Re: [Paddlewise] Fresh water vs. seawater for cooking?

Dave Kruger wrote:

> I can do the math.  **Unless diluted with torrential rainfall** to form a
> low-saline layer on top, sea water is usually about 3.3 % salt.  A 40 % sea
> water mixture would come in at about 1.3 % salt, roughly 0.4 % higher than
> normal saline (0.9 %).  I believe modern electrolyte replacement fluids
> (Gatorade, etc.) are pretty close to normal saline.
> 
> Don't think the salt content of sweat nearly approaches the salt content of
> Heyerdahl's mixture.  Conseqently, Heyerdahl (sp?) is all wet on his sodium
> replacement theory.  ...<snip>...
> 
> I'm not a physiologist, and know not enough to comment on the effects of
> long-term maintenance on Heyerdahl's regime.  ...<snip>...  
> I'm NOT trying Heyerdahl's regime.  

Dave, based on my readings, I believe your analysis is correct (although
I'm not a physiologist either). But you are NOT analyzing "Heyerdahl's
sodium replacement theory" or "Heyerdahl's regime", but rather a
straw-man misinterpretation of Heyerdahl's regime. What Heyerdahl
actually says in his book (in the chapter "Halfway") is that they added
20% to 40% sea water, and only on the hottest days. This would work out
to .66 to 1.3 percent salt (which would average out very close to a
normal saline solution). Again, even this lower concentration was not
part of a "long-term maintenance" regime, but rather was done
sporadically. If your analysis is correct, then it is clear why
Heyerdahl's (actual) regime worked quite well, and did not cause any
adverse physiological effects.

I've met Heyerdahl twice. During the first of these encounters (when I
was a graduate student at Berkeley) he expressed considerable
frustration over the persistent tendency on the part of some of his
critics to misinterpret his analysis, and then focus their criticism on
that misinterpretation. I would go into details, but it would be way off
topic.

Happy paddling,

Dan Hagen
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