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Nutbrown
07-14-2012, 22:12
Have any favorites? I'm going to try the Nathan brand, but there were so many to choose from. Have a favorite? I liked that the Nathan's had other vitamins and minerals. I usually only drink water, but it has been a hot summer, and I'll be out next week. Figured it might be better to get the electrolites.

jakedatc
07-14-2012, 22:15
High 5 from Probikekit.com (it's in England but free shipping) big tablets that do 20-24oz comes in big tubes of 20 too. cheaper and just as good as NUUN.

rocketsocks
07-14-2012, 22:39
Was just reading a small first aid book today, and it talked about not choosing electrolytes that have to much sugar, because it can actually dehydrate you further, and if you did use Gatorade, to dilute it with half water. Further it list the replacement electrolytes as follows.

To One Liter of water

sodium chloride 3.5 grams
potassium chloride 1.5 grams
glucose 20 grams
sodium bicarbonate 2.5 grams

These figures come from the World Health Organization

Nutbrown
07-14-2012, 22:44
I don't think I would ever choose gatoraid. Not much in it besides water. I was looking at all the different tablets, and Nathans has less than a gram of sugar.

Wise Old Owl
07-14-2012, 22:49
I used to make my own Gatorade singles for the trail with a vacuum sealer,

Walmart has G2 $5 8 packs 8 quarts campin dept:cool:


its the potassium the shuts down the thirst.

MuddyWaters
07-14-2012, 23:01
You dont need electrolytes in your drink, despite marketing hype to the contrary. Thseveats what it is, marketing hype.
Yes you can get electrolytes in the body out of whack with dehydration, and it can cause issues, cramps, even heart failure.
That happens in severe dehyradion cases.

Eat food, drink water, you will be fine.

Your body evolved to drink water, and only water. Minerals it needs can come from snacks. You eat all day long while hiking generally, its not an issue.

Unless you just like toting extra wt.

We tried the Nuun, blegh. Horrible , nasty , crap. My son wouldnt drink it.

rocketsocks
07-14-2012, 23:03
I don't think I would ever choose Gatorade. Not much in it besides water. I was looking at all the different tablets, and Nathans has less than a gram of sugar.Yep, I'm not posting this as a favorite for me, more just something I read today and thought it was a good jumping off point. I've never really thought much about the type or quantities of electrolytes, just figured I was getting what I needed in the sports drinks, It seems it's worth taking another looksey.

Wise Old Owl
07-14-2012, 23:17
Nobody mentioned need, I prefer to take liquid vitamin and potassium drinks - I have found it very beneficial on hot muggy days.

rocketsocks
07-14-2012, 23:21
Nobody mentioned need, I prefer to take liquid vitamin and potassium drinks - I have found it very beneficial on hot muggy days.I never heard the thing about potassium shutting down thirst, that's very interesting.

Nutbrown
07-14-2012, 23:33
Part of it is using the drink mix instead of munching on energy bars all day. I wish some of the bars were savory instead of all the sickeningly sweet chocolate cookie dough.

rocketsocks
07-14-2012, 23:48
Part of it is using the drink mix instead of munching on energy bars all day. I wish some of the bars were savory instead of all the sickeningly sweet chocolate cookie dough.I've ate so many clif bars, that now I have vertigo.;) Lately I'm back into GORP, though peanut prices are through the roof.....

Double Wide
07-14-2012, 23:52
Electrolytes or not, make sure you get your potassium. Trust me on this. The VERY LAST THING YOU EVER WANNA DO is get admitted to the ER with severe dehydration where they have to give you a potassium IV. It feels like liquid fire going into your veins while on the inside, and the outside feels like it's being put out with a hammer. Easily one of the most painful things that you can endure, especially if it goes in 'fast'. (Yeah, they can control how much goes in at once).

Seriously, forget waterboarding or any other kind of torture. If you want to get somebody talking and begging for mercy, just pump 'em full of potassium. That **** hurts for real.

Just take vitamins, drink lots of water, and get your calories in. No need for electrolytes. Didn't y'all see Idiocracy?

Wise Old Owl
07-15-2012, 00:14
I never heard the thing about potassium shutting down thirst, that's very interesting.

I have trouble with long distance driving staying awake - I eat bananas in the morning instead of coffee. If I am driving late at night. 2nd runner up is 5 hour energy.

( I head down to Ocean City, and Rehoboth frequently)

theinfamousj
07-15-2012, 00:25
I've suffered the beginning stages of hyponatremia (drink lots of water but not enough electrolytes to balance it) twice in my life. The most recent case was about three weeks ago and the prior case was nearly 10 years ago. After the first time, I knew what to do (eat salty foods ASAP). I must say that in both cases I felt awful. More awful than I've ever felt for any reason including the kidney stones I've had. Cramping in my muscles and my kidney area, feeling heat strokey, heart racing, thinking I was going to pass out, inability to get core temp under control, slurred speech, trouble with cognitive function, etc.

So, in my humble opinion, there is a place for Nuun (hyponatremia #1) and Emergen-C (hyponatremia #2), but lordy how your body will let you know that you need to have an additional electrolyte solution. There will be no mistaking it. In day-to-day activities, I don't think you have need of additional electrolyte solution at all. In both of these cases, I was guzzling well over 5 liters of water (I lost count after 5) in the span of three hours (due to outside heat and physical activity); not at all a normal rate.

And when you need electrolyte supplements, they all taste the same: life saving. So comparing electrolyte powders, tabs, etc, based on taste and being able to say, "Yuck," is your first clue that you don't actually need any.

Nutbrown
07-15-2012, 08:26
That's a good point about knowing when you need the electrolytes. I am also now making sure the potassium level is adequate. I haven't done a hike in the middle of summer before, so I'm being a bit paranoid, I know.

Wise Old Owl
07-15-2012, 10:03
Na - but it works - when dehydrated you can drink volumes of water and still have thirst, chug with potassium and it stops... and I know this will upset people - but a good beer shuts it down too, (not the light stuff)

When I was a kid all the section hikes ended at a tavern in the poconos!

Road runner
07-15-2012, 11:09
Check out a product called GU Brew. I dissolve 2 tablets in 32oz water and drink it every day after I get in the shelter. I have not had leg cramps since I started using it. I don't know if I need it, but my legs think I do.

Cookerhiker
07-15-2012, 11:56
Not tablets but these are powdered mixes in single-serving (1 liter) envelopes: http://www.emergenc.com/index.php/products/specialty/electro-mix#

scree
07-15-2012, 12:10
Nuun is good stuff - if it tastes bad you might not need it right then.

I like to have pork rinds with me because they're not only delicious, but also help keep electrolytes balanced. Additionally, lots of fish love them as bait if its that kind of trip, though often I'd rather have the pork rinds than the fish.

verasch
07-15-2012, 12:32
You dont need electrolytes in your drink, despite marketing hype to the contrary. Thseveats what it is, marketing hype.
Yes you can get electrolytes in the body out of whack with dehydration, and it can cause issues, cramps, even heart failure.
That happens in severe dehyradion cases.

Eat food, drink water, you will be fine.

Your body evolved to drink water, and only water. Minerals it needs can come from snacks. You eat all day long while hiking generally, its not an issue.

Unless you just like toting extra wt.

We tried the Nuun, blegh. Horrible , nasty , crap. My son wouldnt drink it.

But plants LOVE electrolytes!

Wise Old Owl
07-15-2012, 13:18
verasch (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/member.php?8694-verasch) if you are going to be that humorus, how about uploading a few pics and filling out that home page... you have been here long enough! :welcome

theinfamousj
07-15-2012, 13:20
That's a good point about knowing when you need the electrolytes. I am also now making sure the potassium level is adequate. I haven't done a hike in the middle of summer before, so I'm being a bit paranoid, I know.

Hello fellow Chapel Hill resident! :welcome If you are doing a mid-summer hike in the NC mountains, treat it as if it were spring temps in Chapel Hill. It gets much, much cooler up in them thar hills. Unlike the swelter we experience here, you will be on a vacation to another season. You'll be fine!

verasch
07-15-2012, 13:46
verasch (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/member.php?8694-verasch) if you are going to be that humorus, how about uploading a few pics and filling out that home page... you have been here long enough! :welcome

What home page?

I haven't posted any pics, cuz i most likely won't be thruing anytime soon, and don't want to annoy the powers that be. But if its kosher, i'll participate more than the confines of this cell phone.

House of Payne
07-15-2012, 14:33
I generally only drink just water on the trail. As the infamousJ has talked about, hyponatremia, I have also run into this situation a couple of times before as well. I have done the same thing, stopped and had a salty snack. I think it's a good thing to have the supplements available to you in order to balance what your body is telling you. I'd like to look into potassium and electrolytes for daily use, maybe try it on a shakedow trip of sorts.
Another thing that bothers me is I sweat alot of fluids out when I workout (be it hiking or framing houses). On a typical summer day I could replace 4-6 litres of water in an 8 hr period. I wonder if the supplements can help cut this down and still keep me hydrated>?

Wise Old Owl
07-15-2012, 14:44
Yes House If you are in the sun a lot you run the risk of thick blood - which leads over time embolisms in the veins or deep vein thombosis. Hydration is a very small amount of natural salt (sea salt) and 40 mg (NOT 90) mg of potassium, fruit sugars sweeten it up a little, but are not necessary. This was the beginning of the Gatorade at football games and track events.

Tell ya what lets say you are framing a house and its going to be a very hot dry day, have a banana in the morning and take some ice water and skip the coffee... IF you feel the need for coffee substitute a tea from Korean Ginseng and add a Turbinado sugar for a hot drink... Its a simple step up to feeling better and it works on the trail!

jerseydave
07-15-2012, 15:18
http://www.saltstick.com/products/sscaps/cfeatures.htm

Wise Old Owl
07-15-2012, 15:55
nice - JD does it mix well with hooch or moonshine?

Hey where have you been?

Odd Man Out
07-15-2012, 15:55
Was just reading a small first aid book today, and it talked about not choosing electrolytes that have to much sugar, because it can actually dehydrate you further, and if you did use Gatorade, to dilute it with half water. Further it list the replacement electrolytes as follows.

To One Liter of water

sodium chloride 3.5 grams
potassium chloride 1.5 grams
glucose 20 grams
sodium bicarbonate 2.5 grams

These figures come from the World Health Organization

+1 on this. I also agree that eating salty snacks is probably adequate in most cases, but having some hydration therapy mix for emergencies is a good idea. Curious that some posts complain about too much sugar and others about too little. I for one have had a hard time finding electrolyte mixes with the right amount of sugar (as per the WHO above). Much better to drink the sugar. The sugar makes it taste good and is necessary for appropriate hydration. I avoid no-cal sweeteners. I have considered making my own with the recipe above. All the ingredients are easy to get. You could then flavor it with a package of Kool-Aid (the original kind that you are supposed to mix with sugar and water - it is basically just flavoring).

jerseydave
07-15-2012, 15:59
nice - JD does it mix well with hooch or moonshine?

Hey where have you been?

I imagine you could wash it down with either!

Been down in VA, did a little walkin in SNP, but aborted on day 2 due to the excessive heat that kicked my arse. No cramps though due to the above mentioned product! LOL

How U doin?

House of Payne
07-15-2012, 17:00
I'm going to give a tablet supplement a try this week, made by Hammer products called undurolytes. The combination of what has been talked about here seems very simular.

Nutbrown
07-15-2012, 17:24
Hello fellow Chapel Hill resident! :welcome If you are doing a mid-summer hike in the NC mountains, treat it as if it were spring temps in Chapel Hill. It gets much, much cooler up in them thar hills. Unlike the swelter we experience here, you will be on a vacation to another season. You'll be fine!

The weather for my section (Hot Springs area) actually looks awesome. Temps at night to 67!!! Now I'm thinking about leaving the electrolytes at home with my IX underquilt, and pack my down and hot chocolate!

I've been in the ChHill area 12 years now, and flipped from Hillsborough to Carrboro and now am in N Chatham Co. How about you?

Malto
07-15-2012, 19:18
It is dirt simple to make your own. See http://Postholer.Com/journal/viewJournal.php?sid=05eac725b127b95f5bd9040950a083 df&entry_id=19697

And in some case hiker may NEED them. I did a high day day yesterday on the NJ AT and started cramping due to heat and electrolyte imbalance. Several capsules later, cramps were in check and never returned. Hiking long days or in heat can be a problem for some people, it's more than marketing hype.

Odd Man Out
07-15-2012, 21:02
It seems the currently accepted formula for Oral Rehydration Solution is

Sodium Chloride = 2.6 g/L
Anhydrous Glucose = 13.5 g/L
Potassium Chloride = 1.5 g/L
trisodium citrate dihydrate = 2.9 g/L

Mix with so Kool Aid powder mix and you would have a hydration formula as good as any, I would think.

rocketsocks
07-15-2012, 21:38
It seems the currently accepted formula for Oral Rehydration Solution is

Sodium Chloride = 2.6 g/L
Anhydrous Glucose = 13.5 g/L
Potassium Chloride = 1.5 g/L
trisodium citrate dihydrate = 2.9 g/L

Mix with so Kool Aid powder mix and you would have a hydration formula as good as any, I would think.That's good to know, I see the glucose has dropped quite a bit, perhaps it's that whole "people don't need extra sugars in there diets" I got the info from the 'Wilderness Medical Guide' by Dr. Eric Weiss M.D. and it is dated, seems my edition is from 2005, thanks for posting that Odd Man Out. It was so hot out today that I went through 36oz. of water while hiking, and a small snack zip lock baggie of GORP, feel pretty good so far, little tired though......

Violent Green
07-16-2012, 22:49
It is dirt simple to make your own. See http://Postholer.Com/journal/viewJournal.php?sid=05eac725b127b95f5bd9040950a083 df&entry_id=19697

And in some case hiker may NEED them. I did a high day day yesterday on the NJ AT and started cramping due to heat and electrolyte imbalance. Several capsules later, cramps were in check and never returned. Hiking long days or in heat can be a problem for some people, it's more than marketing hype.

Agree 100%. I add Morton's Lite Salt and a calcium/magnesium complex to my Perpetuem mix periodically and it works great.

Ryan

peakbagger
07-17-2012, 07:47
I use Nuun, I used to use gatoraid but on a hot humid day I very quickly didnt want to drink it. If I dont use some sort of electrolyte, I get leg cramps a few hours after the hike. I usually order the Nuun in boxes of four from whatever vendor is selling it for less as its a hihg mark up item at outdoor stores.

Drybones
07-17-2012, 08:07
I've never been much for energy drinks but I found something at Walmat named X-Energy Mix that I really liked and it actually seemed to help getting up the hills, comes in 4 flavors, I like the lemon-tea best but they are all good.

TheWalkman
07-21-2012, 20:23
Nutbrown,

I'm a big fan of Nuun tabs; they come in a 1"x4" tube so take up very little space, weigh virtually nothing, don't have a bunch of sugar that gets all over the place and they've saved me numerous times over the years. (Though the cola flavor tastes like a flat Pepsi, it has a little hit of caffeine and gives an extra kick.)

I typically carry a tube of these when cycling and find when the heat is really giving me a pounding, dropping a tablet in a water bottle and sipping this really brings me back from Zombie Land.

As someone mentioned early, the taste is o.k. but beats a mouthful of saline fluid....

If you're in Chapel Hill any bike shop (like Performance) should stock them. Give it a shot. Granted, $5 is a bit steep for a couple of ounces of salt, a tube makes 12 bottles and IMHO is worth it.

Cheers!

theinfamousj
07-24-2012, 11:35
I've been in the ChHill area 12 years now, and flipped from Hillsborough to Carrboro and now am in N Chatham Co. How about you?

I've lived in Chapel Hill for 10 years now, but spent 30 years in the Triangle. I live near the airport.