Heat Cramps/Salt tablets

[Ellen]

Howdy All,

If you're interested in preventing leg cramps during prolonged hiking/ running/cycling in hot weather, please see the discussion titled "57 year old man."

Heat cramps and dehydration (the loss of more than 2% of body weight from sweating) are more likely to occur when non-heat acclimated hikers do Skyline during unseasonably hot weather (e.g. the situation this pst weekend April 26-27).

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[FIGHT ON]

Hey Ellen, hurry up and heal and let's hit that Skyline Trail again! Burning eyes huh? Come to think of it, ever since I started to put Hydralyte in my bladder my eyes have burned when I sweat. I always thought it was my sunscreen. Two weeks ago when I did Iron Mountain I was hiking with one eye completely shut and squinting out the other. Ellen, I have never had sweat burn my eyes before I started drinking Hydralyte. Could it be that I am taking in too much salt? I tend to overreact and over compensate to things I become aware of. (I just learned that diarrhea dehydrates). I found that everyone in the world knew that except me. Last year I had completed several of the hard hikes and had no problems until a hike just after I had a bout with a flue bug and the d word. I had a hard time that hike but no symptoms like looking like a zombie or being laid out like the 57 yr old man. But I did not hike like I normally do. So ever since then I have been, maybe, possibly, no way not me, drinking too much water and salt. Like yesterday on Skyline, I had no problem but started out with 2 gallons and my friend did the same. But after the 4400 point I took one gallon from him to carry so we could keep movin on. I only consumed 3 quarts and my eyes only burned once very little because I didn't sweat much. But they did burn and I intentionally did not put sunscreen on my face. So maybe I should hike w/o any additives to see if they burn??? What do you think?