Forum Index > Food & Grub > Salt and re-hydration on the trail.
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forest gnome
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forest gnome
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PostWed May 19, 2004 8:36 am 
my friend recently mentioned how carefully he has to watch his salt intake (he is not a hiker) but this got me thinking..... How does salt intake affect your ability to re-hydrate on the trail? How much salt is ok? enough in the dehydrated meals, jerky, ect.... I suppose that de-hydrating and creating your own meals would controll how much salt content and intake you get.

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Backpacker Joe
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Backpacker Joe
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PostWed May 19, 2004 8:46 am 
What do you mean by "Watching his salt"? I my opinion there seems to be more than enough salt in all foods we eat, let alone backpacking freeze dried stuff to give us all we need. That, and any of the energy drinks give you enough too. TB

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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Stefan
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PostWed May 19, 2004 8:52 am 
I have noticed that the more salt I take in, the less I sweat. Really. Salt tablets have helped me in some places. I guess if I sweat less, then the less I am dehydrated.....

Art is an adventure.
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Lead Dog
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PostWed May 19, 2004 11:51 am 
The perfect trail food: Fritos.

My hair's turning white, my neck's always been red, my collor's still blue. Lynard Skynard
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kiliki
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PostWed May 19, 2004 12:02 pm 
Just a general comment about how much salt is okay: salt does not cause high blood pressure in most people, if that is what you are worried about. Only a small percentage of people are salt sensitive and have to watch their salt for this reason. So, if you are not salt sensitive in this way I wouldn't worry about how much salt you eat on trips.

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tk-421
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PostWed May 19, 2004 12:11 pm 
What most people commonly refer to as "salt" really means "electrolytes as well as sodium chloride". Things like (diluted 50%) Gatorade or other such sports drinks replentish electrolytes. In most packaged foods, there is certainly more thant enough NaCl to keep you going.

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Spotly
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PostWed May 19, 2004 12:26 pm 
I'm not sure that it really affects your ability to rehydrate but when you sweat, both water and salt are removed from your system. If you only replace the water, then you get a low concentration of sodium in your blood which is called hyponatremia. I've read that hyponatremia has symptoms like cramping and nausea and can be pretty bad if not taken care of. Even though she's not a big sweater, my wife tends to get thjose symptoms on days that she has a really tough workout, or on longer, uphill hikes. As an experiment, we've started taking jerky with us on the longer hikes. Can't say that it's really helped her though - maybe a little. Maybe the drinks would work better.

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hikermike
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PostWed May 19, 2004 3:09 pm 
If you're sweating less when taking more salt then that's NOT a good sign. You are probably retaining fluid to dilute out the excess salt which will lead to HYPERnatremia which can lead to seizures and brain damage. Commercial beef jerky would probably provide enough salt for hiking. (I don't add much salt to my homemade jerky, hence the statement re: Commercial). A normal diet without added salt provides enuf salt for the average human. The most important aspect of the salt tabs that people take is the cup of water you're supposed to take with it.

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Stefan
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PostWed May 19, 2004 3:55 pm 
hikermike wrote:
If you're sweating less when taking more salt then that's NOT a good sign. You are probably retaining fluid to dilute out the excess salt which will lead to HYPERnatremia which can lead to seizures and brain damage. Commercial beef jerky would probably provide enough salt for hiking. (I don't add much salt to my homemade jerky, hence the statement re: Commercial).
My wife does say I have the beginnings of Alzheimers.

Art is an adventure.
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hikermike
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PostWed May 19, 2004 5:08 pm 
Wives are like that, that's why we marry them, to keep us within reality---remind us who we really are.

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forest gnome
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forest gnome
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PostWed May 19, 2004 9:20 pm 
thanks all for the input, and the basis of my question was how too much salt might sc.....uh...mess up your ability to re-hydrate. thanks to you tk-41....I do carry some gaitorade for the electrolytes. there are just so many thoughts into this here backpacking thing. doh.gif

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Mikey
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PostSat May 22, 2004 7:48 am 
There is "ERG" or electrolyte replacement gookinaid which is useful for replacement of electrolytes. When it first came out many years ago, they had a none-flavored version with an "unique" taste. One climber friend of mine commented: "It tastes like a combination of sweat and urine" and another climber replied: "Where do you think they got the electrolyte composition formulation?" Details at http://www.gookinaid.com/Rehydration/rehydration.html Apparently, there was an electrolyte drink with a name something like "HuskyAid" using a formulation developed by some Univ of Washington Sports Medicine folks about 25 yrs ago and bottled or packaged locally by Sunny Jim It was reportedly pretty good stuff. Then there is always the stuff they give children such as Pedialyte http://pedialyte.com/ I am guessing that Pedialyte might be a liquid drink which could be used for treatment of more extreme cases of dehydration. Supposedly common household beverages (like sports drinks, soda and juices) contain large amounts of sugar. The sugar can draw water into the intestines and away from the rest of the body and increasing the risk of dehydration. In addition, household beverages frequently do not contain the electrolytes kids need to rehydrate quickly. So if this Pedialyte stuff works for kids, it probably will work for adults.

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MooseAndSquirrel
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PostSat May 22, 2004 5:12 pm 
Well actually, the concensus seems to be that to be hydrated means full of fluid, specifically water, and drinking just that apparently doesn't meet the body's needs when exercizing heavily. That's not the same as having the right amount of salts/electrolytes. You can feel 'full' but still be short of needed salts. etc. I've found this true many times on hikes- drinking water only just doesn't seem to meet thirst needs that a sports drink meets. Why is it most of us crave salty crap after a day's hike? biggrin.gif

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Dean
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PostSat May 22, 2004 9:25 pm 
I find a can of V-8 before and after a hike is helpful and I like to carry the little packets of Emer-gen-c that are good sources of minerals and plenty of Vitamin C. These are available at most Fred Meyer's and health food stores. Try em, you'll like em. Plus they are very lightweight. up.gif

Dean - working in Utah for awhile and feeling like it is a 'paid' vacation. http://www.summitpost.org/user_page.php?user_id=1160
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MooseAndSquirrel
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PostSat May 22, 2004 9:32 pm 
Why do they have such tiny cans? Whatsup with that? I could drink a gallon of that stuff! Mmmmmmmmm good. smile.gif

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