A Scout’s Campfire

Backpacking Danger Often Overlooked in the Winter

January 8th, 2007 spryken

Most people are aware of common dangers associated with winter sports.  You know injuries due to slipping on wet and frozen surfaces, frostbite, hypothermia, etc.

These are all serious dangers and precautions should be taken to prevent or avoid them.  But what about dehydration?  Backpacking is still an aerobic exercise.  It is strenuous.  You may not realize how much moisture you are losing.  Besides what you sweat out and the many layers of wick-away fabric absorb, you are also losing moisture with every breath you take.  Do you see your breath?  That is precious body moisture slipping away.

Symptoms of mild dehydration include:

• dark urine
• nausea or loss of appetite
• irritability
• thirst

Symptoms of moderate dehydration include:

• headache
• dizziness
• labored breathing
• tingling in the extremities
• lack of salivation - (no spit)
• cyanosis (bluish or grayish skin color)

Symptoms of severe dehydration include:

• swollen tongue
• dimming vision and impaired hearing
• shriveled or numb skin
• painful urination
• delirium
• unconsciousness

How can you treat dehydration?  Drink liquids and keep warm.  The best treatment is to never let it happen!  You may not feel thirsty, drink anyway.  Some people like the “sports drinks”.  I like water.  I think the sports drinks are sugary and am not convinced the aid in preventing dehydration any better than water.  I bring along salty snacks to stimulate thirst.  And as most backpackers, I graze all day on the trail. 

Using a hydration system, such as the Platypus, you can drink water without having to pull out a water bottle or drop your pack.  I like the Platypus system because the plastic “bottles” are extremely light weight and you can roll them up or fold them when empty.  Most traditional packs now include a hydration pocket with openings for the drink tube.

Drinking water is the key to avoiding dehydration.  However, you have to be able to get the water.  In cold weather the drinking tubes of hydration systems can get blocked by the very water they carry, that is ICE.  I keep my water in my tent where body heat can keep it thawed.  If it is extremely cold, I keep it in my sleeping bag.  I had a scout on a winter 50-miler, who learned this lesson the hard way.  It had gotten down to 13 degrees F and he had left his water outside his tent.  Unfortunately for him, he did not tell anyone that he could not get any water from the drinking tubes.  He had severe leg cramps by the end of the days hike.  He is a tough guy and made it through.  Lesson learned!!  He is now my biggest advocate for staying hydrated.

It is easy to think “I need to drink some water, stay hydrated” in the summer when you are coated with sweat and really hot.  It is not so easy in the winter.  Dehydration is still a very real danger though.  Keep drinking, even if you aren’t thirsty.  The guideline is 8-12 glasses (8 ounce) of water a day.  While backpacking or doing any strenuous activity, you need to increase that amount.

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