Hiking on hot days stresses your body. High exertion and temperatures boost your core body temp, and your heart beats quickly to circulate blood next to your skin’s surface to cool you down. This robs your muscles of the blood they need, so your heart needs to crank even harder to keep them firing. If the humidity is high, your sweat can’t evaporate, further stressing your body.
First you’ll feel a little nauseous. Then your buddy will say, “You look kind of pale, why don’t you use some of my tanning oil?” Your legs will start to cramp, your pulse will weaken, and you’ll feel lightheaded.
Don’t wait for this to happen. These are classic symptoms of heat exhaustion. If you start feel dizzy or clammy in the heat, sit down, cool off, and hydrate immediately. Find some cool water or shade to sit in. If your symptoms get worse, get medical help immediately because you probably have heat stroke and could die. Seriously.
Since 2000, extreme heat has killed more people than anything else Mother Nature can throw our way. Last year in the United States 45 people died as a result of extreme heat, down from the 10-year average of 170.* Moral of the story? Don’t mess around with heat.
Source: National Weather Service - http://www.weather.gov/os/hazstats.shtml
How to stay cool in the heat
Choose a cooling outfit.
It might be tempting to point to an outfit in the Western store and say, “You’re with me, leather.” Leave those chaps for fall. Choose lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored clothes. Synthetic clothing wicks moisture better than cotton or wool, while lightweight merino clothing breathes better than almost anything out there. UPF clothing is a great choice, as well.
Wear your party pants.
Convertible pants turn to shorts for midday heat, and then you switch back to pants without even taking off your shoes.
Make your own shade.
Put on a sun visor or safari hat and your favorite Jackie-O sunglasses. Also, slather on the sunscreen.
Hydrate Part 1: Drink water BEFORE you go out.
Don’t wait until heat exhaustion sets in to start drinking water. If you know you’ll be exerting yourself in the heat, start hydrating well before you go out. We’re talking 12-24 hours before.
Hydrate Part 2: Drink plenty of water during exertion.
Fill up your small hydration pack with water or a recovery drink on short hikes. If you’re shouldering a lot of gear or hiking all day, gear up with a large hydration pack. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and sugary drinks. Drink more water than you’d normally drink.
Hydrate Part 3: Drink water after you go out.
Just because you’re not in the sun anymore doesn’t mean you’re completely safe. Dehydration and heat exhaustion can rear their ugly heads even after you’re back in A/C. So keep drinking water. That pee should be clear.
Slow down during the afternoon.
Instead of sleeping in and breaking down camp at noon, do most of your hiking before the hottest part of the day. Get up early, and then take a long break at midday. Find some shade and keep drinking lots of water.
Eat small, spicy meals.
Frequently eating small meals makes it easy for your body to digest food. Instead of feeling sluggish, you’ll be energized. Spicy food might not sound great when it’s 110F, but it can stimulate heat receptors in your mouth and make sweat pour off your face. Some people (hippies) also say that drinking chrysanthemum tea will help cool you off.
Get used to the heat before you go out.
Roll down the windows in your car on the way to the trailhead. Give your body a chance to adapt to the heat instead of jumping out of your air-conditioned car and running up the canyon. This will let you exercise with a lower heart rate.
Close your eyes and think.
Sit back and imagine turning your skis in neck-deep Utah powder or racing in the Iditarod. Some people can actually drop their core temp through visualization. No gear or tips can make up for common sense in the backcountry. Carry or cache enough water on your route to stay hydrated, and don’t be embarrassed to say you need a break when you’re hiking with your triathlete friends; they’re feeling the heat, too.
* Source: National Weather Service: 2009 Heat Statistics – PDF file
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Tags: heat stroke, hiking, hydration, staying cool
Excellent article and I’m glad you posted the heat stroke fatalities stats – good show. Also I like the fact that you provided real advice (get out of the sun, sit down, and have a drink) as opposed to touting some sort of nonsense (e.g. “drink a gallon of GatorMade Brand Hydration Fluid”) and the like. Good job and keep up the good work.
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Thanks Mark.
The heatwave that hit the East Coast a few weeks ago had us thinking about this. I think one of the most interesting stats is that Illinois has the most fatalities … Heat + humidity = dangerous. Keep reading and spread the word!
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I thought fnidnig this would be so arduous but its a breeze!
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