Long Distance hikers..what do you do if you get a bad cold?

[DavidNH]

Hi,

I am currently fighting off a bad cold I picked up somewhere. Lots of coughing and I get up and go to work..come home totally exhauset and go to bed by 8 pm or have for last couple nights!

I want to imagine.. say you are 304 days into a month long plus back pack and you get one of these colds that makes you feel miserable and worn out for days..what do you do? keep hiking anyway? hole up in a shelter? Am I more or less likely to pick up a nasty cold on the trail or in normal town life?

Folks may not think there is a need for a post like this..but if you were feeling as sick as I have.. one wants to know!

Additionally, how do I stave of colds and recover fromt he quic as possible when out backpacking?

David

[Lone Wolf]

Most folks catch colds from being cooped up indoors where all germs are concentrated. I've never had a cold on the trail. Stay out of hostels and shelters and you should do fine.

[Youngblood]

If you get sick and aren't strong enough to hike, you hold up somewhere until you get stronger. Hopefully it won't hit you suddenly when you are miles and miles away from from a town. If it does, you just do the best you can. If you are stranded and low on food, hopefully other hikers will share some of their food with you.

Youngblood

[chris]

Like LW, I've never gotten sick while out hiking on a long trip. No colds, no flu, no parasites. I think there is something about the out-of-doors that is a tonic for some people. I have run into those suffering, and the best idea seems to be to get to town and do nothing until you are healed. Or, if you are on the AT, find a shelter close to town and stay there until you are healthy.

[MOWGLI]

You are far more likely to suffer from stomach distress on the trail. I can't recall ever having a cold while backpacking, unless I brought it with me at the start of the trip.

LW's advise is solid - but fear of a cold is no reason to completely avoids shelters or hostels IMO. What you should really avoid is sharing food with another hiker who might night practice good hygiene.

[Jack Tarlin]

NH Hiker:

What do you do at home when you get a bad cold?

Generally, you deal with it, and try not to let it completely disrupt your life, work, etc. If necessary, you get some bed rest, drink lots of fluids, take appropriate medications, and wait til you get better.

Same thing on the Trail. In the course of a 180-day period ANYWHERE, there are going to be periods where you're not feeling your best.....aches and pains, injuries, colds, minor infections, ear aches, stomach upset, etc. Of course, these things happen on the Trail as well.

In nearly every case, you gut it out and keep going. If necessary, you get yourself to town, get a motel room, and treat yourself to bed rest, good food, medicine, etc., until you feel healthy enough to continue.

Incidentally, I concur with LW about shelters....they can be pest holes.

How to stay healthier on the Trail:

*Don't share cooking utensils, water bottles, etc. with other hikers, and be leery of eating out of someone else's pot. A lot of folks have personal hygiene habits that are pretty disgusting. If you wouldn't suck face with the person in question, don't eat out of his cooking pot either!

*Carry hand sanitizer and use it frequently. When presented with a real sink, soap and hot water (restaurants, public washrooms, etc.), wash your hands thoroughly.

*Eat as balanced a diet as you can, and consider taking a daily vitamin supplement.

*Resist the temptation in town to eat nothing but junk food. Don't neglect healthy stuff, especially foods you may be missing, and consider doing such things as drinking milk instead of soda, filling up on fresh food, hitting a salad bar, etc. Good diet is key to good health.

*Whenever you get the chance, clean your pots and pans well (i.e. soap and hot water) and change your pot scrubber. Some folks use the same one for six months!

*Clean yourself and your clothes regularly. Some hikers develop skin problems from being filthy all the time or by deliberately avoiding cleaning up when they have the opportunity.

*Arrange your hiking day so you get enough sleep. Don't hike til dark unless you have to. Take rest breaks during the day whenever you feel like it. Fatigue and exhaustion invites illness.

*Pay attention to the weather and consider taking shelter or even getting off the trail in cases of extreme weather, especially at the beginning of your trip.

*Likewise, drink more water than you think you need. Nearly all hikers are constantly clinically dehydrated. Pay attention to your filter if you're using one; clean your water bottles and hydration bag regularly; pay attention to where your water comes from. Drink BEFORE you feel really thirsty and you'll stay healthier.

*Lastly, pay attention to your body. On the Trail, little problems tend to become big ones if you ignore them. Check your feet every day. Try and keep them clean and dry. Pay attention to your boots and how they're holding up. Keep your pack weight down, and constantly evaluate whether you still need certain items: Most knee and back problems are directly attributable to people carrying too much stuff for too long.

In all likelihood, you'll probably be healthier on the Trail than during a similar six-month period at home, thanks to the constant exercise, fresh air, less personal stress, regular sleep patterns, fewer opportunities to party or abuse yourself, etc. With any luck, any illnesses or injuries will be minor ones and won't have that great an impact on your trip.

[Footslogger]

Nyquil, Nyquil and more Nyquil ...and water until it runs out of your ears.

If you catch a cold it's gonna run its course. Presuming that you aren't running a high fever and you feel like continuing on hiking, about all you can do is treat the symptoms and hope that you are otherwise healthy and your body has the ability to fight off the bug(s). Sometimes a day off the trail, flat on your back in a motel room, bundled up in warm blankets and chicken noodle soup works wonders too.

'Slogger
AT 2003

[max patch]

I want to imagine.. say you are 304 days into a month long plus back pack and you get one of these colds that makes you feel miserable and worn out for days..what do you do?

On my thru I caught a bad cold, made it to North Woodstock at Wed noon and stayed and stayed at the Cascade Boarding House till Friday noon. Basically slept the rest of day and all day Thurs. Still remember the French Toast the owner made.

On a later long distance section hike of Vermont and New Hampshire I got really sick somewhere in Vermont. Had a couple of real low mileage days -- start late, end early -- when I came across a blue blaze trail. Since I had my guidebook and maps I knew that the blue blaze went to a highway. Took the blue blaze and hitched somewhere to a motel with a bed for a day and a half.

[A-Train]

I agree with the others. I never once got sick on the trail during my hike. The only time I got sick during the 5 months was when I got OFF trail for a week. This was most likely from sharing a bus ride from Hanover to NY with others in close quarters or due to stress from being the best man in a wedding, running around and not getting sleep.

The sickness you're more likely to experience on trail is a stomach ailment rather than a cold. Mostly this will be due to the high grease content in the southern town food!

[Trail Dog]

i started my hike with a real bad cold, i pretty much hiked it off. It was a respitory thing so i wasn't too weak but i couldn't stop coughing.

if its real bad you'llprobally find help, just be nice to the other hikers and try your hardest to keep your germs to yourself.

[orangebug]

If you are ever going to be exposed to hantavirus, it is most likely going to be in a shelter. Of course, you aren't likely to suffer for very long.

If you get a fever, get off the trail and find medical care. Fluids, aspirin and rest are still excellent treatments. Pneumonia is not condusive to long distance hiking.

And follow Jack's advice.

[Slaughter]

I had a pretty bad cold during a rainy couple of weeks coming into Pearisburg. It wasn't fun, but I hiked through it anyway, sore throat and tiredness and all. Admitedly that was mostly because there wasn't much else to do, besides sit and be wet in a shelter. While I don't advocate hiking in the rain while sick, it did give me a new opinion of how much my body can do when it has to, and how much I 'baby' myself off the trail. But yeah, take the advice on this thread before pushing yourself too far. :sun

[hikerjohnd]

I just started having cold symptoms three days ago - I knew a cold was coming on. My mom sent me some Zycam about a year ago and I thought 'what the heck - I'll give it a try!' Now - four days later and no cold symptoms. I don't know the chemistry behind it, but a couple of swabs in your first aid kit might not be a bad idea if you are concerned. They weigh nothing and for me they have really worked (once you get past swabbing goo in your nose).

[Ridge]

just a lot fewer miles. Take meds, drink lots of hot drinks, and get plenty of sleep.

[The Solemates]

I want to imagine.. say you are 304 days into a month long plus back pack and you get one of these colds
David

Thats a long month!

[Skyline]

I just started having cold symptoms three days ago - I knew a cold was coming on. My mom sent me some Zycam about a year ago and I thought 'what the heck - I'll give it a try!' Now - four days later and no cold symptoms. I don't know the chemistry behind it, but a couple of swabs in your first aid kit might not be a bad idea if you are concerned. They weigh nothing and for me they have really worked (once you get past swabbing goo in your nose).


Yeah, Zicam rules! But you gotta start using it as soon as you first feel a cold coming on. I do in fact keep about 10 swabs in my hiking first aid kit.

I think I read one of their properties is zinc, which has gotten high marks by holistic types. In any case, it's one of those alternative things (like glucosomine sulfate) that I've had good first-hand experience with.