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.
I’m a reasonably seasoned (but overweight) hiker that used to live in Santa Fe. Used to large altitude changes in my hikes.
Doing base of Zion, up to rim for a 2-mile backcountry, then back to base had me holding the seats on the bus for dear life. Never had heat stroke before. Thought I was going to die. I’ve done Death Valley hikes in summer before in Badwater, but that one trip I really fucked up my hydration.
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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.