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Mother Natures Son
05-25-2012, 19:07
It has now reached the hot and humid time of year. Here in South Central PA, humidity is well over 80% with 85F most days. How does one deal with these conditions on the trail?

Pedaling Fool
05-25-2012, 19:17
I'm convinced AC has made us a bunch of wussies. Just get out there and deal with it.

rocketsocks
05-25-2012, 19:47
Yes,the only way for me is to just get aclimated,same goes for the fall,takes me a couple a few days somestimes a little longer,and it feels like it's never gonna happen,and all of a sudden......Bam your off to the races,second wind.Staying hydrated and tent/hammock placement to take advantage of the slightest of breezes always helps.And a cool wet towl around the neck right where the arteries are,can do wonders,also the inside of the forearm,inside lower leg by the knee,all these places feel better when a cool wet reg is placed there for a bit.stay cool and happy holiday hiking.

rocketsocks
05-25-2012, 19:49
Yes,the only way for me is to just get aclimated,same goes for the fall,takes me a couple a few days somestimes a little longer,and it feels like it's never gonna happen,and all of a sudden......Bam your off to the races,second wind.Staying hydrated and tent/hammock placement to take advantage of the slightest of breezes always helps.And a cool wet towl around the neck right where the arteries are,can do wonders,also the inside of the forearm,inside lower leg by the knee,all these places feel better when a cool wet reg is placed there for a bit.stay cool and happy holiday hiking.Oopseys Thats tent and hammock placement bring better breezes.

JAK
05-25-2012, 20:22
It's not the heat. It's the humility.

Cookerhiker
05-25-2012, 20:54
The heat & humidity is why my answer to where should I section hike in summer is the Rockies, High Sierra, or Cascades.

kayak karl
05-25-2012, 21:32
in maine in august '09 it was 90 degrees w/90% humidity for 5 days. you get used to it. just drank a lot of water.

Sarcasm the elf
05-25-2012, 21:39
I'm convinced AC has made us a bunch of wussies. Just get out there and deal with it.

Oh so true! I never had a problem with the weather until I got an office job. For the last 8 years the weather in my cubicle has always been 74 degrees and dry. Thanks to office life the first few days on the trail always kicks my butt, fortunately I still acclimate to the weather within a week or so (or at least I convince myself that I do :rolleyes:)

Freedom Walker
05-25-2012, 22:59
Having been born and lived in the south for all of my 58 years, I still remember when we didn't have air condition at home or school. No, those were not the good old days and I don't want to go back. But I make myself get outdoors as much as I can early in the spring to get adjusted to the summer heat. It was around 92 today and i worked for 2 hours in my yard. I don't want to allow the hot weather to determine whether I go hiking or not. Just use common sense, drink lots of water, and if possible try to keep as clean as you can to prevent chafing. For me hiking is one activity that helps keep me strong, feeling young and healthy. Besides I just hate the cold and couldn't wait until warm weather and longer days. No way am going to complain about the heat, until I get the utility and water bills.

Odd Man Out
05-26-2012, 00:01
I'm convinced AC has made us a bunch of wussies. Just get out there and deal with it.

It goes the other way too. On a cruise to Alaska a couple of years ago, my wife and I observed that half the people on deck were wearing parkas and half were wearing t-shirts. Coming from MI, we were part of the t-shirt half.

garlic08
05-26-2012, 08:30
When temps reach upper 90s and dew points are in the 70s, it can be dangerous to hike. You need evaporative cooling or a heat injury may result, no matter how acclimated you are. The comments above about water and a breeze are right on the mark. When I'm soaked with sweat on a humid day, working up a hill in the sun and I start to feel dizzy, I pay close attention to finding shade and a breeze right away. Proper nutrition is important too, like getting enough salt.

burger
05-26-2012, 08:41
I'm convinced AC has made us a bunch of wussies. Just get out there and deal with it.
If humans were meant to live in humid environments, we wouldn't sweat.

Velvet Gooch
05-26-2012, 09:02
What garlic wrote. Dew point is a better indicator of comfort level in the outdoors. A dew point above 75° can feel stifling, suffocating even. Like swaddled-in-the-Devil's-scrotal-skin uncomfortable

Spirit Walker
05-26-2012, 11:43
On the AT, you are almost always in the shade. On the ridgetops there is usually a slight breeze. There are frequent water sources to dip out water for a bandana or hat, or even to soak your feet. Up north you have ponds and lakes to swim in. Also, just at the point that the heat and humidity seem unbearable, a front will pass through, cooling everything off. It's not like the south or west where it gets hot and hotter, without respite. There is usually a cooler front every 4 or 5 days, and it makes a huge difference.

WIAPilot
05-26-2012, 12:09
On the AT, you are almost always in the shade. On the ridgetops there is usually a slight breeze. There are frequent water sources to dip out water for a bandana or hat, or even to soak your feet. Up north you have ponds and lakes to swim in. Also, just at the point that the heat and humidity seem unbearable, a front will pass through, cooling everything off. It's not like the south or west where it gets hot and hotter, without respite. There is usually a cooler front every 4 or 5 days, and it makes a huge difference.

This gives me hope! I can handle 110-115 degrees. It's the humidity that I'm not looking forward to. Also, when it is really bad, I plan to just start as early as 3 or 4 in the morning. There are ways around it.

rocketsocks
05-26-2012, 12:23
This gives me hope! I can handle 110-115 degrees. It's the humidity that I'm not looking forward to. Also, when it is really bad, I plan to just start as early as 3 or 4 in the morning. There are ways around it.never been to AZ.but have heard the heat there is dry,and it was liken to standing in front of a hot stove with the door open.

WIAPilot
05-26-2012, 12:35
never been to AZ.but have heard the heat there is dry,and it was liken to standing in front of a hot stove with the door open.

It can be like a furnace. A 23-year old German woman just died from heat stroke. You have to be careful if you aren't familiar with a trail because the temperatures can get brutal. I look at the weather app as often as my watch when I am out hiking and that dictates when I head home in many cases. There just isn't any shade or water here. I always wear a baseball hat and carry enough water that I can use it to frequently cool down as well. And of course, you start just as the sun is coming up! Even 9:00 is too late a start around here.

kidchill
05-27-2012, 06:40
I did a brutal 15miler yesterday in central PA and damn it was hot!! There were thunderstorms forecasted and I was literally praying for rain! The storm hit on the last climb of the day and it felt great! I got soaked and the temp dropped about 10degrees. I did end up bonking on this hike about 12miles in...I had to sit for about 45min and slammed a liter of water and 2 or 3 cliff bars to get my energy back. The heat definitely makes a difference! I drank just over a gallon in 6 hours.

rocketsocks
05-27-2012, 06:51
I did a brutal 15miler yesterday in central PA and damn it was hot!! There were thunderstorms forecasted and I was literally praying for rain! The storm hit on the last climb of the day and it felt great! I got soaked and the temp dropped about 10degrees. I did end up bonking on this hike about 12miles in...I had to sit for about 45min and slammed a liter of water and 2 or 3 cliff bars to get my energy back. The heat definitely makes a difference! I drank just over a gallon in 6 hours.I to was walking yesterday and was oppressed by the heat,and revived by the storm.After a afternoon BBQ lunch party,and not very hungry later...I had 2 oranges 1 apple,and a banana for a evening snack.It is interesting how our body's know what to do,and what kinda food it requires,very cool.Feel pretty good today after all that heat,just part of the acclimation process.Still need to go find my balls today though.LOL

Cookerhiker
05-27-2012, 11:16
I did a brutal 15miler yesterday in central PA and damn it was hot!! There were thunderstorms forecasted and I was literally praying for rain! The storm hit on the last climb of the day and it felt great! I got soaked and the temp dropped about 10degrees. I did end up bonking on this hike about 12miles in...I had to sit for about 45min and slammed a liter of water and 2 or 3 cliff bars to get my energy back. The heat definitely makes a difference! I drank just over a gallon in 6 hours.

I feel for ya. Your experience was very similar to mine when I section-hiked a portion of NJ in summer of '04. Both the temps and the humidity were overpowering. The worst part was night when the temps didn't cool down much and the humidity rose. Not fun lying on your sleeping bag all night sweating, your body never drying off. Cowboy-camping wasn't feasible because of the mosquitos.

On the third day, the thunderstorms finally were unleashed. The shower was refreshing to the body but my feet didn't take it too well i.e. sudden blisters. Quit the hike and returned to NJ in the Fall when conditions were ideal.

That's why I advised (Post #6) hiking the Western high mountains. You may even have hot days at 11,000' - heck, in Colorado last year it was quite warm before 10 AM at 12K' atop Georgia Pass - but the nights are always comfortable.

rocketsocks
05-27-2012, 14:52
Fall is by far my farorite season.