Sweat...a lot of sweat. [Archive]

mgmtrnr

07-09-2015, 11:28

I am planning on a SOBO solo hike in 2016.

I am not worried about the lonliness/solitude. I am not worried about my herniated disc giving me problems. I am not worried about the lions and tigers and bears...oh, my.

I am worried about my sweating. I sweat. A lot!! I am in eastern North Carolina and when I run right now, my shirt, shorts, and shoes are drenched. Granted, it is in the 90s with high humidity but I sweat when I run and the temps are in the 40s.

My plans are to carry a couple extra shirts to switch out during the day and Gatorade mix to replace my electrolytes.

My questions for you fellow heavy sweaters: How much extra water did you have to carry during your thru hike? Also, what other preparations, products, or gear advice do you have for a heavy sweater?

Thanks...Mike

rocketsocks

07-09-2015, 11:54

not a thru-hiker, but i carry more water than most. A bandana helps, dew rag, head band. I like Nuun tabs for electrolyte replacement...Gatorade too, and lots of breaks during warmer weather, creeks are a joy!

rocketsocks

07-09-2015, 11:57

...also if your prone to chaffing and wear polyester, this stuff can be like sand paper and rub ya raw, especially when wet..arm pits for me is a area to use some type of goop! body glide is what I use.

LoneStranger

07-09-2015, 11:57

Don't bother with the extra shirts. If you really sweat the new one will be just as wet soon enough. Just make sure you have something dry to change into once you make camp.

As a runner you probably are already familiar with your friction points. Consider carrying a body lubricant if friction is an issue in wet clothing.

Try not to carry too much water. Instead drink as much as you can when it is available then carry enough to get you to the next watering hole. Definitely make sure you are eating throughout the day if you are taking in a lot of water. Constant snacking seems to work better for me than big meals, but do what works best for you so long as you are doing besides just drinking water.

Stink Bug

07-09-2015, 12:58

Like you I'm a sweater and the one thing I cannot recommend enough? Desitin for the inevitable crotch rot! I had an atrocious case of thigh chaffing during my hike, I'm not ashamed to admit I cried with the pain, and a tube of diaper rash creme made a world of difference.

I also hiked in a sleeveless, lightweight shirt that dried pretty quickly and running shorts. I found these dried pretty quickly once we got to camp. As for water, I hated carrying the extra weight and I relied on AWOLS book to see how far to the next water source. I'd carry enough to get there and chug a liter or so when I got to the source.

bemental

07-09-2015, 12:59

+1 on the Nuun tablets. I usually drink pure water throughout the day and sip on a Nuun before lights out.

Traveler

07-09-2015, 13:20

You may want to include some salt tablets in the warm weather. Sodium chloride tablets can be a very effective way to quickly replace lost sodium that can cause agonizing cramps, fatigue, dehydration, and heat stroke. It still amazes me how fast people recover from nearly overwhelming fatigue with just a little bit of salt.

bigcranky

07-09-2015, 14:57

I sweat a lot too.

+1 on don't bother with the extra shirts. The next morning you will have three soaking wet shirts rather than one.

Have one set of clothes to hike in -- I like very light merino wool tops because they don't stink, even after a week of heavy sweating in the summer. I wear nylon hiking shorts, no liner, commando. I did have a problem with chafing, both between my thighs and also from the pack hip belt, but I found that if I tuck in my shirt and pull my shorts way up like an old man, I can prevent both kinds of chafing. (There is a fine line before giving myself a wedgie, so I do adjust as needed.)

I have dry clothes to change into at night, and hang my wet clothes to sort of dry out (I will rinse them if possible). If it's not cold I'll wear my hiking clothes for a while to dry them out a little, but hanging them usually works ok. Just realize they will often be wet the next morning, especially if it's raining.

I carry the single use packets of Gatorade mix, and mix one with a liter of water once or twice a day (makes it half strength). I also add a packet of Emergen-C Electro-Mix (http://www.emergenc.com/products#specialty-formulas.electromix) to the Gatorade to add a lot of potassium. I don't find that I drink much more than other hikers, but maybe I do. I'll usually walk away from camp with 1.5 or 2 liters of water to get me to lunch, and it seems fine.

Trance

07-09-2015, 15:07

Carry extra water.... and gatorade packets. Can't change your body. I'm not a big guy and I sweat a lot too. I figure it's b/c I move fast but..... could just be my body.

My last hike I was carrying upwards of 10lbs of water per 25mile section. Granted this was in a dry enviornment, in the mountains.

pnkwolfe

07-10-2015, 06:51

I'm a big guy, and sweat quite a bit, too. The things that help reduce the chafing: try to dry the wet skin, even if it means breaking more often than you'd like, lightweight clothes, dry camp clothes, etc, like everyone else says.

However, try and get the salt off of your skin, too, either clear water rinsing and drying, or as I prefer, carry the extra weight and take wet wipes-use them to wash well each evening. Salt and bacteria contribute to the skin breakdown.

QiWiz

07-10-2015, 10:29

Have one camp/sleep top that you keep dry and one hiking shirt that you can sweat into - each night in camp, wash out the hiking shirt and hang to dry. Look for a quick drying shirt (I like Railriders Ecomesh for this reason - have not found anything that dries faster). If your hiking shirt is still damp in the morning, put it on anyway. Suffering builds character ; )

mgmtrnr

07-10-2015, 15:11

Thanks to all for your advice. Keep 'em coming.

I will have to check out the Nuun Tablets. Never tried those because I am such a loyal and devoted Gatorade drinker. Love Gatorade Lemon Lime flavor!!

I had never heard of or seen the Railriders Ecomesh line of clothing before yesterday when I saw it in another post where they were praising the Railriders quick dry pants. I found the website and saved it but really didn't look into their products too much but QiWiz mentioned Railriders in his reply so I'm really going to check out their website more.

Thanks Stink Bug for the Desitin suggestion. I'll definitely keep that in mind. I don't ever run without compression shorts under my running shorts because I am susceptible to chafing (plus...they feel good!!). I'm looking at either the Ex Officio line of compression shorts or the Under Armour Boxerjock line to try to prevent any jock rock/crotch rot.

Thanks again to everyone for taking the time to post your tips and advice.

Looking forward to June 2016.

daddytwosticks

07-10-2015, 17:44

rocketsocks

07-10-2015, 18:12

One thing: if you get an opportunity to soak your hiking shirt in some cool water (use good LNT techniques) do it! This will make you feel like a hundred bucks on a hot steamy day, but only for a short time. :)
No kiddin', that and a short break, maybe somethin to eat can really rejuvenate and give ya a second wind.

shelb

07-11-2015, 22:48

Compression shorts really help with chaffing..... When "hot spots" do happen, Body Glide is the best!

I do know that my husband swears by a baby wipe followed by medicated powder, such as Gold Bond, on areas that are already rubbed raw...

rocketsocks

07-11-2015, 23:18

Wyoming

07-12-2015, 14:34

Lots of good advice. I am also a heavy sweater and have had lots of problems in the past with cramping. If you are having real issues with this and not just 'average' issue like it sounds like I would offer the below.

Two things have helped me a lot in this regard.

1. Compression sleeves for the lower legs - you can buy them in any outdoor store like REI, Dick's, Big 5 etc. These really make a difference for me and, obviously, thousands of other athletes in many different sports.

2. Electrolyte replacement is essential. Gatorade is marginal as you can determine from comparing its ingredients to those in one of the specialized products - say the GNC Endurance Booster V2. I use the GNC product and cut its recommended amount by 1/2. This still gives one about double the electrolytes of Gatorade and (if you buy via the internet) is actually cheaper than Gatorade.

If you look up the electrolyte loss in 1 liter of sweat it is astonishing and if you are a really heavy sweater, or it is just super hot and you are sweating buckets, you must replace while you hydrate during the day and not wait for night and your main meal.

Experiment on yourself to learn what works best for your body as we all are a bit different in our needs.

Wise Old Owl

07-12-2015, 18:36

mgmtrnr Sweat away - nothing to worry about, if you can pass a stress test at the hospital... how is your heath?

misterfloyd

07-13-2015, 10:57

mgmtrnr

07-13-2015, 14:16

Wise Old Owl:

My health is pretty good. Early 50's with a few extra pounds but I try to get 3-4 runs in every week. I do have a non-apnea sleep disorder and I will be interested to see how it reacts to being on the trail for five months. Haven't ever had a stress test but did complete the Marine Corps Marathon this past October which put a little stress on my system. I am a very slow runner so it wasn't like I was challenging any Kenyans for a medal at the MCM (but, I did finish!!).

Sweat itself doesn't bother me but I am more concerned with "the dehydration". My plan, right now, is to spend a little more and go UL with my Big Three so that will enable me to carry any extra water and/or water additives (Gatorade, GNC Endurance Booster V2, Nunn Tablets, etc.) I need to stay hydrated.

Have received some good tips in this thread and appreciate all who took the time to post.

Thanks...Mike

JohnG10

07-13-2015, 23:13

I sweat a lot too.

I found that thin, quick dry clothing was the key.

Especially underwear. They dry extra slow since they are covered by shorts.

I also found that a bathing suit with a mesh liner makes a really good substitute for shorts and underwear.

Ps: Polyester isn't usually scratchy feeling. If it's rubbing you raw, it's probably from salt build up. Rinsing your hiking clothes out with water each night will probably fix it.

Superbugz

07-13-2015, 23:47

Ok guys, don't freak out here but if you have chaffing that leads to the infamous crotch rot Vagisil should be your best friend. Beats Destin and body glide by a million miles. Give it a try, if you can get past the name you won't regret it. You'll be a like million bucks by morning......

ericmack

07-27-2015, 05:54

As a very heavy sweater too- first I fall to my knees in gratitude that others are like me. Second- I use shorts with liners which seem to work well with chaffing on longer hikes. Third- might as well resign yourself to being damp- even with night clothes. Nights can be hot and I certainly don't stop sweating (wish I had a mini fan that magically weighed 1 oz and needed no power) in camp.
However- as an old Army guy- while others suffered in the desert- I loved it. As long as I was hydrated- I was cooler than those light sweaters. Also- we can amaze our friends with a 5lb weight loss after long hike :)

Wyoming

07-27-2015, 13:55

Got to ask a few questions regarding sweating.

I sweated like a pig on the last hike. There were times that my shorts were soaked and my underwear, and couldn't agree more about taking a shirt in a stream, or a headband, and quickly washing the whole head area.

I used gatorade and I was was glad to have it. Water was not plentiful on the last hike so when I got to a source, I drank ALL that I had and loaded back up.

My sweating was so bad that the polypro was like sandpaper. I have used starter compression shorts from wally world. Soaked through all of them.

One thing that I did was leave my days clothes outside my tent or shelter hoping it would rain to get the salt and stink off of them.

Could anyone recommend a brand, or material that will wick away the sweat from this area, and not rub you raw?

Any information would be very helpful.

Floyd

There are lots of different personal preferences on how to solve this problem.

Mine is that I wear running shorts or swimming trunks - boxer type with longish legs 9". They dry in literally minutes and the mesh liner allows lots of air to flow to help keep the parts drier. Dried sweat will build up and they do get sort of hard/crusty eventually. BUT one can deal with this some at every water source. Take a liter of extra water and take off your shoes and socks to keep them dry (do not do this by the water source btw) and just soak yourself and wash the salt out of them and off the parts. Let drip for a min or two. Put your socks and shoes back on, apply a bit of glide (or whatever you use) and off you go. Takes but 5 mins.

Malto

07-27-2015, 15:15

I make my own electrolyte mix out from 41g of Morton Salt Balance and 108g of Calcium/Magnesium Complex. This makes 100 servings and can be added to any food or drink or put into empty capsules. I have found this to be critical to avoid cramping when I stop after a long day. you can get a simple little capsule filler that fills 25 capsules at a shot. I took roughly 600 capsules on my PCT thru spread among my resupply boxes. I only cramped twice, and that is when I ran out of capsules.

I would not take the extra shirts. the most I would do is take an extra shirt to sleep in if needed. You may find out that you adjust better on a thru since you will be living outside vs. In and out.

skippysjs

07-27-2015, 15:26

+1 on the baby wipes, but dry them before you head out onto the trail and pack the number you plan to use for a day into separate Ziplocs. When you arrive in camp for the night, hydrate one of your Ziploc bags of dried wipes and you are ready for a bath and you didn't have to carry around the extra weight of wet baby wipes.

Dogwood

07-27-2015, 18:18

When choosing apparel for a SOBO AT thru step back and consider a bigger picture than just your heavy sweating issue. It's my guess you'll be launching SOBO around July 1 - mosquito and black fly season in ME! How are you going to address that? AT Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont weather in July? Could be warm days in the upper 70's* with nights still chilly. How are you addressing that? You are thru-hiking. What else is in your kit? Are you taking a rain or wind jacket, rain pants, etc? What other apparel are you considering in combination with apparel that addresses a heavy sweating issue? For example, can you address these questions simultaneously with a few versatile apparel pieces? All these questions are related and affect your apparel and kit decisions. Be careful when considering apparel choices based on isolating only one or two factors. It can lead to further issues.

Really, one shirt and only one shirt for a AT SOBO thru? Hmmm? Maybe! Maybe not! It depends on other things that weren't considered or shared about YOU, YOUR hike, the rest of YOUR kit, and YOUR hiking style. Core warmth AND comfortability is significant even on a summer hike on a AT SOBO thru. COULD a very breathable synthetic or ultralite(150 wt or <) merino tee with numerous venting(back vent, 1/2 chest zip, separate material side panel waffle mesh, etc) combined with a Railriders Eco Mesh Long sleeved button down be a versatile combination simultaneously addressing multiple factors?

Could those Railrider Eco mesh pants(those are nice, I use them in the humid buggy off trail jungle treks in Hawaii) and nylon running shorts w/ liner/mesh brief or desert appropriate convertible pants play into your apparel set ups? Look for versatility in your apparel set-ups that address multiple conditions, hopefully, at least some of the time, simultaneously.

Just Bill

07-28-2015, 08:58

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=ex+officio+give-n-go&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=44774841945&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10297434212587662838&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_2fit2r3inu_b

I like the give-n-go brief fabrics a ton.
Skirts also have been a huge benefit for me personally.

On top, when it's truly hot, I prefer a poly/nlyon blended button up shirt. I find the loose cut to be a better overall choice, preferably in a slightly darker color so when I do get some sun it dries quick.

A merino 1 tank top is also a nice choice.

The rule of thumb I've been told is 3-1 on the electrolyte (gatorade or similiar). You don't have to mix them, but for every three liters of water, drink one of gatorade as an example. This stops hypernatremia which is just as dangerous as dehydration.

Otherwise, welcome to the club.
I do find that it takes me 7-10 days to "settle in" I still drink alot of water, still sweat... but the faucet gets turned back a bit from full power after I acclimate and it's not so massively out of hand.

Nothing wrong with a mid-day siesta either. As you know, hot temps go with lots of sunlight. Consider simply adjusting your hiking times. I like to move my big meal to lunch time, wash up, fill up, and nap it off. Saving my hiking for the cooler morning and late afternoon time.

Dogwood

07-28-2015, 10:58

"On top, when it's truly hot, I prefer a poly/nlyon blended button up shirt. I find the loose cut to be a better overall choice, preferably in a slightly darker color so when I do get some sun it dries quick."

Good pt. When it's really hot or when I'm hiking in desert environs I opt for looser somewhat baggy fitting clothing choosing a size top one size larger than typical and of appropriate lighter weight. The goal is to create convection cooling - natural air conditioning. Again, with plenty of venting.

Wrapping a wet bandana around my neck helps through evaporative cooling. I'm going to try a cooling bandana, the kind with the embedded polymer crystals, this summer on a hot hike to stay cool.

http://polarbreezebandanas.com/

http://www.amazon.com/JellyBeadz-Therapy-Cooling-Bandana-Scarf/dp/B004XX4XA8

Yankee15

08-26-2015, 23:14

You will sweat a lot. And it will suck. You will chafe. Your clothes will always be wet, even in the morning after they have aired out all night. Most places water is abundant. If it's not, you will figure out how much you need by the time you reach one of those places.

Drybones

08-27-2015, 09:18

Take one extra shirt to sleep in, leave the rest, you'd just be carrying more sweaty, nasty clothes in your pack. I sweat a lot but don't let that lead me to carry extra water, I just drink as much as I can at each water source, a 32 oz Smartwater bottle is all I carry and I don't normally keep it full, just enough to get me to the next water hole.

CoolBobby

08-27-2015, 11:11

Tactical Kilt. 'nuff said.

Casey & Gina

08-27-2015, 11:47

What do you guys recommend for camp clothes? I am guessing something pretty lightweight and compressible. We are going to be wearing Icebreaker wool baselayers...in cold weather we will probably only wear the Icebreaker underwear and shirts, and Prana Zion pants (which, for the record, I am liking a LOT better than the Kuhl pants I returned).

Monkeywrench

08-27-2015, 13:06

During warm weather I have one very light synthetic shirt and a pair of running shorts that I wear to hike in, every day. Each evening when I get to camp I wash and change into my sleeping clothes, then I use my backcountry washing machine AKA a 1 gallon ziploc bag, to wash out either the shirt or the shorts, and the hiking socks I wore that day.

The next morning the shirt or shorts that I washed will not be dry, but I pull them on anyway. Ten minutes of hiking and they'll be dry, or as dry as they're going to get that day.

This way my clothes never get obnoxiously stinky, or overly stiff with dried sweat.

Casey & Gina

08-27-2015, 14:17

If you want a more sophisticated washbasin, I highly-recommend this!

http://www.seatosummit.com/product/?item=Ultra-Sil%26reg%3B+Kitchen+Sink&o1=0&o2=0&o3=193

I have the non-ultrasil 5L version that I picked up at REI. Now that I know the Ultra-Sil 10L version exists and is even lighter, I will probably order that to use instead! The 5L has been on the small side but has worked very well for washing clothes and cookware! I even heat up some water first to help clean my cookware and wood stove better.

permagrin

09-05-2015, 23:07

All those are good pieces of advice. I wore two polypro shirts and two shorts. Kept one clean and dry at all costs to sleep in at night. In the AM, 15 minutes into the hike, I had the first set of clothes stinky again. I'd usually only pass out from the smell three or five times a day, so it wasn't too bad......

I drank a lot of water, watch out for that good ol' iodine colored urine-means yer seriously dehydrated. I also had little bottles of pure sugar and pure salt to sorta "snack on". That was my cheap electrolyte solution. Wear a bandana so not too much of a river of sweat runs into your eyes. I didn't use gatoraide packets....but its a darn good suggestion.

Oh YEAH!!!! DESITIN will become your very best friend. In da south, the Dollar Stores have it by another name. BUTT PASTE. Better than that high end Body Glide stuff. By day 2 I was liberally applying that stuff to my crotch, hips, shoulders-anywhere skin touched skin. By day 10 I had lost so much water and fat weight that I didn't need it except for when it rained and I got the ol' "rain rash". Happy Hicking.....er...Hiking

Jake2c

09-06-2015, 00:43

Like many I am a sweater. I use witch hazel wipes and bonds along with wool Icebreaker underwear which works for me and also keeps smell way down. Really watch your electrolytes. One replacement drink a day was not enough for me in hot weather. Very painful experience.

Dogwood

09-06-2015, 01:45

I just finished another Sheltowee Trace Thru-hike yesterday going SOBO. Hot and humid disgusting was the order of the day! I carried three very light wt very compressible tee shirts, one a 100% synthetic polyester Under Armor Heat Wear with back and side mesh panels black color, a 100% merino Icebreaker GT 120 wt 1/4 zip in black(no longer made), and a Patagonia merino synthetic Capilene blend in light blue. I kept switching out to a different tee while drying the others. Always had a dry tee for sleeping. I would dry the wet tees out by laying them out on a sunny rock while cooling off under one of the many waterfalls, creeks, reservoirs, and rivers and/or attach to the top of my backpack with a safety pin. I did have very fair sunny weather overall but I'd say the green tunnel of the AT is similar to the ST as far as sun exposure during summer. I was glad to have more than one tee! No problema IMO. Plus, I was always dealing with constant spider webs across the trail. It's nice to be able to wash a tee clean of the dead shells of insects from spider meals that I kept walking into in the webs. Wore running shorts w/ drawstrings commando style which kept my bottom half good enough. All my clothing was loose fitting. Kept wiping myself off, forearms, legs, neck, and face with a bandanna while wetting it often. I had two pr of light wt 100% merino ankle socks, Smartwool and Point 6. I always had a dry pr of socks. Wore very meshy Solomon XR Mission trail runners w/ good breathability. The gnats, biting midges, skeeters, and biting horseflies kept me busy avoiding their constant onslaught.

I went with a REALLY light load choosing to resupply more often to lessen the food wt burden and be more comfortable in the severely muggy weather. I never warmed a b-fast but did so for dinner. Drank copious amounts of water w/ a electrolyte additive.

I started hiking at 5 a.m. and usually quit to dunk myself in a stream or in waterfall during the afternoon or rest in the shade of one of the many rock shelters or under one of the many rock ledges the ST is known for. I chose to night hike more often when it was cooler. This was better as far as being cooler but I encountered many Copperheads doing this almost stepping on one.

The one thing I would have done differently is opt for a backpack with a mesh trampoline/ventilated back style or that was kept off my back to gain needed airflow, think Osprey Atmos AG Series or Zpacks Arc Blast. All my tees tended to wet put first in the back where it sat against the backpack.