While I was on my two safaris this summer, I used one of the Camelback type water carriers. I have used one here in the U.S. for about 3 years now, but It was perfect for Africa. It carries about 2-liters of water, plus the odds and ends like spare film that you usually want along. It is comfortable, quiet, and a drink is always within inches of your mouth. There are a variety of sizes and styles to choose from, including both backpacks and fanny packs. Since they are designed for runners and bikers, they stay where they are supposed to during strenuous activity without the sloshing noise of a canteen. Since they are easy to put on, I automatically grabbed it any time I left the vehicle or camp, whether for 10 yards or 10 hours. I have used it in Colorado in the middle of winter. Since the bag is insolated, and against your back, it does not freeze, and if you route the drinking tube under your arm, your body heat (or maybe body odor) keeps it from freezing also.

They are a big fad on safari now but that's what I'm paying the hired help for...to carry water.

Everyone complains about carrying heavy guns yet doesn't object to a few extra pounds of water.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have found no matter how much water we carry, it is normally finished in the first couple of hours of walking in the bush.

I follow my PH example, we take a drink whenever we are leaving on what we expect to be a long walk, and normally do not drink any more until we're back at the truck.

Generally, a number of us go hunting together, and it is always funny to see newcomers devouring every drop of water early on.

We've had some of our friend say something like "I think I am going to die soon!"

Our normal reply is: " We'll come in the morning and shoot the hyenas before they finish eating you. At least you'd have served a useful purpose, being hyena bait!"

This always changes their mind about dying, and seems to give them a good shot of new found energy.

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saeed@ emirates.net.ae

www.accuratereloading.com

Saeed,
last week, it was very hot in the valley, I used to drink 5 liters during the 5 hours walk and shooting. How to manage to drink that amount before leaving the car?

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I was raised on a big cattle ranch in the big bend country, truly a harsh desert enviorment and went without water daily as a matter of course, unless I came to one of the few spings on the ranch and on ocassion drank some pretty bad alcolye water covered with sheep greese in an emergency on a 120 degree day.....

We seldom carried water or drank during the course of the day...We usually drank enormous amounts of water and ice tea in the evening...

I have noticed that I can go without water much better than most folks and for longer periods of time...and drank less when I get to a source of water...Most of the men in the family share that same trait...

I'm going to "guess" that because of the above we adopted to the enviorment or built up a resistance to thirst to some degree...I don't know but maybe some of you in the medical field can explain this...Is this possible??

I have also noticed, since moving to Idaho that I can become extremely thirsty in extremely cold, snowy weather in a hurry and cannot handle that very well...I must have plenty of water on hand or I parch...

How about it Dr. Alf.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Norbert,

We drink whatever we can before we go, and then try to make up for it when we come back.

One time we went after elephants, and were out for most of the day. After coming back, I think I must have drunk 2 cans of Pepsi, 3 bottles of Coca Cola, 2 large glasses of orange drink and probabaly 2 more of water.All within a very short period of time.

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saeed@ emirates.net.ae

www.accuratereloading.com

You all must be a lot tougher than me. If I have to, I can manage without drinking regularly, but honestly, if I can be comfortable, why not carry the water. As to having the help carry the water for you. The point is that you can drink a little whenever you want, without stopping or making noise, or otherwise interupting the flow of the hunt.

I find that I do better, am more alert, have more energy, and generally enjoy my self more if I stay hydrated. I find that for me, if I am hunting or hiking here in California during our archery season (day time temps in the high 90's to low 100's (farenheit), humidity 15 to 30 percent, steep hilly terrain) if I drink a throughout the day I do better. I personally find that I need about 1-1/2 liters for a full day.

Dr. Berry here,
There is a reflex ADH (antidiuretic hormone) suppression with cold exposure. Thus cold exposure can trigger increased urination and relative dehydration. This would contribute to peripheral vascular and total vascular volume decrease and thus reduce heat losses through the circulation to the extremities. Alcohol consumption also suppresses ADH but dilates the capillaries and worsens heat loss, making one more prone to hypothermia if not frost bite.

Heat exposure can increase ADH effect, thus curtailing water losses to urine and pumping up the vascular tree to supply the sweat glands for evaporative losses and radiant heat loss from the exposed vessels in the skin's subcutaneous layer. This is normal stuff with all humans.

Adaptation to heat usually comes with the ability to sweat more. Anyone who is heat adapted will function better if they drink water on a regular basis in stressful situations whether due to high ambient temperatures and humidity or due to hard work and internal heat production.

The non heat adapted individual may not be able to sweat fast enough to keep up with the demands for heat loss. He may actually drink so much as to lower his blood sodium content to the point of having seizures before he sweats enough to lose heat. High body temperature and electrolyte imbalances can cause strange things to happen. It may not all be a comedy routine put on by Walterhog.

Anyone who doesn't drink regularly under such stress may get away with it if they are fit and have a lot of reserve capacity, and are well hydrated to start with. They run the risk of kidney stones if they do this frequently. A gallon of water per day is the best preventive of the most common kind of kidney stone. Concentrated urine can crystallize into a stone in anyone, in short order. Best avoided on safari.

To keep a regular urine output is the best sign to monitor under stress from heat and hard work. Norbert has the right idea with drinking a liter per hour.

Of course most safari hunting is not that tough, but if one is chasing elephants for miles and miles in the heat, he had best have someone carrying a lot of water along.

I used to be a marathon runner. I would start the race well hydrated, with about a liter of water drunk in the hour before the race started. I would take water from any water station along the way and drink or pour it over me as I went. I still finished the race with 6 to 10 pounds of water weight loss and a body temperature of up to 104 degrees F, depending on the heat. My best races often came when I had to stop and urinate in a bush somewhere along the way. If I had to urinate at the 20 mile point then I was in good shape to accelerate the pace over the last 6 miles. I will only say that my times were measured in 2 hours and some minutes.

About the only species that can reabsorb water from its urinary bladder is the desert horned toad. Humans can't do this.

Humans do well in the heat by being lean and aerobically fit and drinking a lot of water, and shedding the body heat through evaporation mainly. Good circulation and a lack of body fat as well as efficient skeletal muscles, heart and lungs can get you by without regular drinking, but only just so far. You have to drink regularly if the going is really tough.

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RAB

Ron,

You forgot the decreased humidity in cold drying one out quickly.

When I go up to Prudoe Bay, I drink alot of fluids, but still feel parched, and this is working inside most of the time.

Ladies and gentlemen,
You can�t drink too much! Water that is...
Dehydration can be lethal.
Your PH is normally used to the temperature, do not try to do like him/her! As an American or European you need much more water.

When I was an appie in the bush the rule was: the client drink first, as much as he like, the PH drink second but sparsely, the appie and the tracker just look on and lick their lips.
Bjorn

Paul H,
Right. Insensible losses are greater when breathing cold, dry air, and any sweat evaporates before you knew it was sweat...more insensible losses in low humidity.

I also forgot to add that everyone should salt their food under heat stress. Those with congestive heart failure or endstage renal disease should think twice before going elephant hunting.

Oh sure, there is much more that could be said about this topic, but I am trying to make it brief. Unless someone wants to pay me to be the medical consultant, this is just goof off time.

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RAB