Hydration When Kayaking !

[Hainesy]

Hi Guys

Was having a think about this other day, and HLD's recent poll on safety prompted me to post this......

My other "outdoor activity" when not kayak fishing is a spot of hunting. This was borne out of many many years of targeting shooting with bows and arrows...

Anyway, when hunting, I also carry a 2L water bladder inside my pack.....without exception I ALWAYS ended up with massive headaches and dehydration and I never seemed to be able to drink enough liquid to stay hydrated. I would easily consume as much liquid as I could and teh result was always the same....a pounding headache and lethargy....
On a particular trip, a mate of mine gave me a sachet of Gastrolyte, the stuff the chemist or doc gives you when you get a bad stomache upset......essentially it replaces all the salts etc that you use up when you're sick....Anyway, chucked the sachet into the bladder, and low and behold, for the first time ever, I didnt get a headache !!!


Shortly after I picked up a NZ Hunting magazine, and there was an article written about EXACTLY the same problem I was experiencing.....

I'll let you all read the article, and to draw your own conclusions, but suffice to say it made perfect sense to me both from a point of practicality and cost perspective .....

Essentially this article offers a way to make your own electrolyte "powder or solution" for an absolute fraction of the cost of buying the commercially available products (wont mention brand names here....!!) without the food colouring, artificial flavours, or the sugars....

I use it all the time and it definitely works.......I've never worked out the cost but it probably works out at fractions of a cent for a litre of product !!!!

Would strongly recommend that you give it a try and would be really interested in hearing about the results !!

My biggest problem now is to remember to drink something at all .....!!

Electrolyte 1.pdf

(82.17 KiB) Downloaded 465 times

Electrolyte 2.pdf

(103.62 KiB) Downloaded 359 times

Cheers
Hainesy

[G1]

Food for thought cheers mate!!!

[chip'n]

Hainset, cheers for that, i had to stand on my head to read it but that's all good. I tend to drink a bit of water when on the water, hopefully this means I will still drink it & not want to pee in my wetsuit as often. Dale

[clickngofar]

hopefully this means I will still drink it & not want to pee in my wetsuit as often. Dale

Which is of course the down side to drinking - Hainsey, brilliant, relevant article and one which I related to totally. Suffered huge headache last time out, and although I had water aboard, I never felt thirsty and thus never drank - silly bugger.

But - I did want to pee real bad, and almost always do when out for an hour or more.
So what solutions have people come up with to urinate at sea?
I'm damned if I'm going to pee in my shark skin, that's just gross - but thought about doing it in a small plastic funnel with a tube attched stuck down the inside of the pant leg and into a scupper hole.
Who'es been there and done that?

[skarramooch]

reading the first article makes me think the easiest way to hydrate is to fall in every now and then, the untreated seawater that you will inevitably swallow while flapping around in the water should be sufficient to support efficient rehydration!

Perhaps in the water would be a good time for a pee too?

Seriously though, I will have a go with the rehydration solution, I've heard of mountain trampers using something like it too - a good idea I reckon!

[Hainesy]

hopefully this means I will still drink it & not want to pee in my wetsuit as often. Dale

Which is of course the down side to drinking - Hainsey, brilliant, relevant article and one which I related to totally. Suffered huge headache last time out, and although I had water aboard, I never felt thirsty and thus never drank - silly bugger.

But - I did want to pee real bad, and almost always do when out for an hour or more.
So what solutions have people come up with to urinate at sea?
I'm damned if I'm going to pee in my shark skin, that's just gross - but thought about doing it in a small plastic funnel with a tube attched stuck down the inside of the pant leg and into a scupper hole.
Who'es been there and done that?

When I use to fish in a wetsuit, it was either pee in the suit or come back early...I now use splash pants and use a 2 L bottle (like a milk bottle)...leave the cap on and then cut the bottom off so it looks like a scoop or small shovel.....With a little dexterity you can drop your pants/underdaks a little bit and then do your business into the "scoop"...when finished just empty and rinse it out...the scoop doubles as an emergency bailout tool as well !!!
Sorry, havent got a method ofr "number twos" !!
Cheers
Hainesy

[Jett]

When I use to fish in a wetsuit, it was either pee in the suit or come back early...I now use splash pants and use a 2 L bottle (like a milk bottle)...leave the cap on and then cut the bottom off so it looks like a scoop or small shovel.....With a little dexterity you can drop your pants/underdaks a little bit and then do your business into the "scoop"...when finished just empty and rinse it out...the scoop doubles as an emergency bailout tool as well !!!
Sorry, havent got a method ofr "number twos" !!
Cheers
Hainesy

Yeah the spare bottle is used quite a bit,

Maybe they could implement a new system into the 4.3 Ultra for them number 2's

[G1]

When I use to fish in a wetsuit, it was either pee in the suit or come back early...I now use splash pants and use a 2 L bottle (like a milk bottle)...leave the cap on and then cut the bottom off so it looks like a scoop or small shovel.....With a little dexterity you can drop your pants/underdaks a little bit and then do your business into the "scoop"...when finished just empty and rinse it out...the scoop doubles as an emergency bailout tool as well !!!
Sorry, havent got a method ofr "number twos" !!
Cheers
Hainesy

Yeah the spare bottle is used quite a bit,

Maybe they could implement a new system into the 4.3 Ultra for them number 2's

Isnt that what one of the rear pots are for on the 440? Number 2's?

[Hainesy]

When I use to fish in a wetsuit, it was either pee in the suit or come back early...I now use splash pants and use a 2 L bottle (like a milk bottle)...leave the cap on and then cut the bottom off so it looks like a scoop or small shovel.....With a little dexterity you can drop your pants/underdaks a little bit and then do your business into the "scoop"...when finished just empty and rinse it out...the scoop doubles as an emergency bailout tool as well !!!
Sorry, havent got a method ofr "number twos" !!
Cheers
Hainesy

Yeah the spare bottle is used quite a bit,

You wouldnt believe it....I was only asking Limitless y'day what I could use them for if I didnt use "stink baits"!!!!

Maybe they could implement a new system into the 4.3 Ultra for them number 2's

Isnt that what one of the rear pots are for on the 440? Number 2's?

[philbo]

I seem to use the aim it over the side technique haha

[Celebre]

But - I did want to pee real bad, and almost always do when out for an hour or more.
So what solutions have people come up with to urinate at sea?
I'm damned if I'm going to pee in my shark skin, that's just gross - but thought about doing it in a small plastic funnel with a tube attched stuck down the inside of the pant leg and into a scupper hole.
Who'es been there and done that?

Guys....you have it a lot easier.....

Can try this though..... http://shepee.org/

[Limitless]

Celebre, maybe you should start dispensing condom catheters, for a suitable fee of course

[Celebre]

Celebre, maybe you should start dispensing condom catheters, for a suitable fee of course

How do you know about these.....

Its okay - its a retorical question.......

[Nakiman]

Way too much information in this thread.

On water intake, when i was long distance running I was told that your body will absorb water more readily if you can keep the water chilled to about 10 deg. I used to carry bottles of water in a bum bag. Some of them I would freeze so that they would keep the others frozen. After 3 hours on the road, the frozen ones would melt and could be drunk as well. It was surprising how well hydrated you stayed.
I like to keep my spare drink in the chillie on the yak, so it stays chilled.
I can't remember the exact figures, but I think it was something like - 1% dehydrated = 10% loss in energy.

[Hainesy]

Way too much information in this thread.

On water intake, when i was long distance running I was told that your body will absorb water more readily if you can keep the water chilled to about 10 deg. I used to carry bottles of water in a bum bag. Some of them I would freeze so that they would keep the others frozen. After 3 hours on the road, the frozen ones would melt and could be drunk as well. It was surprising how well hydrated you stayed.
I like to keep my spare drink in the chillie on the yak, so it stays chilled.
I can't remember the exact figures, but I think it was something like - 1% dehydrated = 10% loss in energy.

Thanks Nakiman....It was supposed to be serious and helpful !!!!

[Limitless]

Interestingly enough, I guess as a result of my medical background, I have actually investigated the use of condom catheters for expedition paddling in rough conditions when paddling sit-in kayaks (in these conditions its not desirable to pop the spray deck to use a bottle; it's much easier to lean back and relax while bracing accross the cockpit with both hands on the paddle).

The first time I looked at this system a crew of three of us, including a GP, were planning a paddle trip in our Eco-Bezhig's from Whangarei to Corromandel via the Mokohinau Islands (meeting a safety boat for accom) and Great Barrier. SAR air search were also considering using us as a training exercise, potentially targeting us with some expired flares they had at the time , but unfortunately one of our crew needed surgery a month before departure and we cancelled the trip. I'd like to give it a go now (roughly 10 years later) in the latest generation SOT's

I do take hydartion on kayaks very seriously, along with the usualy biological consequences that need to be discussed.

[glint]

I seem to use the aim it over the side technique haha

us jaffas just hang it over the side
seriously here is my set up,i found hydration bladders hard to keep sterile now all i have to do is throw away the bottle.

[Hairy Little Dwarf]

Rule of thumb is, "If you don't feel the need to pee, have a drink"
By the time you feel thirsty, you're already well dehydrated.
Some of the "sports" drinks are very high in sugar which will work against you in terms of rehydration. Check the label.

I have a dud thermostat, so my core temp goes up rapidly with any activity so I plough through the hydrogen monoxide.
Not uncommon for me to put away 3litres an hour on a hot day, and that's just sitting there fishing...vigorously
When on searches in summer, half my pack weight is water !

As far as waste products, I seldom feel the urge - even on long paddles. Most of it comes out through my forehead #2's? well, just go before you go and stop eating so much greasy food
If you REALLY have to go, and land is too far away - If you have a buddy (and a real good friend!) you can do the deed without getting wet by straddling the two yaks. Expect the favour to cost you many beers.


Re: the camelbaks etc going funny, the SAR trick is to store them (empty) in the freezer. Mine has been fine since day one, six years ago.

[sk8e8]

If you REALLY have to go, and land is too far away - If you have a buddy (and a real good friend!) you can do the deed without getting wet by straddling the two yaks.

I'd rather get wet.

[paddlesnap]

Yup what HLD said about water transpiration -your sweat and evaporation from paddling on long hauls is similar to cycling it wicks off ya and cools so bladder contents problems largely negated.
If you have the spray deck sealed in rougher conditions the moisture in the bilges is your sweat so a bit more as per urine aint gonna make much difference, thats what the bilge pump,scoop or sponge are for with a judicious rinse of cleansing seawater. A helpful well wisher found this out on welcoming Freya Hoffmeister ashore after a long finishing haul in her Seakayak trip around Australia when picking up her kayak As for the other solids a paddle float brace should suffice to get elevation to dump overboard.
The frozen bottles is a tried and true used by hunters and shearers for years-was really good on a recent climb on a hot day to the top of Mt. Egmont