5 Tips for Adventuring Safely in the Heat
Adventuring Safely in the Heat
We are officially in the dog days of summer which means it is hot, hot, hot. While the ideal solution to adventuring during the hottest part of the year is to simply go to cooler climates, that isn’t always an option. So today I wanted to share 5 tips on how to adventure safely in the heat. Having just returned from a toasty high adventure trip in Moab I thought I would share all the things we did to survive the heat, plus some of my favorite products for beating the heat.
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Carry enough water
While this might seem like an obvious thing to do when adventuring in the heat, I would be remiss to not mention it. When hiking, climbing, rappelling, etc. in the heat it is recommended to carry 2-3L of water on your person. Personally, I prefer to carry 3L (about 100 oz). While it is true water can be heavy, I rather have too much water than not enough. One of my favorite hydration packs is the Osprey Mira 22.
Make sure to replenish your electrolytes
When you are sweating profusely it isn’t enough to just drink water. You also need to regularly replenish your electrolytes. At a minimum, you will want to drink one sports drink a day or you will get headaches. My current beverage of choice is Liquid IV. You can buy them in bulk at Costco and add them to water.
Plan accordingly
When planning your adventures it may be necessary to get an early start to beat the heat of the day or postpone an activity until the late afternoon. For example, while in Moab we had a 6:15 am start time when we went canyoneering in Entrajo Canyon and then we didn’t start rock climbing until 3 pm when the rock face was in deep shade.
Bring cooler sleeping gear
Nothing is worse than being too hot to sleep, especially after a long day of adventuring. If you are going to be camping in the heat, you will want to bring cooler sleeping options. Here are some of my favorites:
Instead of camping in a tent – look at sleeping in a hammock with mosquito netting
Instead of sleeping in a sleeping bag – bring a light sheet from home
And most of all make sure to bring a camping fan. You can find cheap battery-powered fans almost anywhere, but my favorite camping fan is the Ryobi One+ 18V Cordless Hybrid Whisper Series 7.5 inch Fan. Having some air movement when sleeping in the heat makes a WORLD of difference.
Protect yourself from the sun
When dressing make sure to wear light-colored clothing that is loose and breathable. Clothing made with nylon or polyester are a good choice. Make sure to use sunscreen on exposed skin (don’t forget your lips – my favorite lip balm for sun protection is Sun Bum Lip Balm) and ideally use UPF-rated clothing if you are going to be on the water for an extended period of time.
What tips would you add to the list?