We are in for a very hot trip. Lucky we’ll be able to jump in the lakes. Here are a few thoughts about heat management from my early morning dog walk today.
My friend and I were surprised on Thursday morning at Heber Down walking the dogs how tired we were hiking up the hills until we realized it was the heat knocking us out. On our trip we must take specific measures to avoid heat injuries especially because we’re doing the heavy work of portaging and we’ll be in the direct sun while paddling. Heat and sun injuries will end our trip. Dehydration, sun stroke, sun burn and rising internal body/brain temps must be avoided. What can we do?
- Drink lots of water. That means carrying lots of water. I suggest bringing 2 x 1L Nalgenes/water bottles. Maybe bring Gatorade for day 1, or Gatorade powder. We’ll sweat and therefore need to replace our salts. Some extra carabiners to clip the water bottles to the pack while portaging are handy.
- Wear a broad brimmed hat. We must keep the direct sun off our heads. Also wear light clothing/sun block that keeps the direct sun off our skin.
- Go for several swims even when we’re paddling/portaging. For me that means paddling in clothes that I’ll wear into the lake.
- Lastly, I suggest we move early in the morning as opposed to the afternoon which is hottest. This means that we’ll have to get up and out early but it also means we can relax in our campsites and swim in the hot afternoons.
The heat tires me out and I get lethargic so please kick my butt into the lake.
Have fun and stay cool!
Lewis Williams 2021