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From: inetex <dlloyd_at_inetex.com> subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Hydration systems/electrolytes-COLD/HOT Date: Sun, 02 May 1999 01:30:53 -0700 · This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:32:59 PDT

In the summers months in the Pacific Northwest, I drink plain water mostly,
while paddling. At rest stops I use a mixture of 50/50 Gatorade (powdered)
and plain water, or juice cut 75% with water. I don't know why, but my
friends who drink the Gatorade straight up always are having to pee at sea,
get more sick and dizzy, and are more tired at the end of the day.

I also love Gatorade cut with scotch at the end of the day, watching the
sun set. My freinds drink booze straight up, and within minutes are
rummaging in their tents for Tums or Rolaids.

I have done a fair bit of towing over the years. I did a big one last year
in 80 degree weather for three hours getting out of a tidal stream,
followed by a three hour moderate tidal paddle along shore (still towing
hard). A private zodiac came out to assist part way through the first three
hours, but I declined the help, and my wife shouted over to the skip that I
enjoyed this sort of stuff. I drank plain water and ate salted peanuts
during raft-ups. This was a hard, manifestly sweaty paddle, but I was fine
with that combo. 

On a resent more desperate paddle this early Spring, I towed a increasingly
hypothermic paddler for 6 hours in a thirty five knot gale and moderate
tidal stream. Total time on water before extraction by rescue vessels was 8
hours. That was 8 hours with no food, but I was never hungry once, though I
had special fat burning power bars. My only problem was keeping hydrated. I
was using a mixture of watered-down Gatorade. I never got exhausted, never
cramped, never ran out of energy, and never got cold, though I did slow
down toward the end a bit from muscle strain. I had to raft up to drink,
which was terribly dangerous. My recommendation would be to install or
carry some type of hosed hydration system, if not for convenience, then at
least survival if there is any chance of rough conditions (like long
crossings). I can't water-down that advice. As far as the use of
watered-down Gatorade, I say, yea brothers and sisters, come unto me all
that thirst, and I will give you living water (including bacteria?). I now
believe (even if the stuff tastes awful).

The six days prior to the failed crossing, were done in gale and near gale
head winds almost the whole way, with glacially cooled winds, snow, hail,
and squalls. I ate porridge for breakfast, mini bagels with hunks of cheese
for lunch, power bars (two to three per day), beans and rice for dinner,
alternating with pastas for carbo loading. I drank 50/50 watered-down
Gatorade during the day, and Gatorade straight up with meals. The one real
nice thing about cold weather paddling is that one does not have to endure
lukewarm, bacteria enriched, barf-inducing Gatorade. Everything tastes good
when it is cold. Mixing Gatorade with frozen fingers in the early morning,
however, was a bit to endure. (Bet you have never done that before, Dana of
Florida State :-) ) I also made a thermos of hot tea every morning, to use
at lunch stops for rewarming. (This was also, BTW, my first multi-day trip
where my wet suit booties didn't stink). 
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