The Importance of Hydration
by Bill Ames

I learned about hydration the hard way . . . I never really thought about drinking unless I was thirsty, and even then it was in the form of a break in the game or a trip inside.

Then I went on a planned 5-day hike on the AT in late July. The air temperature was nearly 100 degrees, there was a drought, and we planned on  packing two days water and finding the rest on the trail.

Well, the springs were all dry, our packs were heavier than I thought, and after half of the first day, our water was all gone.

I suffered from heat exhaustion before a timely rescue by family members, and I've been an evangelist ever since.

Hydration is fairly simple: drink or die, as CamelBak says. It's true. Everything you do is governed by water, and now that I consciously recognize the symptoms of dehydration, I honestly think that half the people I see on trails and in the shopping mall are dehydrated.

Symptoms include, but are not limited to:

• Muscle cramps

• Thirst

• Blurred vision

• Fatigue (are we there yet?!!)

• Poor coordination (stumbling, stubbing of toes)

Mostly, when I'm dehydrated, I just want to get the hell off the trail and sleep. I see this a lot in novice hikers, and I think it really sours their experience.

Now, I'm a big guy, and I sweat buckets, and I know some of you out there are saying, "I don't need water", and maybe you don't, but I'd at least recommend that you try drinking more often when on the trail. You might just find that your enjoyment and performance increase. Simply breathing eliminates a lot of water, and even in the winter you'll lose over a liter per hour. If you sweat a lot, a performance drink will do wonders, but my doctor assures me that salt pills. potassium supplements or increased salt intake are not necessary.

My advice is this:

• Bring at least one liter per hour, more if there are hills or if it's really hot

• Drink all the time--before you get thirsty--using a CamelBak for easy access

• Don't conserve water
  It doesn't pay to hoard your water. Once the symptoms hit, it's too late, so drink it before you 'need' it

• Use a sports beverage like Gatorade or All Sport. Propel is great if you need a sugar-free sport drink. It also has vitamin B12 which is a mild stimulant and gives you wings, as the Red Bull ads say.

• Listen to your body
  If you feel lousy, it could be dehydration. It's difficult to drink too much, so indulge your thirst!