World Travellers: Best Ways to Cope with Heat

" Watch the urine stream not the toilet water, as the water in the
toilet will dilute your urine color.".........Easier for some than others...;-) Phil, I've used these in really hot and humid conditions and they work really well - helps to keep the circulating blood cooler: http://www.rei.com/product/691097/kafkas-kool-tie The humidity makes avoiding heat exhaustion and heat stroke difficult; your body can't cool itself when it's basically wrapped in Saran Wrap (aka 'humidity'). Slow and Easy...and I'm sure he knows the warning signs...and as others have said - Do What the Locals Do!

This is straight from the Centers For Disease Control: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/heat_guide.asp

I think one general suggestion on heat is to do what the locals do. If they sleep during the heat of noon, and eat dinner at 10 pm, do likewise.

He should take it easy and drink a LOT of water. You can tell how hydrated you are by the color of your pee (sorry to be gross). The lighter it is, the more hydrated you are.

It's not gross, Sara. All military folks use charts to guage their degree of dehydration based on urine color.

Bob you actually use a formal chart? I do use the if its clear you are doing good, if its dark you need to drink more method Sarah alludes to, but never thought I needed an actual chart.

James - Awesome. I am gonna hang that chart in the bathroom for the next party.

Thank you all - I will definitely clue him in on the color scheme concept. The scarf idea looks great, thanks. As for drinking a lot of water; that is a given. He's been told he can buy bottled water most places but if he is somewhere that bottled isn't available I'd like him to have a purifier. I've seen three options, each with drawbacks. Any experisence or suggestions? 1) Katadyn bottle - great idea but I tried it at REI and it is like sucking molasses through a tiny straw; not likely to deliver any volume. 2) Steripen - Electronic
3) Micropur Pills: Great idea but takes hours to do a liter bottle. I really appreciate everybody's help. Thanks

If you expect he will need to purify water frequently, I would go with a standard backpacking pump style water purifier, instead of a straw/bottle option. I am not a fan of the UV pens as while they kill the bacteria they do nothing to actually filter out impurities.

Piggybacking on Adam's "do what the locals do" comment, be sure your son knows that not all beverages hydrate the same way. In hot climates, we Americans are prone to "grabbing a cold one" but it is not always the best choice. As a naive 23 year old with a tour group in Uzbekistan, I learned the hard way to listen to the locals. They advised us to keep drinking tea, but we kids just kept buying the "refreshing" cold sodas. Well, those sodas (especially caffeinated ones) did nothing to replace our lost fluids, while the tea drinkers were happy all day in the 105+ degree heat.

Learned the pee trick from my XC coach in high school (a team a few years back had colored water with red and green and blue food coloring, "peed" in dixie cups and then asked my coach if the pee was the right color). While us girls can't watch the stream as easily, just know that in the bowl there should be basically no color, just clear. If there is any color, but especially darker pee even after being diluted with the toilet water, you need to drink more! And definitely drink water (or tea/other recommended drinks) rather than sugary drinks, especially sodas. Those may feel better because they're cold, but as others have said, will dehydrate you further. (Like people at sea who drink the salty seawater).

I've done a fair amount of travel in Asia and have NEVER had difficulty buying bottled water when it was needed. Certainly not in Thailand! My first trip I took one of those bottles that purifies the water, but it was heavy and the water was never cold. Since then I've carried iodine pills in case of emergency, and never needed them. I do buy large bottles and decant into one I bought at REI to try to cut down on the plastic. Advise him to look for shade, and take a hat with a brim - I use my umbrella as a sunshade but imagine he'd prefer a hat. (Note that he needs to shade his neck.) Siestas are good, as are hotels/hostels with AC - but if he's traveling on the cheap he may be using fans instead. Wearing natural fabrics - cotton, linen, silk - helps. So do long, loose clothes. If he's in Bangkok the Skytrain and metro are air-conditioned, and the ferries on the Chao Praya are cooler than taking tuk-tuks. If he's on the islands he just needs to look for shade.

Phil, send your son to spend a summer in South Australia to acclimatise him. Having said that our 40oC temps are dry heat. Nothing like the humidity he will encounter in Asia. Hydration is the key. Wearing a broad brimmed hat at all times and appropriate clothing is also critical.
Avoid strenuous physical exercise in the heat of the day, if possible.

Thanks again to all for the help. And for the reassurances.
We'll send him with the advice and stuff he needs and hope he is up to the task of taking care of himself....in the face of a new world of excitement and activity.

I was surprised the CDC listed A/C first (how very American). I would list drinking plenty of water first. I find when I'm well hydrated I stay more comfortable. Your body's response to overheating is to sweat. Evaporating sweat consumes heat and cools your body. Unfortunately, in humid conditions, the sweat doesn't evaporate efficiently and your body keeps sweating, which can leave you badly dehydrated. In the Air Force, we talk about the color of your pee but the chart is considered humorous (reflects the Army way of "defining" everything rather than using common sense). Taking vitamins will also make your pee yellow, recognize that if your using your pee to guage your hydration.

I also suffer from heat exhaustion, heat-induced nausea, frequent fainting spells, and heat rashes. Annoying? Yes. But benign, so I learn to survive with it. When I travel to warm places, I bring a little bottle of talcum powder to spread on my skin wherever it may rub to prevent chaffing. It also dries up some of that sticky sweat you get in extreme humidity. I would also rub it on my backpack where it meets my back - not only does it decrease sweat, it decreases smell (3 months traveling with just a backpack brings out your creativity). Get a good hypoallergenic lotion to treat heat rashes. If it doesn't cure them, at least it cools them down so they are more bearable. Loose fitting clothes and PJs - hostel rooms can be sweltering. He will notice many roommates just sleeping on top of the covers, spread out starfish-style. Midday siestas or people watching hour. I often used lunchtime as a good time to sit outside (in the shade), kick up my feet, watch passerby, and write in my journal. Or, use that time to swim or hike by waterfalls or any other activity involving water, if available. Or eat a picnic in a park. Grass is very cool and refreshing, and so is fresh fruit. See museums and churches in midday to escape the extreme part of the day. Wear breath-able shoes. I noticed a huge difference when I had the right shoes vs. the wrong shoes. If he is feeling woozy, tell him to not be afraid to step into a drug store and ask for help. The workers will more likely be happy to make him feel better (I did a lot of mime - back of hand to forehead and mimic fainting. I got many fun little remedies, too, which increases the travel experience!). My problems never disappeared, and under some circumstances I had to admit defeat, but these little tricks I learned along the way sure took the bite out of the heat. Hope that helps!

THANKS!

James, Just saying... American tourists are the ones who demand air conditioning and ensuite baths. In most of the world, A/C isn't a standard feature.

One item that we always travel with in hot weather is a sprayer. Think larger that a cologne bottle and much smaller than the 'weed b gone' sprayers. In really hot weather I keep spraying myself and the kids to help keep the body cool. Besides this, drink fluids and seek shade and rest during the heat of the day.

I am as well prone to heat exhaustion and I experienced it in Egypt, boy was that ever scary. Ditto drink plenty of water and more water and even more water. Keep your head covered and rest up during the heat of the day. Don't skip any meal as well. Last year when I traveled to Morocco I picked up this electrolyte-enhanced sports drink tabs from REI called nuun active hydration, since most places don't carry Gatorade. I purchased a package of 4 different flavors and used it on one particular long tour day. You can find more info at www.nuun.com Hope this helps.
Dona

Agree with Dona, electrolytes are critical, especially if you aren't accustomed to extreme heat. Lots of options for replacement. As a desert dweller I will also mention how important breaks in the shade can be. It is more effective in a dry heat, but even in a humid environment, it will give your body some recovery. Most of all, stay calm and carry on.

I like to travel with gatorade powder. Great to add to bottled water for a little variety. I usually add it about 1/3 strength, just enough to give it a little flavor. Also great if you end up with tummy trouble. Goes down much easier than water to rehydrate when you are sick.

I also use powdered Gatorade (which I bring along in a ziplock bag). For travel in the heat, I carry a small bottle of highly concentrated gatorade plus a 500ml or one litre bottle of water. I add some of the concentrate to the water, refilling and re-adding a bit of gatorade as I drink the water. This way I'm never drinking plain water, can vary the gatorade concentration, and also have strong electrolyte solution available if the heat gets too much. It's a trick learned from summertime desert hiking, and I scale down the volume for other types of vacations. For me, the lemonlime gatorade is the best flavour, esp once/if the water gets warmish.

I like that phrase "prone to heat exhaustion" so much better than "b*tchy when it's hot."

Brad.... At least the CDC is promoting ice. I read one misinformed booklet that stressed the need to drink cool beverages. If you followed their advice you would pass on 90-95 degree air temp water to drink an ice cold soda.

This thread has really heated up! I think I'll go put on long johns, a sweat suit, and a bathrobe. Then I'll sit in the sauna with a six-pack of ice-cold coke..... No sweat. Thanks again to all; this has been fun.

Make sure to get some rehydration tablets. You can pick them up at REI or drugstores. You can also get them abroad. Also, while it is good to drink plenty of water, also make sure that he is getting electrolytes. When you sweat, you lose a lot of electrolytes and if you are just drinking water you can run the risk of "overhydration" and diluting any electrolytes you do have in your system. You can try gatorade or powerade, they have powdered versions of this. Signs of dehydration include dark colored urine, low urine output, and confusion. Although I am a RN, it would be best he sees a physician beforehand just to be sure.

If ice is available, roll it up in a cloth and wrap it around your neck (think boxers between rounds). I think it's 60 percent of your body's heat is exchanged through the head and neck. A hat when cold will warm you better than a lot of other options, removing a hat will help cool you off (but consider sun and other factors too).

Is there another way to replenish electrolytes other than Gatorade? Gatorade has too many artificial colors, flavors and chemicals for me.

Two options I know of, both are available through REI: NUUN
Nathan Catalyst Both are in tablet form.

Wearing shorts and having exposed skin is a common mistake. Loose, breathable clothing in lighter colors is like having a shade tree walking by your side.

Sorry but I can't resist. Isn't "Having a Shade Tree Walking by Your Side" a country song?

Brad said. If ice is available, roll it up in a cloth and wrap it around your neck (think boxers between rounds). I think it's 60 percent of your body's heat is exchanged through the head and neck. Even if ice isn't available. It is a good idea to do this with a damp cloth with air temp water. Of course ice is better.

Is there another way to replenish electrolytes other than Gatorade? Gatorade has too many artificial colors, flavors and chemicals for me. Food. Electrolytes replacement is only an issue if you are just drinking lots and lots of water (and sweating a lot) but not eating. As long as you are snacking occasionally (doesn't really matter what, but fresh fruit is better for you than junk food) you don't need gatorade, nuun or any other sports drink.

Thanks Phil and ed! Good to know!

As others have said, and it goes without saying, always keep hydrated with water. The pee color is a very good guide as well. I do have a suggestion that works for me to keep cool and that is to pack a handkerchief. I love getting the handkerchief wet with some cool water and wrapping it around my neck. Instant relief.