Whether you are going out for the day or plan a longer hiking trip, to stay hydrated while hiking should be an important component of you planning. Dehydration can lead to many health problems and can get you into a serious predicament while hiking. Drinking sufficient water before, during and after hiking will help keep you in good health.

Why You Need to Stay Hydrated While Hiking

The human body is made up of 60% water. Without proper hydration you cannot survive. Humans can go about 3 days without water and by day 3 you will certainly not be the same person anymore. In fact, 1 day without water will already influence your athletic performance (and ability to finish your trail).

It is not worth it to risk your entire trip because you didn’t drink enough fluids.

How Much and How Often Should You Drink Water

How much water and how often will depend on a number of factors

Intensity of Your Activity

I would think it is needless to say that the harder the activity, the more water you will need. Make sure you know how difficult the trail is you plan to walk and make sure you take a sufficient amount of water with you.

Duration of Your Hike

Obviously, the longer you walk, the more water you will need. And please make sure you take a bit of extra in case you get lost. This has happened to me on a very hot day and nearly had dire consequences.

Weather

Hotter weather will get you dehydrated quicker. That doesn’t mean you don’t drink water in cold weather. You always need water but the hotter it is, the more you will need.

How Much You Sweat

Some people are lucky and don’t sweat much, others are not so lucky. When you sweat your body gets rid of toxins, so it is not a bad thing at all but, you also lose water. Make sure your intake is adequate for the amount of sweat you lose.

Hydration Tips

Here are my hydration tips for how to stay hydrated while hiking.

Drink Often

Take small sips regularly. I tend to get nauseous drinking lots of water at once. That alone will spoil my trip. Rather than trying to get it all in at one go, make a habit of drinking regularly.

Snack

You will lose electrolytes through your sweat. Without electrolytes you will lose energy and struggle to continue with your hike. For shorter hikes it shouldn’t be a problem but on longer hikes you might need to have regular snacks or at least have drinkable electrolytes.

Drink in Cold Weather

I am very guilty of avoiding water when it is cold. However, you still need it. If cold water in cold weather sounds unbearable, pack a hot drink you can sip on while hiking. (No sorry, not coffee. Coffee is known to dehydrate.)

Plan Your Route

Knowing how far and how long you will be walking is essential for you to plan how much water to take with you. Water is heavy and you might not want to carry a long hike’s water from beginning to end. Ensure you know where to fill up if you can’t carry everything with you.

Set a Timer

I used to do martial arts and we were trained to only drink water when permission was given. I now often forget to drink water until I am REALLY thirsty. Ideally you need to drink water before that happens. Setting a time as a reminder will help you with that.

Signs of Dehydration

Dehydration happens when you lose more bodily fluids than what you take in. Getting dehydrated is not fun.

Some of the early signs are dry mouth and energy loss.

When it gets more serious you can get

• Cramps
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Visibility problems
• Stumbling over your words
• Less urine and it will have a darker color

It is easy to fix dehydration if you didn’t get to far. Simply drink more water and this would probably be a good time to ad electrolytes too. When you ignore the first signs you might end up with a hospital trip.

Staying properly hydrated is essential when you are hiking.

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Final Words

One last thing, as important as it is to stay hydrated, don’t overdo it either. Overhydration is rare but it can happen and result in coma or death.

Bottom line, drink enough but don’t force it down. Thank you for reading this article. Get your water bottle ready for your next hike while building a stronger life.