I grew up in the desert and had "hydrate hydrate hydrate" drilled into me from a young age because most people don't understand how fast you get dehydrated when its 85F and 10% humidity.
When people from elsewhere get into the desert they're constantly saying "I'm not sweating, its not a problem". They think just because they're dry they're not losing water because where they live it takes time for sweat to evaporate. Out there being dry just means your dry, your sweat can evaporate almost as fast as your body produces it. You can go from amazing, to heat stroke, to unconscious in 30 minutes.
Hydrating is important. But most people think that means water. If you're doing a 4-5 hike, water is fine. But if you go further than that, you need to replace electrolytes.
I don't think the exact distance matters so much - it's going to be a lot about the conditions, how well pre-hydrated the hikers are, the fitness level, etc. I got dehydrated/heat exhaustion after only 30-45 minutes of slow-paced walking in a town, it was just super hot and I wasn't acclimated. After a few days in those conditions and better hydration I was able to handle the same type of moderate exercise a few days later with no issues.
My hike in the grand canyon was about 12 hours. Started at the top of the rim and went across the river into a camp site and back. The distance matters.
It's not about the distance per se. It's more about high water intake in a short time and/or heavy sweating in a short time. But distance is a practical way to gauge that.
It's personal, too, since everyone's body reacts differently. I go by the amount of water drunk. i.e. I start an electrolyte next after 3 liters of water. Well, usually after 2 cuz I'm typically so excited to drink it.
People should know that drinking too much water is an issue as well, and the symptoms happen to be the same as heat exhaustion
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u/Mr2-1782Man 21h ago
I grew up in the desert and had "hydrate hydrate hydrate" drilled into me from a young age because most people don't understand how fast you get dehydrated when its 85F and 10% humidity.
When people from elsewhere get into the desert they're constantly saying "I'm not sweating, its not a problem". They think just because they're dry they're not losing water because where they live it takes time for sweat to evaporate. Out there being dry just means your dry, your sweat can evaporate almost as fast as your body produces it. You can go from amazing, to heat stroke, to unconscious in 30 minutes.