RE-HYDRATION

I was shocked to discover that the process to recover from dehydration was a PROCESS, and didn’t happen automatically immediately once you started drinking water after being dehydrated. It also needs to be managed.
On a recent backpacking trip, Terry and I ran out of water and were becoming dangerously dehydrated.

I hadn’t peed in a day. Our lips were parched and throats were dry. Terry tripped and bunged up her knee. The last two water sources were dry. I possibly was seeing things. They could have been insects out of the corners of my eyes, but still.

 

We were able to call for rescue, and a driver showed up after an hour, with water, and bottles of electrolytes. He refused to pick us up until after he watched us drink the entire bottles of electrolytes.

He told us that the next several supposed water sources were also dry, and we would have been hurting for water for a long while.

 

Part of the problem with being dehydrated, is that your thinking gets foggy, and you start making bad decisions.

 

Even with taking more electrolytes, and drinking plenty of water, it still took a day to start feeling better.

 

When we are out on the water, we nominally feel that we are getting enough hydration just by being around the water, and that the area directly above the water is automatically 100% saturated with water vapor, but that doesn’t translate into actually getting enough water into our bodies. `

 

Drink more water. Seriously. Add a bunch of electrolytes to it. Add some salt and sugar to it to give your body some nutrients and salt and make it think you like it and care about it.

 

See you On The Water

Harmon

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