[pct-l] How much water????

[Will M]

I always ended up carrying way more water then I needed.  It was worth the
peace of mind for me and allowed me to drink liberally and maintain
hydration.

I would try to camel up, i.e. drink a lot of water, especially at good water
sources.  If the water reports indicated gross water ahead, I would carry
more water just in case I didn't like the upcoming source.

You can also cook a hot meal if you arrive at a water source at lunchtime
and eat your "dry" meal for dinner.

Also, I would echo the warnings about the stretch from the border to Lake
Morena.  I brought a lot of water but ended up w/severe cramps minutes after
arrival.  It seems that every year there is someone who has problems with
this stretch.

On Sun, Sep 13, 2009 at 2:27 PM, Ellen Shopes <igellen at comcast.net> wrote:

> I've been out hiking a section of the Arizona Trail this weekend, or I
> would
> have responded sooner.
>
> First, I have to echo the sage advice of some of the responders.  It's too
> soon to know what the daily heat load will be or how much water will be
> available.
> Now, for a little 'primer' on humans and how they adapt to hot
> environments.
> This will seem to contradict what some others have said, so here is a bit
> of
> my background.  In my time at Grand Canyon, I organized/implemented a study
> of heat illnesses that occurred each summer.  Many of the public education
> programs and SAR practices at the canyon stem from these years.
>
> 1.  Heat illnesses (heat exhaustion, heat stroke, exercise-induced
> hyponatremia, heat cramps) start to appear when daily high temperatures
> reach 85 degrees.
>
> 2.  Heat adaptation.  Humans thermoregulate (maintain their body
> temperature) in a hot environment by sweating.  Over the course of a week
> or
> two, one does adapt to the heat, but does so by SWEATING MORE, not less.
>  As
> part of the acclimitization process, the sweat will contain less sodium
> (salt).  Since overall sweat production is more, total sodium losses are
> probably about the same in heat-adapted and non-heat-adapted individuals.
>
> 3.  In a hot environment, average losses are about 1 liter per hour (of
> exercise).  Obviously, losses are much less sitting in the shade.  This
> explains how valuable it can be to sit out the hot parts of the day.  For
> the record keepers in this group, the greatest sweat loss per hour (in a
> guy
> on a treadmill working at maximum intensity in a heat/humidity controlled
> room; he was wearing a specially designed suit that collected his sweat)
> was
> 2 liters.  It was felt by the researchers at the time that the runner would
> not have been able to continue to work at that intensity for much longer.
>
> 4.  Dehydration affects performance.  Studies that have looked at
> performance show that losses as small as 2% effect performance.  The sense
> of thirst does not kick in until losses of 3-5%, so is not a reliable
> indicator of when to drink.  I might also mention that a small but
> appreciable number of hikers have been having problems with kidney stones
> on-trail.  I suspect that the stones are forming in concentrated urine
> during the hot sections of trail, then not becoming apparent until the
> stones start their transit down the ureters to the bladder days and weeks
> later.
>
> 5.  As others have mentioned, in the dry heat of the desert, one often
> feels
> fairly comfortable--sweat doesn't soak the clothes (as much) as it does in
> more humid environments, or drip off the head as much.  But the losses are
> still accrued and need to be replaced.  Although it's not full-proof, one
> of
> the best ways to know if you are drinking enough is to monitor your urine.
> If it is yellow-tinged (not deep yellow, tea-colored, nor orange) you are
> probably drinking enough.  You can test this by trying some hikes when the
> temps are over 85, or on a treadmill somewhere where you can set the
> thermostat at that level.  Although humidity will make the work less
> comfortable, it will not have a significant impact on your losses.
>
> A final word: when hiking in the heat of the desert, the heaviest thing in
> your pack should be water!  Look for other ways to save weight.  Don't
> short
> yourself on water; it could cost you your life!
> Elderly Ellen
> (OK I'll get off my soapbox now!)
> (See you on the trail in 2010 with my ton of water!)
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "CRYSTAL NEZGODA" <littlevixsin at gmail.com>
> To: "pct-l" <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> Sent: Friday, September 11, 2009 11:44 AM
> Subject: [pct-l] How much water????
>
>
> >I am planning a section A and B hike for next season, the green pct book
> > says to bring atleast 8 liters of water per day... so I was wondering if
> > you
> > guys could tell me about your experience with the desert section and
> water
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