Hiking Water

Hiking water.

You can look at this amazing clear, refreshing fluid through a chemist's lens: a molecule composed of two hydrogen atoms bonded to an oxygen atom, conferring remarkable properties for heat storage, solubility, dissociation....

Or you can look at it through a hiker's lens: you've got to replace what you lose via respiration, perspiration, urination, defecation - or your body will complain loudly.

It should be a simple matter of drinking when you feel thirsty, right?

Wrong. Often, by the time you "feel" thirsty, you've already lost a lot of water via perspiration and respiration (open mouth breathing on an up-slope, for instance).

Do you stop regularly (say, every 45 minutes) to rehydrate during a hike? Or do you prefer to push on until you reach a destination: the lake, a summit, or your campsite for the night?

Some hikers use hydration systems ("bladders") tucked into their packs, allowing them to sip throughout the hike. These systems carry additional responsibilities regarding cleanliness and maintenance, and can be pricey.

Other hikers carry water bottles on the outside pockets of their packs, stopping for water breaks throughout the day.

How do you know your hiking water is safe to drink? If it's coming from your water supply at home, it's probably clean. But what if you have to resupply during the hike?

Which brings me to the next issue:

Plastic or metal bottles? Recently, plastic bottles have been in the news due to a possible connection with bad health consequences.

I decided to trade in my decades-old Nalgene bottles for metal bottles called Klean Kanteens, and I'm happy with the change.

Which leads to the next hiking water topic...

...what to swallow to keep your body hydrated throughout a hike.

Plain? Sports drinks? Turbo-water?? Hmmm....let me admit that I'm a minimalist by nature (pardon the pun).

I figure that Mother Nature has limped along with plain old water for awhile now, and my body's biochemistry is well adapted to the humble H-2-O molecules.

I don't hike hard enough on any given day (unless you count the 12 hours days I recently logged in the Northwest Territories, thanks to eternal daylight) to lose electrolytes at a rate which can't be replaced with trail snacks.

I don't hike in extreme heat or altitude conditions, which may create conditions where electrolyte loss is a serious concern. So take my words with plenty of grains of salts (and sugars) if you do.

Also, I RUN AWAY from artificial colors, flavorings, preservatives and flavor enhancers out of respect for my hard-working organs of elimination: liver, kidneys, skin.

So that leaves me with just the plain old wet stuff: no carbonation, no flavors, no electrolytes (do a back-of-the-envelope calculation on what you're paying for that tiny dose of sugar & salt in your sports drink).

I know that a lot of hikers will disagree with me. Taste buds rule, no doubt. I agree that a plain fluid in your hiking water bottle is pretty dull compared to razzle-dazzle sports drinks.

But again, it circles back to respect for basic biochemistry.

Each one of my trillions of cells is asking for that basic solvent molecule called H - two - oh, and I'm happy to supply it.

UPDATE: Put this one under the category "Old Dog Learns New Hiking Trick".

Recently, I had the opportunity to add some electrolytes to my hiking water bottle. Amazingly, the day after my long, strenuous, hot hike, I was completely without aches, pains, or fatigue in my muscles.

I'm not exaggerating: completely free of post-hike issues.

Being a skeptical scientist, I repeated the "experiment" on the next hike, an equally long, strenuous, but slightly less hot hike.

I also used a different electrolyte product.

To my astonishment, the same results: no issues the next day!

So I'm backing off my "plain H-2-O only" advice. I still advocate avoiding sugars and artificial colors and flavors, though!

Play around with it for yourself, and let me know your results. Here are the brands of electrolytes I used in my hiking water bottle:

Ultima Replenisher packets, lemon flavored, 79 cents per packet, easy to transport, and essentially weightless in your lunch sack. I have to admit that I look forward to the lemony flavor!

Here's a second option: Natural Hydration (Nuun) tablets, lemon chai flavor. Be forewarned: you've really gotta like chai, as the flavor leans more toward it than lemon. My trail buddy didn't like the strong chai taste, so I'll be going it alone.

I will field test the orange flavor soon, and will report back here.

One more thing: there are water soluble B vitamins and vitamin C in these tablets, along with electrolytes. But if you're looking for a full complement of minerals, including calcium, copper, and molybdenum, adding these to your hiking water won't do it for you.

Send me your thoughts, questions, and rebuttals - I'd love to read them, and share them with other thirsty hikers!

One more thing: don't forget how much fun it is to PLAY in this amazing clear liquid, provided by Mother Nature for our pleasure!

Devote a little of your trail time this season to appreciating the beautiful lakes and streams of our planet.

Delicious hiking water is only one part of a good hiking routine. Return home for more choices.