Dehydration

[Rodger]

I have just been reading the thread 'awnings 4x4' and the discussion was starting to focus on awning sides which, as most members are located in wetter climes, lead me to think about their value in hotter places.

Where we are in the SE corner of Spain protection from the sun is important but perhaps more so is protection from the hot winds that come directly from the Sahara. The wind can be more dehydrating than than the sun because one is conscious of the sunlight but not necessarily of the winds.

When we're out with Dave2000, we rig a ground sheet between his 80 and our 40 (neither of us has an awning) when stopped for lunch, often with one end down to deflect the hot wind.

The wind is extremely dehydrating so you can be sat in the shade of your awning but still be dehydrating very rapidly. And yes, we carry and drink loads of water but have recently started taking isotonic drinks with us to replenish the minerals lost through dehydration.
After our recent exploration of the Gorafe desert, we all suffered the debilitating after effects of dehydration and we had drunk gallons of water but it is the loss of body minerals that can be the most damaging so now we carry and consume isotonic drinks as well.

The dangers of dehydration are numerous but understanding the symptoms can save your life. By the time you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated. Drink water at regular intervals and often and supplement that consumption with sports type drinks. Dehydration will and does cause a severe reduction in your ability to concentrate and with a thousand foot drop on one side of a narrow track and a rock face on the other - concentration is of prime importance. Dehydration will also give you blurred or distorted vision and a shortness of temper and muscle tension - none of which are good considering the potential surroundings. I am not a medical practitioner and I'm certain that there are many other effects.

So if you have an awning be sure to take the sides when visiting a hotter climate than you are used to, they will make a significant difference to you. Although we don't have an awning we do carry a gazebo, ground sheets to rig over the truck, hats and sun umbrellas.

regards,

Rodger

 

[clivehorridge]

I have just been reading the thread 'awnings 4x4' and the discussion was starting to focus on awning sides which, as most members are located in wetter climes, lead me to think about their value in hotter places.

Where we are in the SE corner of Spain protection from the sun is important but perhaps more so is protection from the hot winds that come directly from the Sahara. The wind can be more dehydrating than than the sun because one is conscious of the sunlight but not necessarily of the winds.

When we're out with Dave2000, we rig a ground sheet between his 80 and our 40 (neither of us has an awning) when stopped for lunch, often with one end down to deflect the hot wind.

The wind is extremely dehydrating so you can be sat in the shade of your awning but still be dehydrating very rapidly. And yes, we carry and drink loads of water but have recently started taking isotonic drinks with us to replenish the minerals lost through dehydration.
After our recent exploration of the Gorafe desert, we all suffered the debilitating after effects of dehydration and we had drunk gallons of water but it is the loss of body minerals that can be the most damaging so now we carry and consume isotonic drinks as well.

The dangers of dehydration are numerous but understanding the symptoms can save your life. By the time you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated. Drink water at regular intervals and often and supplement that consumption with sports type drinks. Dehydration will and does cause a severe reduction in your ability to concentrate and with a thousand foot drop on one side of a narrow track and a rock face on the other - concentration is of prime importance. Dehydration will also give you blurred or distorted vision and a shortness of temper and muscle tension - none of which are good considering the potential surroundings. I am not a medical practitioner and I'm certain that there are many other effects.

So if you have an awning be sure to take the sides when visiting a hotter climate than you are used to, they will make a significant difference to you. Although we don't have an awning we do carry a gazebo, ground sheets to rig over the truck, and sun umbrellas.

regards,

Rodger

I spent a short spell (18 months) living in Qatar, and quickly learned what and how to drink as well as the necessity to drink plenty.

Little and often is the basic rule, a liter of water every 2 or 3 hours just doesn't cut it, it's much more effective to spread that out evenly over 15 minute intervals.

Also, I learned from the locals, vary what you drink, from fresh water through the various teas, and of course more modern isotonic drinks to supplement mineral loss.

Qatar is almost always windy, it's a flat rock covered with dust and there's no natural relief from the perstent gulf winds.

Religion and tribal custom aside, you'll never see a Qatari sunbathing for the simple reason that it's not a good idea. These dress customs have come about for good reason, out in the desert at 50C plus, the only thing you'll see of a passer-by is their eyes, usually behind dark shades.

The loose clothing reduces the effects of wind evaporation and wherever you are, it's well to take note of how the locals deal with the weather conditions they are used to.

 

[MarkW]

A lot of people who charge out onto the Moroccan desert are often both mentally and physically unprepared for the temperatures and conditions. Very easy to get caught out, more so if you sit in the vehicle all day with the windows up and AC on.

Tourists regularly get caught out often with fatal consequences, over the last few years 2 Spanish bikers and a French chap in rental cruiser have died as a result of the conditions and a lack of preparation. In 2014 I ended up with mild heat exhaustion after a frustrating hot day trying to get through the military zones on the south. Lesson learnt most definitely.

I don't use A/C very deliberately when I'm in the desert, it lets you feel the real temperature an acclimatise to the conditions. With the last trip mid to high 30's were comfortable for me after 2 months acclimatising to the temperatures. I always carry enough water to survive 2 days in an emergency on top of what I need day to day. Then I drink continuously through the day

Interesting piece of history/local customs is the serving of mint tea, pastry's and salted nuts to guests in hot climates, simply designed to replenish lost salts and sugars in the heat, the locals survived for centuries like this before isotonic drinks were invented.

Something else I've noted on the trips I've done in groups is those who have awnings almost never use them. On the 2015 trip an awning was deployed once and only to show it to someone.

 

[MarkW]

Recent story from Chad involving locals caught out with fatal consequences

WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES!

http://tinyurl.com/y8qtl4ep

 

[clivehorridge]

Recent story from Chad involving locals caught out with fatal consequences

http://tinyurl.com/y8qtl4ep

That rather brutally brings it home, as to how quickly dehydration can snuff you out in extreme conditions.

These days, were rather good a cheating, that is to say changing our immediate environment to suit us, (with A/C and the inverse heaters when it's cold) rather than adapting ourselves to the prevailing conditions.

Your experience Mark, when you suffered heat exhaustion, shows that even with care, it can catch you out.

The secret then is to be able to recognize it coming on. Often an unexplained headache, irritable temperament, a reduction in perspiration, blurred vision, can all be signs of dehydration which get ignored as they could also be due to your circumstances (other than the heat and lack of fluids) at the time (such as the frustrating run-around the military zone guards gave you).

 

[MarkW]

Spending the night drinking with French rally girls didn't help either. But waking the next day too ill to drive but deep in the desert and the subsequent drive out to the nearest town was alarming.

As I say lesson learnt.

Something else to consider (and a lesson from this May) is overnight temps. Last few days in the desert temps didn't drop below 32 so little respite in the cooler evening. I also had a serious sand storm with temps in the 40's so it was windows up for 2 hours. First town we got too it was straight to a cafe for lots of cool liquids

 

[Towpack]

Believe it or not I suffered dehydration climbing Ben Lomond a few years ago in a high 20's heatwave. I guess it's around a 5 mile, 4hr return trip. Took just 1L of water/cordial when, apparently, I should have taken 4 times that. Reached the summit sweating buckets with no drink left and very thirsty but feeling OK. Halfway back down developed a severe headache and felt really weak stumbling allover the place. Never experienced anything like that before or since. Rightly or wrongly I quenched my thirst in the Pub at the bottom but still felt really sh***e for the rest of the day. Can't even begin to imagine tackling something similar in high 40 deg heat!

 

[lc 120]

Clive, we use to go camping at least 2 x weekends of each month and longer on public holidays up in Zekreet, Qatar (past French beach) we had to take all our drinks with us so one cool box for water an one for the beers...

 

[flint]

I’ve still got a little book called Stay Alive in the Desert, the author (KEM Melville was a medical officer in Libya) recommends drinking 10 litres a day, no salt if already dehydrated (to avoid kidney problems) but with a gram of salt a litre added when rehydrated. As a rule of thumb, urination should be as frequent as it would be in cooler climates. The book’s probably a bit old now (pre isotonic !), but still a handy read.

 

[StarCruiser]

This is a VERY important, useful thread. Thanks for posting, I now recognise more of the symptoms in me regularly in the UK never mind at 40 degrees.

 

[clivehorridge]

Ni

Clive, we use to go camping at least 2 x weekends of each month and longer on public holidays up in Zekreet, Qatar (past French beach) we had to take all our drinks with us so one cool box for water an one for the beers...

Nice!

We got off on a wrong foot trying to explore Qatar, I recon. I worked 6 days a week so 'weekend camping' was not an option, which pretty much sums up why we didn't stay in Qatar longer than 18 months.

Only once I remember trying the West side, going up to Umm Bab, and Dukhan (really close to Zekreet but not knowing it was there), giving up and coming back via Ash-Shahaniyah to Doha.

We did try the East side more, North of Doha to Al Khor and Ad-Dahirah but there's nothing there to write home about.

This meant the usual (safe) Friday ride South, Al Wakrah and down to Mesaieed, the dunes and the resort pool.

It was a day out and having no weekend, it was the best we could do with our short time off, really. We had some nice dune trips to the inland sea and thereabouts, the beach and the sea were much better there than at Al Wakrah, deeper water and a more interesting beach.

Generally, I found Qatar a depressing place, I spent all my time in the desert on the Salwa Highway project, my wife was marooned in the apartment, and there was nowhere interesting to go for just a day out (having no weekends).

Still, I learned a lot about human nature, we mixed with more nationalities you can imagine all in one place, experienced different cultures, and if nothing else, learned that there's more in common between different races than differences.

It's a pity human nature automatically looks for differences, we all have the same hopes, fears, concerns and problems and we all seem to enjoy the same friendships, companionship and family values.

Sorry for the hijack Rodger, I've gone way off target this time...

To bring it back, especially when exploring places, keep plenty of drinks with you in the cooler, and an emergency 20 lt of water at any temperature, it may save your life even in the event of something simple, like a puncture, or losing a wheel.

 

[Chas]

Very useful thread this.
Not knowing any different at the time, I suffered dehydration/heat exhaustion when I was in Morocco, obviously thirsty, I thought any drink was OK so I was guzzling soft drinks but when I mentioned my discomfort to our leader Barry Dunbar, he said drink only water, too much sugar in the other drinks, and after a short while I felt much better.
It surprised me as I assumed almost any liquid would be OK, obviously not.

 

[clivehorridge]

Very useful thread this.
Not knowing any different at the time, I suffered dehydration/heat exhaustion when I was in Morocco, obviously thirsty, I thought any drink was OK so I was guzzling soft drinks but when I mentioned my discomfort to our leader Barry Dunbar, he said drink only water too much sugar in the other drinks and after a short while I felt much better.
It surprised me as I assumed almost any liquid would be OK, obviously not.

I'm not sure, but I think it's only the sugar and maybe caffeine in "soft" drinks that can cause problems when consuming large quantities.

Our medical advisor was very keen to advise us to drink a variety of things, but he was mostly pushing teas and unsweetened natural juices along with water.

That was a while ago too, well 11 years.

 

[MarkW]

Caffeine and alcohol are no good unfortunately to rehydrate with

 

[GeekOKent]

Lets not forget water intoxication. You want to replace electrolytes and fluids being lost, but just drinking water on its own isnt going to cut it. This is where the tea and juice come in. You can also get electrolytic powders that have been around for 40+ yrs now.

An easy way to find them is to look for diarrhea relief medication when abroad. Not the kind of meds that stop it, but suppliments that help - they are often dehydration prevention electrolytic drinking salts.

When in southern and eastern asia look for heat wave supression meds, they are the same thing.

Here in the UK and much of America's you are looking at ORS.

The isotonic drinks mentioned... are you sure? Is this the gatorade and friends stuff? Not too sure about these.

 

[MarkW]

I always carry a supply of rehydration sachets to mix wit water on the electrolytes side

 

[StarCruiser]

In Cyprus they drink a sort of thin yoghurt drink which contains salt called Ayram (I-Ram).

 

[clivehorridge]

In Cyprus they drink a sort of thin yoghurt drink which contains salt called Ayram (I-Ram).

That's familiar, they have that in Turkey (obvious connection) and Bulgaria, too.

 

[Rodger]

From a small amount of research the likes of Gatorade are a high sugar drink which is not good for rehydration. But reading about the ways of controlling dehydration I found the following which may help our understanding

Most sports drinks on the market are what sports scientists call isotonic, which means they contain a carbohydrate solution that is at 6-8% concentration. These drinks are in the middle of the spectrum in terms of absorption rate, with water being the most readily absorbed (hypotonic) and something like fruit juice, being greater than 8% sugar concentration (hypertonic) being the least absorbable. Because the sugar concentration of most sports drinks is higher than that of most body fluid they are not readily absorbed into the blood stream and are thus not optimal for hydration.

By drinking water alone, diluting your sports drink, or using electrolyte substitutes, you provide your body with the best combination of electrolyte replacement and immediate absorption. Likewise, electrolytes, especially sodium and potassium, reduce urine output, speed the rate at which fluids empty the stomach, promote absorption from the small intestine, and encourage fluid retention.

This seems to be suggesting that all the different methods mentioned in this thread are okay providing they are not sugar loaded. The medical suggestion is to replace the lost fluids and minerals at an equivalent rate to the loss rate so does that mean that we all carry scales and body loss calculation charts. I don't think so - just have awareness of the conditions and listen to your body.

Regards,

 

[mettisse]

What an interesting thread, one of the best! thanks to all for the input,