Originally Posted by
albertmoreno
Cool, I got a 100oz water bladder. Only thing it can cause some neck tension. Oh, and I tend to drink to point that I need to urinate urgently when there's no restroom in sight, but you made some good points about how to use a water bladder.
Okay, can you explain that bit about hot days having two dangers? the heat, itself, and sunburn? Sun block only works for sunburn, so what do you do to protect yourself against heat stroke?
Water, electrolytes and avoiding heat when possible. You are releasing water as you sweat to cool yourself. If you don't replace it, the tank will become too empty and the sweating will stop. That's when things get dicey. That's why you want to drink water as much as possible. One clue to having enough water inside you is that you need to urinate. That's a good sign because the kidneys are trying to flush excess water out of the system. If you are overflowing the tank, so to speak, you have a full tank to begin with.
There is a problem, however. Too much water and too much sweating means you lose electrolytes. Those are necessary to keep all the electrical circuits in your body functioning, like your brain, your heart, your nerves, etc. Too much water or too much electrolyte loss can lead to other problems. Gatorade does a good job and provides some energy. It tastes awful hot but it's good for you. You don't want to fill your Camelbak with the stuff because that's too much and the clean up is too difficult. A water bottle is best.
The cold water from an ice filled Camelbak will also help you regulate your core body temperature.
How much? That depends. Generally, you want to drink before you are thirsty. 120 oz in 4 hours is okay for some and too little for others.