The warning signs of dehydration and how to prevent it

Hiking, backpacking, and exploring the outdoors is most commonly done in the summertime! It’s sunny, the weather is warm, and you don’t have to worry about snow. What more could you ask for? However, while the summertime is peak nature season, it’s also marked by scorching temperatures, unrelenting sunshine, and dry conditions. Under the right conditions, it’s quite easy for hikers to become dehydrated, which can be very dangerous and even fatal.

As one of the best hiking backpack brands, it’s our prerogative to do our best to ensure that hikers and backpackers from all ends of the Earth are safe and happy! Today, on our blog, we’re going to talk dehydration: what are the signs, how you could prevent it, and how you could treat it.

What is Dehydration?

Dehydration is when your body doesn’t have enough fluids in it to function properly. When hiking in hot conditions, dehydration occurs when you don’t drink enough water and it can be extremely dangerous. Therefore, our lightest backpack company highly recommends packing an adequate amount of water and sipping on it regularly on your journey.

What are the Symptoms?

One of the primary and most obvious signs of dehydration is dry mouth and feeling extremely thirsty. As dehydration progresses, people may begin to feel dizzy, have fatigue, urinate much less frequently, and feel confused. Hiking in hot conditions causes people to sweat, and therefore lose water, which can lead to dehydration if they’re not drinking enough water to accompany the loss of fluids.

Severe dehydration symptoms include rapid heartbeat and breathing, very dry skin, sunken eyes, and even fainting. If you’re experiencing these signs, see a physician right away to prevent further damage.

Dehydration could also be a precursor for other detrimental ailments, including heatstroke, as a dehydrated body can’t properly cool itself.

How is it Treated?

Again, the cause of dehydration is a loss of fluids. Therefore, the natural treatment is to drink water! Additionally, it might also be best to drink fluids that contain electrolytes. However, if your dehydration is severe enough, drinking water might not be enough a doctor might prescribe an IV treatment.

If you’re on a hike and you’re experiencing the signs of dehydration but you don’t have water, then your best bet is to either borrow some from a fellow hiker (which is very risky) or head back down. Chances are, the mountain or trail will be there for a while longer and dehydration is never worth the risk.

How You Prevent it?

We can’t stress drinking water enough! Pack your Aarn comfortable backpack with lots of water! Fortunately, our backpacks are designed to carry a lot of weight and not put too much strain on your body. Therefore, you have no excuses to pack your bag with several water bottles!

When hiking, make sure to regularly sip on water as you walk. Take regular breaks and don’t push your body beyond its limits. You know yourself better than anybody else. If you’re not feeling well and you think it might be a problem, consult a physician and don’t take chances that could compromise your health.

We hope that this blog was informative and that you’ll have a better understanding of dehydration, how to prevent it, and how to treat it. Next time you go on a hike, don’t forget to purchase one of Light Hiking Gear’s best hiking packs and fill it with a few bottles of waters and electrolyte-rich drinks. Always put your health and safety first when hiking and backpacking. Thanks for reading and we hope to see you back soon!