Dehydration while hiking – how it occurs and how to avoid it

It is not only absolute beginners who suffer from dehydration when hiking. Many experienced hikers and outdoor professionals can also certainly report one or two experiences in which they had to deal with the unpleasant physical consequences. Even a few events in a row can lead to it affecting your own body. Whenever you perform physical exertion in high temperatures and at the same time cannot ensure a constant water intake, you run the risk of becoming a victim of dehydration. For many people, the word " dehydration " in sports is little more than a buzzword that is passed on like a bogeyman from athlete to athlete - until you eventually experience it yourself. In this article, WOLFGANGS shows you what dehydration when hiking is all about and what behavior you can adopt in the field to help avert the evil.

The term "dehydration" under the microscope

Although the word " dehydration " usually describes the elimination of hydrogen within a chemical compound, this word has become established over time in reference to a lack of fluids that occurs in humans. Normally, the words dehydration or dehydration would be more appropriate in terms of meaning, but the term dehydration is the more popular and most commonly used.

However, all three words have one thing in common - they describe the dehydration of the body, which results from a fluid deficit. This deficit or deficiency is in turn caused by fluid loss or insufficient fluid intake.

Cooling down the body temperature is often problematic

We all know how quickly we can warm up during the colder seasons, for example by putting on a warm jacket or moving around a bit. The body can absorb the heat quickly, so you feel good again after a short time.

However, the situation is different when it comes to cooling down a body that has been exposed to excessive heat. Logically, if you have air conditioning, a pool or an ice cube machine, you don't need to worry about the hot influences, but as all three are usually not available during sporting activity, the risk of dehydration during sport automatically increases.

Now imagine that you are hiking in remote areas or in places where there is no water source anywhere nearby. You can imagine how much energy your body has to put in anyway. It is precisely in such situations that the risk of dehydration increases dramatically.

The first signs of dehydration during exercise

Sweat is the body's own weapon against impending overheating. The parts of the body that are not covered by clothing and are therefore in contact with the air are cooled down considerably thanks to the sweat on the skin. However, since these drops of sweat evaporate quickly, especially in hot temperatures, the body has to transport more and more body fluids to the outside in order to prevent overheating. Those who do not drink enough or cannot find enough to drink in such situations run the risk of becoming dehydrated.

The symptoms can manifest themselves in a variety of ways. The most common are:

• Headache
• dizzy spells
• nausea
• Hand over

However, the human body is not designed in such a way that it can jump directly from a normal state into dehydration mode. The so-called “ dehydration ” indicates beforehand that fluid is lacking and that if you continue without water intake, you risk dehydration.

The warning signs of dehydration are as follows:

• Strong thirst that feels almost impossible to quench
• Dry mouth
• Moderately severe headache phases

Listen to your body’s signals and try to take appropriate countermeasures at the first signs.

Measures to Prevent Dehydration While Hiking

According to the WHO's published recommendations, everyone should drink at least 2 liters of water every day. However, this does not refer to a person who is physically active, but rather describes a normal everyday life without any unusual stress.

You can certainly imagine that your water requirements increase many times over when you're doing sports. Depending on how warm it is, what the route is like and how long you're on the road for, you may quickly need to plan on carrying double or triple the amount of litres.

Therefore, always try to take enough water with you and plan your intended route or tour in advance. So that you can also spontaneously use water sources along the way, it is advisable to take a small outdoor water filter with you. Such methods of water filtering are very beneficial and ensure that you do not drink dirty water.

Also, always wear light and breathable clothing. Not only is this very comfortable in terms of weight when you're out in the field, it also allows sweat to be transported out more easily, which in turn is good for cooling the body down.

Food intake can also be closely linked to dehydration or can contribute to it. If possible, try to avoid water-absorbing foods such as cereal bars and instead focus on fruit and vegetables. We also know that light outdoor foods are particularly beneficial in the field , but it is good to combine them with water-providing foods every now and then.

Measures at a glance :

• Adjust your water needs to your physical activity.
• Use small, space-saving water filters to utilize water sources along the way.
• Wear only breathable clothing.
• If possible, include hydrating foods in your meal plan.

No matter how small and obvious these measures may seem at first, they are often overlooked in the field. Try to remember these tips and implement them at regular intervals.

Drinking water is not always drinking water

Always remember that during physical exertion and peak performance, water leaves the body as quickly as it enters it. This means that it is better to drink in small, gentle sips rather than gulping down half a litre of water in one go. Or have you ever seen marathon runners drink half a litre in one go?

The body is generally not able to process water intake too quickly, which would stimulate sweat production even more. Instead of quickly getting your water balance back to a healthy level, this approach would create a " bottomless pit ". Focus on a slow but constant intake of liquids and you will see that your body can cope with this much better. This way you will also conserve your water reserves if you ever run out of water sources.