Hydration

[Mobasser]

It's starting to get hot here in north central MO. The best thing I've found is H20, plain old water. I like it cold, so I pack 6 bottles in a small cooler on ice.                                     Depending on how long I'm fishing, I may drink all of them in a four hr trip. I've had days in really hot weather, that it seemed like I couldn't drink enough water. An ice cold Coke may taste really good, but doesn't do much except to make you more thirsty.                                                  An added benefit of packing my water bottles in a small cooler, is that the empty plastic bottles go back in the cooler. I dispose of them when I get home.                 I think A- Jay posted a chart showing the effects of dehydration. It can happen to anyone, especially in really hot weather. There's lots of different drinks out there now to stay hydrated.                        And, it's important to remember: if you ever reach a point where you can't pee, you could need medical help.                                                    What's your method for staying hydrated when your fishing in the heat?

[J Francho]

I like the flavored seltzer waters.  Pack them, along with some ice packs in my Hobie cooler.  I've tested completely full of ice sitting in the hot sun on my porch, and there were still ice cubes after two days.

 

 

Sushi anyone?

[A-Jay]

Good Reminder @Mobasser

I drink H20 when on the water and try to keep myself hydrated all the time.

Helps prevent all kinds of not so nice deals. 

And while it doesn't get Africa Hot here, not being properly hydrated can get sketchy.

 

When we know we're going to be on the water for a while,

proper hydration really starts the day before, and then simply keep it going.

Regardless of the season, but especially in the hot sunny weather.

Stay Safe

A-Jay

[geo g]

Hydration is super important especially in our hot humid climate here in Florida.  If you wait until your thirsty you waited too long.  Drink on a regular basis all day long.  There is nothing better then cold H2O!
In the hotter months I always take 3x more water then I need just incase I have a breakdown while out in the boat. Dehydration is not a joke, it can kill you! 
About twenty years ago two University of Miami Biologists went out in the glades in an airboat to study gator stomach contents.  The boat broke down, and one walked out to go get help.  By the time help arrived the female Biologist was dead from dehydration.  It was less then 12 hours later.  Take extra water especially when it’s hot!

[WRB]

We all like our cup of coffee in the morning but you should drink 8 oz of water 1st. Try to keep the coffee to 1 cup when going fishing and drink at least pint of water every hour in hot weather and keep your head and neck shaded.

Aaron Martens kept a gallon of water in his boat during the summer.

Tom

[Functional]

I'm pretty sensitive to dehydration so I keep about 5 bottles under the drive seat at all times. I'll also bring a cooler out with more cold water and a small size bottle of gatorade.

 

I've been told by doctors that room temp water absorbs into your body faster than cold, but cold water can help cool you off. The bottles under the seat always stay cool enough to qualify as "room temp". The gatorade is to help replenish the electrolytes that you sweat out or you can get a lot of other unsafe/unfun symptoms. 

 

It's very important though, even more so if you fish solo. There was a thread not too long ago about a guy who died and was found in the lake. Could easily happen when you are working a shoreline, get a little light headed and fall over/hit your head and with no PFD im sure 95% of us dont wear while working the TM you could be living in the lake permanently. 

[LrgmouthShad]

16 minutes ago, WRB said:

Aaron Martens kept a gallon of water in his boat during the summer.

That is what I keep in the yak with me. Have had a couple of days where I almost drank the whole thing. 

[gim]

No tropical-like heat up here yet.  Been a very comfortable 70 degrees during the day and cools off to 50 at night with consistent rain mixed in.  I remembered how much I like an average May/June here again.  Warmer, more humid weather is inevitably coming though.

 

As far as hydrating, if its super hot or humid out, I don't even fish in that anymore.  I already know the fishing is going to be difficult anyways, so I just wait for more comfortable weather (or fish at night time).  I think water is probably the best solution and the key is to drink it before you start to get super thirsty.

[Bankc]

I use MIO in my water.  I don't like the taste of our tap water and am not paying for nor storing bottled water.  So a squirt of that in the water and it's good to drink.  Sometimes I'll use Lemon Juice if I don't have any of that.  

 

Also, it's important to hydrate before you need the water.  Your body can only absorb a maximum about one liter per hour in extreme conditions.  Under most situations it will be less than half that.  So if you start sweating heavy enough, you'll sweat out water faster than you can absorb it, not matter how much you drink.  The hydration game is really won or lost long before you start sweating.  

 

Another thing nobody ever talks about is adaptation.  You can slowly, over the course of a few weeks, adapt your body to the heat if you avoid too much air conditioning.  This makes all the difference for me.  A freak 100° day in May can be unbearable.  But by August, I don't mind that kind of heat.  That's what I learned from working so many outdoor labor jogs in the summer.  If you know you're going to be out in the heat a lot over the course of the summer, get yourself used to it so your body can handle it.  

[Darth-Baiter]

40 minutes ago, WRB said:

We all like our cup of coffee in the morning but you should drink 8 oz of water 1st. Try to keep the coffee to 1 cup when going fishing and drink at least pint of water every hour in hot weather and keep your head and neck shaded.

Aaron Martens kept a gallon of water in his boat during the summer.

Tom

My doc said the same thing as WRB.  Have water before coffee.  I drink 32 oz on the drive to fishing. I’ll sip coffee on the kayak.  I also bring an insulated water bladder.  It’s easy to drink from the hose while kicking the pedals. At the end of day I have a thermos holding 48 oz of ice water for drive home. 

[Mobasser]

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

I like the flavored seltzer waters.  Pack them, along with some ice packs in my Hobie cooler.  I've tested completely full of ice sitting in the hot sun on my porch, and there were still ice cubes after two days.

 

 

Sushi anyone?

Looks like youve got some good snacks to take along J Francho.

[813basstard]

So water to stave off dehydration…who would’ve thought. Here I was pounding High Life and heaters the whole time. Good thing it doesn’t get hot in central Florida 

[roadwarrior]

                                                  

 

Bud...Bud...Budweiser...

[flatcreek]

Bad luck not to have a cold beer on the boat

[MN Fisher]

Just now, flatcreek said:

Bad luck not to have a cold beer on the boat

Worse luck to be pulled over by sheriff's water patrol and get hit with a BUI...no alcohol on my boat.

[volzfan59]

I drink plain water, even though I hate to drink water. Depending on how long I'll be out, I try to take a bottle for every hour. I also take a sports drink like Power Aid or Gatorade. Sometimes I'll stop and get a cold Coke on the way home.

[flatcreek]

7 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Worse luck to be pulled over by sheriff's water patrol and get hit with a BUI...no alcohol on my boat.

What’s the matter now? No sense of humor on Tuesday I see...

[Mobasser]

Beer won't help you on a really hot day. Water is still best.

As A- Jay and others have said, best to start hydrating the day before your fishing trip. And, keep doing it while your fishing.

[TnRiver46]

I take a gallon out the front door every day no matter what, sometimes more 

[TnRiver46]

36 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Worse luck to be pulled over by sheriff's water patrol and get hit with a BUI...no alcohol on my boat.

He just said “a” cold beer, not the whole box haha

[WRB]

As you age your tastes change from a case of Bud to a 6 pack of Bud lite to bottles of cold water for those of us who get older.?cheers

Tom

 

[fin]

26 minutes ago, WRB said:

As you age your tastes change from a case of Bud to a 6 pack of Bud lite to bottles of cold water for those of us who get older.?cheers

Tom

 

 

Yeah, I can't believe all the junk I used to drink - always soft drinks or tea, something sugary (or alcoholic). Now I love plain water and black coffee, all I ever drink.

 

I think that story of the engineer with his wife, child and dog that died within a few hours last year in the Sierra National Forest was a good example of how quickly things can go wrong. They died of hypothermia, but dehydration played a large part.

 

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Overheating-with-baby-Final-unsent-text-16928598.php

[MN Fisher]

1 hour ago, flatcreek said:

What’s the matter now? No sense of humor on Tuesday I see...

Considering the number of people killed while a drunk boat-driver ran amok....not about this. Last year, 15 people lost their lives due to an intoxicated person driving a boat. That's why MN's drunk boating penalties are the same as drunk driving...up to and including losing your boat.

[NYWayfarer]

I carry a vacuum sealed bottle filled with cold water. Most of my fishing trips are 3 hours or less unless I am kayaking. Never felt the need for more.

[flatcreek]

6 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Considering the number of people killed while a drunk boat-driver ran amok....not about this. Last year, 15 people lost their lives due to an intoxicated person driving a boat. That's why MN's drunk boating penalties are the same as drunk driving...up to and including losing your boat.

Got it.Carry on.