10-Ways To Cool Down On The Trail

I was just reading this morning that a man (52) and his daughter (23) were found dead in Canyonlands National Park last Friday. Ambient air temperature was over 100 degrees F. (37.7 C). The article states that "[t]hey were hiking on the Syncline Loop Trail- 'the most challenging trail in the Island in the Sky district'- when they got lost and ran out of water, the National Park Service said on Sunday." 

    The Syncline Loop Trail requires hikers to climb and navigate boulder fields and steep zigzag paths.

    The trail is 8.1miles long and is situated on a 1,500ft elevation change, according to the National Park Service. It takes about five to seven hours to complete the hike.

    The agency has informed hikers to over prepare for the treacherous journey with necessary supplies, including at least a gallon of water, snacks, headlamps, flashlights, maps, and 'sturdy footwear.'

    They also warn hikers to be prepared for all types of weather conditions, including sun, rain, the cold, or intense heat. 

This isn't the only outdoors recreational heat death I've seen news reports about over the last couple of weeks. For instance, last week saw articles about a 4-month old baby that died from extreme heat when her parents took her on a boat excursion on Lake Havasu near Needles, Arizona. Temperatures had been as high as 120 degrees F (48.9 C) near the time the child died. 

    There are ways to avoid suffering a heat related injury. Much like with crime, the simplest things you can do are to avoid the heat: don't go out in the heat; if you do engage in outdoor activities, try and schedule them for morning or late evening when the heat is less; choose locations or routes that offer shade or are near water sources or are more likely to have breezes. But if you find yourself outdoors and in the heat, the Backpacker website has some tips on cooling off in its article, "10 Science-Backed Ways To Cool Down Fast on the Trail," as well as outlining symptoms of heat related illness including the different symptoms of heat exhaustion versus heat stroke.

    Obviously the article goes into more detail on each, but the 10 tips are:

1. Spend 30 minutes in the shade, preferably where there is a cross-breeze.
2. Wear light colored, cotton clothing and take a cotton scarf or bandana. The article notes that light colored clothing can be up to 30 degrees cooler than dark clothing.
3. Soak in cool water or put on a wet T-shirt.
4. Soak a hat or bandanna--the hat to cool your head, and the scarf to cool the back of your neck. 
5. Wet your wrists and ankles, where the skin is thinner with lots of blood vessels to speed cooling. The armpits and groin are also areas that cool you faster when cooled.
6. Carry a paper (or other lightweight) fan.
7. Drink extra water--be sure to freeze your water the night before or carry cool water in an insulated container.
8. Keep eating in order to keep electrolyte levels up. The article recommends a mixture of sweet and salty foods. Jelly Belly makes a line of jelly beans intended to boost energy and provide electrolytes that I like to use.
   
9. Pack a hat with wide brims and mesh sides or panels to allow air circulation (like a truckers hat). I've also used a genuine pith helmet to good success--the helmet suspension system keeps the helmet elevated off your head to allow air circulation and, if worse comes to worse, you can soak the helmet (the pith will absorb the water) and the evaporation will help keep you cool. The downside is that you have to keep soaking the helmet periodically to replace the water that circulates, so you want to have a large source of water.
   
10. Consider applying ice packs, but be careful not to overdo it and cause hypothermia.