questions! : carrying water

[Bob Spenger]

It is important to tailor the drinks to the conditions. Gatorade was designed
to replace electrolytes when a person is sweating a lot under humid conditions,
specifically for football players in Florida. In dry weather, Gatorade type
liquids, as well as beer and sugary soft drinks, are not sufficient to ward off
dehydration. In dry air, respiratory loss of water results in a relative
increase in blood sugar and blood electrolytes, which can only be compensated
by plain water or diluted drinks which have electrolytes and sugar. I have a
friend who moved to California from Wisconsin many years ago and he told me
that he got into trouble his first few months here until he realized that he
could no longer quench his thirst in the local desert with beer alone. The
Meseta is not exactly the Mojave, but in the summer it is wise to ingest plenty
of plain water. Coffee is no help at all unless it is so dilute that it is
unpalatable.

regards,

Bob Spenger
rspengeraadelphia.net

David planning Le Chemin de St Jacques/El Camino de Santiago wrote:

> Here's a question I hadn't thought of before:   since I began long distance
> hiking, I've come to prefer gatorade-type drinks above all else - refreshing
> even when tepid, no beery complications.
> And now you can buy some at practically every gas station in the US at
> practically any hour of the day or night.    I am well aware that many
> people can't stand gatorade-style drinks!