[pct-l] Water Importance

[Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com]

On Sep 27, 2008, at 10:45 PM, Hiker97 wrote:
>
> Switchback replies: I bet there are a lot of hikers that can relate  
> to you.  What I do not understand is the relationship of just  
> drinking water and drinking water with electrolytes.  I wonder what  
> the difference might be to your health and need to drink on the  
> trail.  One thing I can say is that the biggest benefit of carrying  
> an umbrella is how it reduces your dehydration -- lots of personal  
> experience.  That would seem to reduce your need for water.  But I  
> do not know how much and what is the benefits are at different  
> temperature ranges and altitudes for hydration and drinking and  
> umbrellas.
>
> I have gone to protein shakes for breakfast with a food bar.  I can  
> eat on the trail and leave camp at sun up.  Very nice way to start  
> the hiking day.  This is a nice hydration routine.
>
> Cheers, Switchback

I drank lemonade that had elecrolytes in it. It was the highlight of  
my day. On the way to Walker Pass I drank a lot of water in that hot  
burn zone and became hyponatremic a couple of miles before the pass.  
Salt deficient. When I was finally able to make some lemonade (and  
after that, soup) at the Walker Pass Campground I felt so much better.

I found a Golite umbrella in the trash at Kennedy Meadows. It turned  
out to be a huge benefit for me when I was able to use it. I wished I  
had had it earlier. It turned out that I needed it only a few times  
after Kennedy Meadows, but it was worth the weight. It really did  
reduce the mid-day heat and need for water.

Still, I needed water to cook my dinner, wash my pot and make my  
breakfast in the morning, so I would haul around two extra quarts in  
addition to my drinking water just so I could make a dry camp some  
place warm and have enough water. Depending on where the last water  
source for the day was, I might have to haul the extra water for half  
the day. After the Sierras, the dang Book of Lies taught me not to  
even trust that the last water source for the day would be there.