i always tell people that you hunt elephant with your feet , but there are a lot of other animals where you will spend a bunch of time walking and also likely to sweat heavily...

a good friend of mine is a retired doc from orlando and was part of the team of physicians who designed the original gatorade ...it was done by putting rubber gloves on athletes and measuring the chemistry of the sweat ...in those days gatorade was a lot saltier and a lot less sugar ... nowadays its been changed so it sells like pop !!

with that said , i often have a guys who need a little more than water or a coke while walking or when we get back to the car and i have tried a bunch of rehydration stuff ...i recently came across HYDRO MAX made by a company called WILDERNESS ATHLETE..

i used it last season then i sent this guy a packet and asked what he thought ....he said the ingredients were very well balanced and i have to say i had great results with it ..

i often hunt elephants and buff when its hot and its not unusual to be walking over 6 hours a day , in some cases 9 or ten , staying hydrated without too much sugar can be a challenge ...

a while back i also started carrying a camelbak and i also have two extra that i give to clients who dont have one ...i put a packet of hydro max in in the evenings , fill it up and put it in the fridge overnight...

this formula i really like and can recommend as far as keeping you energised and hydrated ...no more stiff lower back in the evenings !!!!

Excellent advice Ivan. I know a couple of guys who got into real trouble by demonstrating their manhhood by refusing fluids. Pretty dumb. In Ranger school they tell you that if you don't need to pee, you have taken in enough fluids.

Jeff

Ivan,

I always thought PH's didn't need to hydrate while hunting.

I always try and hydrate with plain water before the season at least 3 weeks in advance drinking 3-4 liters of water per day and by the time the season starts I keep hydrated by drinking a liter or two of water per day.

when I went through Ranger School in '62 we hydrated with water and I understand that plain water is still the best compound. An earlier poster is corrwct when he says if you don't need to urinate you are dehydrated.

http://www.wildernessathlete.org/hydromax.html

- mike

quote:

Posted 24 January 2008 19:13 Hide Post
Ivan,

I always thought PH's didn't need to hydrate while hunting.

mine always rehydrated in camp that night around the fire and it wasn't their backs that were hurting in the morning

Before I went hunting in Africa last year I asked was there "bottled" water available in camp. I was assured there was, and there was, the cooks were refilling the small plastic water bottle out of the big water drum which was plastic. Apparently it was non contaminated and I didn't get sick from it but it tasted like crap! The sport supplements may add the needed electrolytes we loose from sweating, but I assure you it makes the water taste better. I will have it with me when I go again this summer. drwes

I spent enough time in the Turkana area of northern Kenya to realize the importance of rehydration salts. They play an important role in exending endurance.

I took off to the Selous in 2006 and forgot mine. By day seven, the tendons in my right knee had tightened up enough to preclude me chasing that nice impala on day 7. That according to my doctor when I returned. It was HOT. Last time I'll forget them and I'll try Ivan's brand next year up north in TZ.

http://www.wildernessathlete.org/products.html

/

I've had some experience in this arena as well. ALF is correct that adding anything to liquid is not necessary and usually bad. The biggest NO-NO I've learned is :
Soda pop (Coke, Pepsi etc.) is the worst rehydration drink. They contain too much sugar and salt. 2% sodium (pure salt) is listed on most labels. When the US Army banned soft drinks from our field training exercises, heat casualties were significantly reduced. Soldiers would drink soda after soda and think they were hydrated when in fact they were losing fluid faster than they could ingest it due to the excessive amounts of sugar and salt contained in soda.
I am neutral on gatoraid and all the other so called sport drinks. They all contain salt and sugar. Personally don't believe they are worth what they cost and I don't like the artifical flavorings. A poor substitute for water IMHO.
Water is the best. No artifical flavorings and you're body will absorb just enough, just in time, every time, and reject the excess. One of the best indicators that you are getting too much water is something called "drowning" but short of that symptom, you cannot ingest too much water. I will save my diatribe on the dangers of excessive water intake (drowning) for another post.
The only acceptable substitute for water is beer. Full of carbohydrates and fluids with just the proper levels of electrolytes. It has the perfect flavor and all the benefits of water without the bad affects of sport drinks and soda. And, just like water, your body will reject any excess beer injested, usually violently.
I must respectfully disagree with Willy on one point. Giving beer to the horses and whiskey to the men is not a good plan when conducting strenous physical training activities. I guess he does that because the horses won't drink the whiskey. The men would benefit by drinking the beer and the horses don't mind drinking unfiltered water and you save on the logistics end by not having to transport whiskey.
Seriously, drink lots of water, don't drink any soda pop, and have a beer every now and then. You'll be fine and feel good.

quote:

Originally posted by Pancho:
...The only acceptable substitute for water is beer. Full of carbohydrates and fluids with just the proper levels of electrolytes. It has the perfect flavor and all the benefits of water without the bad affects of sport drinks and soda.

Now we are talking!
- mike

Last September/October, while hunting in Zimbabwe I tried using the electrolyte replacement mix, "Sqwincher Lite" with good results.

It comes in prepackaged 1/2 liter dose packets and 50 [enough for 25 liters] takes up about as much room as two cigarette paks and weighs only about 5 oz.

This mix, formulated originally for use in industrial settings where rehydration is mandated, does not have any suger [uses "sucralose"?] and has more potassium than Gatoraid.


I did mix up and drink a liter per day and drank it along with a liter of water as well. And had what felt to be good results, increased stamina, and no dehydration signs. [I did miss drinking the mix one day and suffered upper leg cramps that night, upon drinking a 1/2 liter of the mix the cramps eased and did not recur.]

The Sqwincher marketing people did admit that besides having "some" beneficial electrolytes the main benefit of all these drinks is the flavor, which makes drinking as much water as needed much easier. Whatever, it worked for me and I'll use it again, I took only the fruit punch and lemonade flavors.

Sqwincher

Les

quote:

Soda pop (Coke, Pepsi etc.) is the worst rehydration drink. They contain too much sugar and salt. 2% sodium (pure salt) is listed on most labels. When the US Army banned soft drinks from our field training exercises, heat casualties were significantly reduced. Soldiers would drink soda after soda and think they were hydrated when in fact they were losing fluid faster than they could ingest it due to the excessive amounts of sugar and salt contained in soda.

A major contributor to fluid loss from carbonated soft drinks is caffeine. Caffeine is a diuretic causing you to excrete as much or more of the fluids taken in through the kidneys. The cola products and Mountain Dew are the worst for this problem.

SUGARED sodas and those with Caffeine are bad, but the sugar free ones with no caffeine (like Fresca, Diet-Rite) etc., are just as good as water and some of the drinks like Gatorade do help a bit in replenishing.

We had the same issues with the guys working the engine rooms when I was on the Carrier. It gets close to 130-140 (F) ambient temperature and very humid (boilers). They'd sweat like hell, then they'd drink a bunch of water and we'd wind up with a passed out sailor with a belly full of water. The key is maintaning hydration. By the time you are thirsty one is alrady behind the power curve. jorge

For long endurance efforts, try CYTOMAX - world class athletes in events such as cycling, cross country skiing and mountain climbing recommend this product. Yes, I have used it and it works to keep you hydrated, keeps muscles refreshed and also reduces / prevents muscle cramps / spasms that typically follow serious exertion.
I dilute it a bit compared to directions on the packaging. Excellent product that works.

KMule

Rehydration salts...

Just following doctors orders. I didn't make this up. My tropical medicine specialist reccommended "rehydration salts", provided them packaged for me, and I used them for many years and they didn't kill me. This was from 1987 through 1998. Maybe new information has come to light, but that was the accepted practice then when I was spending weeks at a time in the desert country of northern Kenya.

interesting points alf ... here in the us i have worked quite a bit with the marine corps ... they use rehydration salts a lot ...in fact i was on a training excercise in the mohave desert last sumer , the temp was nearly 125 degrees ,we were in full gear ( which is considerable) and three different times in the day guys went down with head and dehydration .... the remedy administered by the corpsmen was putting them in the "cool room" and rehydration formula in water .. seemed to enhance the recovery...

kmule , i will try that one and see ...

i guess what i should have said was salts and electrolytes. rather than salts and sugars ....

i must say i am no expert in the finer details of chemistry , just passing on what i have found works for me ... i notice a difference .