2.

Dehydration
It is not enough to simply sip away on your water as you walk, you need to make sure
you’ve drunk ample before you set off, and after you finish.
If you are walking up a gradient or are walking in heat then your body sweats a lot more
than normal, if you lose more than you take in it upsets the balance of salt concentration
in your body which in turn affects bodily functions. You may find you feel dizzy and can’t
concentrate or have headaches and feel fatigued.
Don’t wait until you feel thirsty to drink, just sip every time you have a mini stop to look
at a view or look at your map. https://www.worldwalks.com/walking-holidays/5-problems-
hikers-can-face-best-avoid/

Getting dehydrated: An active person loses two liters per hour in very hot
weather, and about half a liter in temperate conditions. Drink enough that your
pee is nearly clear. https://www.backpacker.com/skills/the-wrong-way-top-52-hiker-
mistakes

WHY CAN’T WE JUST DRINK THE WATER

FROM NATURAL SOURCES?
With environmental decline, along with an increase of livestock, human traffic on trails and wild
animals near water sources, water quality (even in the more remote areas) is declining. Even if water
from natural sources looks clean and clear and you can see every tiny organism and rock on the
bottom of the water bed, it could still be harboring pathogens such as protozoa, bacteria and viruses
that can make you and your family very sick. These pathogens can cause a myriad digestive
problems (such as diarrhea, vomiting, etc.) or worse, depending on the type of pathogen you are
dealing with. As a result, studies performed by the Center for Disease Control and
Prevention conclude that you should always filter and disinfect water from natural sources.

Myths about contaminated water

Backpacking involves a change in your diet and daily routine, which can
disrupt bowel function. Many backpackers get constipated,[Mueser 1997, p. 101]
while others report "backpacker's diarrhea." Diarrhea hits about 10-20% of
backpackers on short trips, more than 50% on long through-hikes.[Zell 1993,Mueser
1997 http://www.lightandmatter.com/article/hiking_water.html
Having enough water with you during a hike is essential if you want to maintain your
energy and feel good. Getting dehydrated on long hikes can be very dangerous. In
addition to feeling weak, being dehydrated makes you more susceptible to sunstroke
and hypothermia. It also makes you more likely to get disoriented which can be fatal for
hikers. Source: American Hiking Society. Everyone’s water needs will vary depending
on their body weight but generally speaking, you should aim to drink ~ 1 liter (~1
quart) for every two hours of hiking. Source: SectionHiker.
https://monkeysandmountains.com/drinking-water-when-hiking/

Water is your most essential necessity on a hike. It’s a vital ingredient to life and
you should consume it in plenty when you’re doing something active like
hiking. But staying hydrated on the trail poses some issues that we don’t often
encounter in our modern everyday water drinking. To start, it’s heavy: one liter (the
capacity of a traditional Nalgene water bottle) weighs 2.2 pounds. That’s a lot
considering you will need a few of those per day. It can also be difficult to carry.

You typically want to put heavy items close to your back inside a backpack, but if you do
this with your water, then it’s hard to access and you’re likely to not drink as much as
you should. Hard plastic water bottles work well, but take up space when they’re empty.

Finally, there’s the issue of replenishing. If you’re out for a day hike, you can probably
carry enough to get you back to the car, but maybe you don’t want to carry so much
weight, or maybe you’re concerned about getting lost and needing more than you’ve
brought. Choosing a water source along the trail and treating it properly becomes a
whole new situation.