It usually began the morning after the first night in the woods. The camping headache, I thought, was a common problem faced by all young campers and could only be attributable to a relatively uncomfortable night spent on the ground. As a boy scout, we were always tired and rarely ever slept on our camp-outs. I knew enough from health class to blame it on something related to diet.

But the camping headache was a condition that followed me into adulthood. Those "morning after" headaches were now attributable to imbibing in adult beverages the night before, and, combined with the relatively sleepless night, was simply a condition that could not be avoided. Heck, I'd had them since I was a kid... It was just something that I'd have to get used to. My camping buddies would often say I was irritable and, naturally, I would pick a fight with them saying they were #@$%!-ing crazy. A verbal battle was waged, but nothing more serious than a few egos were ever damaged. A great way to start a trip.

And then one day while on a canoe trip in the Boundary Waters I discovered something remarkable. While out fishing for smallmouth with my roommate Steve, I was overwhelmed by the pristine beauty surrounding me. I exclaimed, "Where else in the world can you drink the water straight from the lakes!" I then leaned over the side of the canoe, Steve prepared for a high brace, and I drank. And I drank. And I drank from the surface of the crystal-clear waters of North Bay. As I sat upright, Steve said he noticed the lake bottom structure changing on his depth-finder.

Within minutes, it wasn't such a big deal that Steve was out fishing me, and as my headache subsided, my bladder had filled. The camping headache had passed. "Could there be some causal relationship between drinking gallons of fresh water and losing those headaches?" I asked myself. I mentioned it to Steve and he said he'd experienced the same headaches during his long camping career as well. He blamed it on the mercury from all the fish he'd caught and eaten in Gary, Indiana.

When I returned from the canoe trip I mentioned my findings to a friend who had been leading trips with NOLS for several years. "Of course, idiot, you were always dehydrated!" he yelled. He then went on to tell me why I was experiencing headaches, irritability, and sluggishness. Maybe it also had something to do with the fact that I never urinated and, when I did, it seemed rather dark in color and had the consistency of gear oil. Before, I just thought it was because I was eating asparagus tips in garlic butter and Tabasco sauce -- a mainstay for any backcountry trip.

According to Medicine in the Backcountry by Buck Tilton and Frank Hubbell, more of your body is water than is not. Fluid is constantly being lost through urination, respiration, sweating and even crying. These factors are compounded when we develop diarrhea, vomiting, or bleeding from a nasty wound -- usually the complimenting factors after a big night out at the bars.

What does water do? It keeps the pressure balanced in and out of your cells so you metabolize nutrients more efficiently and thus have more energy. Your kidneys need it to function properly. Otherwise, some of their workload is dumped on your liver, and metabolism slows down even more. Brains are very sensitive to water level changes, making dehydration one of the primary sources of headache. All of these factors are compounded in cold weather when proper circulation is so vitally important.

The moral to the story is this: drink water before, during, and after exercising. Not caffeinated or highly-sugared beverages, just water. While the exact amount varies with a variety of factors, we know this: cold water is absorbed quicker than warm water and water that is laced with 6-7% carbohydrates (e.g. sports drinks) is absorbed faster than plain water. Most experts recommend drinking a half-liter 30 minutes before exercising and about half of that every 20 minutes while exercising. One's pee should be "clear and copious". So remember, pee clear and pee often.

When feeling that mid-afternoon lull, instead of brewing-up a cup of coffee, take a hit off your water bottle. When feeling hung-over, drink a cup of water every half-hour. When your hands and feet are cold, yes, you guessed it. The differences are amazing. Feel the bloat

The Northwest Passage

 

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