak. Naturally. I had had no food or hydration for almost 8 hours on a hot day. My blood sugar had crashed, as had my blood pressure. I called my neighbors who run a B&B and who had a Polaris 4x4 to come get me. At home, I drank a lot of water with electrolytes and ate sweet muffins and boiled eggs. It took two days to fully recover. Thank Heavens, I had a fully charged phone with me. One moment I felt fine, the next I didn't and quickly lost consciousness. Dehydration can be deadly. The dumbbells were replaced with bottles of water and protein bars plus other essentials. I am not hiking currently, and my physical therapist doesn't want me wearing either a weighted vest or a day pack yet. My sprained muscles and tendons are well on their way to being healed, however, one of my falls on the granite rocks of the JMT displaced 3 lumbar discs to the rear, and others are displaced to the front, causing a lot of back issues. These will be dealt with in the next round of therapy. As my hip has strengthened and healed I've become more physically active doing things not done by most folk in their 80s however, my back hasn't kept pace and disturbs my hard-gained function. In two or 3 months I should be back to hiking. I may need to look into lighter-weight gear if I'm to do any backpacking, however. Keep up the good education work you do and Happy Trails.

[@ApeMan]

Hi Trilby. Your story is a great example of that one time you aren’t fully prepared and go a little further than planned. Hope you are feeling good and out on the trails soon.

[@davidterrie7661]

Hi Terry, I'm living in Prescott, AZ now. Just saying hi. Really impressed by your body transplant.

[@ApeMan]

Hi David. How’s the hip? Hope you are loving it in Prescott!. Lots of good hiking around there. Enjoy! My body transplant has been great and I maintain it by walking 5 miles almost every day. Cheers!

[@davidterrie7661]

@@ApeMan The hip is all good. Barely notice that I had it replaced, except that it no longer hurts. Going to head back to the Sierra in July-August, but in this spring I'm going to explore the parks to my north, GC, Moab, etc. I've got a Jeep, so will do some driving tours too.

[@regis387]

thanks for the update - i used to get into trouble with dehydration when spring skiing in colorado - the altitude and sun would really sneak up on you - i didn't think about at first when you mentioned folsom - you're in prison town :)

[@ApeMan]

The prison is actually great. It’s out of site, provides jobs and protects a lot of native oak woodland.

[@peterbedford2610]

How are the knees?

[@ApeMan]

Thanks for asking. The knees are just fantastic and I’m getting in plenty of pain free hiking!