Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board hydration ideas

For whatever reason, it seems my body requires more to stay hydrated than the average person. On the day hike of Whitney I did recently I probably drank twice as much as the rest of the members in my group. I don't think they were drinking enough, but I still seemed to require more water. Anyway, I'm doing a backpacking trip soon and wanted suggestions for hydration. I'm planning on trying out an electrolyte replenisher like Vitalyte or Cytomax. Are there any other suggestions for what I can do to make sure I stay hydrated?

I too seem to require more fluids than most, and am one of THOSE folks who sweat easily and in large quantities. Many years ago I was trying all kinds of hydration enhancers when I tried the original Gookinaid ERG that I bought at my local REI. I liked it!! It went through some name changes, Hydralite, and now Vitalyte. It was developed by Bill Gookin, a marathoner who now has a science degree,
http://www.vitalyte.com/
I just mixed a batch and put in the freezer prior to reading this post..................steve

I've had good results with Gookinaid as a marathon runner, mountain runner and also a climber.

Still, my favorite is the old standby which I get now from REI,
Gatorade Endurance. It is in powder packets and REI # is 778897.
Has more sodium than most packaged mixes.

I also like the GookinAid, Hydralyte, Vitalyte as it is now called. REI has it for $12.00 for an 80 serving conatainer and I pack my own. They also sell quart bags. I first bought some packs at the Portal Store and it worked well. It is buffered with sodium bicarbonate which can help with an upset stomach while not shocking the system. This is a bonus for altitude for some people. Mild flavor and lower in sugar the Gatorade so it is not as sweet. A drink mix helps to slow down water as it passes throgh so more of it is absorbed into the system. I usually go back and forth between water and Vitalyte.

Another thing re. water absorption. Consuming carbohydrates aids in water absorption.............s.

Good to know. And thx everyone for the other suggestions. I think I'll have to try out some vitalyte.

Remember, Gulp dont sip. Throw your hydration bladders away.
http://web.mit.edu/athletics/sportsmedicine/wcrhydration.html

Cytomax and Vitalyte are both great IMO and I have used both. I like the flavor of Cytomax more but it is sweeter unless you mix it real weak (which more or less defeats the purpose) and for me tends to make me a tiny bit nauseated at full strength on longer strenuous hikes. Vitalyte is not quite as sweet so it makes it much easier to drink on the move (and yes, I use a 2 liter bladder in the summer). I too seem to need alot of water as by the time I reach Outpost I need a refill. The down side is more pee stops but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I've usually gone thru almost 4 liters by Trailcamp and fill up there and carry a Nalgene for extra volume for the summit push. It is also important for me to be properly hydrated BEFORE starting out so as to always stay ahead of the thirst.

Jeff,
I also drink tons of water. Rather than "gum up" my hydration pack with sticky additives, I use the "goo." (Gu or Power Bar). They include carbs, sugars, (come have caffiene), etc. and you have to slosh them down with lots of water. Works for me well in hot So Cal and on two successful Whitney summits.

Try a few things and see what you like best. I just hate cleaning the sugary stuff out of my camelback.

I don't want to detract from the good advice above, but just contribute an anecdote.

A week ago, I stopped at the spring on the switchbacks to fill up my two canteens as usual. Got to talking, and forgot to do that. I realized the error when I reached Trail Crest, and saw that I had only 1/3 liter, which was left over from Trail Camp.

It was a cool day, but I slowed down a notch anyway to conserve sweat. When I reached the summit plateau, I added some snow to have 2/3 liter now. Took a few sips.

On the descent, I had another few sips just before heading up to climb Mt. Muir. Long story short, when I reached the spring again, I still had some water left. I was never thirsty.

Bottom line: There are two sides to the water equation, income and outgo. If you need to, you can conserve the outgo, needing less of the income.

-----

It also helps to have lived with kangaroo rats for 60 years.

Bob, to follow-up on your "outgo" comment with these observations:

There are people who really do need a lot of water - for example I treated 8 liters day total for my hot day recently going through Woods Creek area on JMT, but on cool day only 3.

Then there are people who overhydrate. Of course they will just urinate it out on the side of the trail. You cannot "tank up" but so much. Sometimes these individuals just need to use "suckies" as the Brits call them - sugary candy or other item to coat and soothe the dried up throat. After all, with all that hyperventilating at altitude a dry throat can give you that dehydrated sensation when in fact you are not. Harvey