Once I was riding the latter half of a self-century across Camp Pendleton when a fierce, dry Santa Ana wind came up. I'd drank at least a gallon of water that day, so I was a little confused that my peripheral vision was fuzzing into bubbles and I was on the edge of blacking out. I licked my salty mustache and realized I'd become sodium-deprived. I sucked the delicious salt crust from my jersey's sleeves. Utterly delicious.

Fortunately the convenience store on-base didn't ask for a military ID when I bought more water and a bag of salt and pepper kettle chips--sodium and potassium--one of the most delicious experiences of my life laying there on the grass outside the convenience store. It was everything my biology needed.

I guess pickle brine has plenty of sodium in it and provides a similar effect. But I prefer the taste of kettle chips to pickle brine. Heck, they even have pickle-flavored kettle chips nowadays. Sodium AND potassium: it's a winning combination.