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Dehydration in Winter - A Readers' Tale
by Richard Rawlinson, Fleetwood
A sunny January day, snow lying on the ground, coffee in my bag, butties & biscuits.
Everything to stop potential hypothermia in case of an accident. I'm wearing wet gear to keep the draft out, a hat and my gaiters.
This walk should have been a breeze!
But then, only 3 miles in on the flat I started to over heat. I couldn't open my mouth as it had swollen up and I had heat rash and generally felt knackered.
I stopped at the base of my walk had a drink of my coffee and a Mars Bar - and took off my wet gear. I put on a down body warmer and set off again.
Climbed about 1000ft having to rest about six times and got to a small plateau where I had a juice drink.
After cooling down I set off again.
All the way round my walk I had stomach pains like indigestion. The walk should have taken approx 5 hrs - but instead it took 6.
I had to stop at the pub at the end of my walk to drink a pint of orange, (which at the time was fantastic) and then drove home.
When I got there I went to the toilet and . . .
OH MY GOD!!
I thought I had got some sort of cancer as my urine was nearly red in colour.
I sat on the side of the bath and thought about what I had been drinking during my walk.
I felt so relieved when after just 2 pints of water everything was back to normal.
Every time I walk in the summer months I take lots of water with me, how stupid of me to only take a little carton of juice and coffee, when winter walking takes even more exertion.
I will never go on the fells again with out sufficient water supplies.
I love my walking and would like to say to anyone even if you think - "I'm OK. I'm fit. I can go round this walk with no problem" - you just never know.
Everything you read about dehydration happened to me, my body slowed right down twice and I nearly made bad moves which could of killed me.
But the worst decision was not to take water on a cold Winters day!
Yours
really.stupid@fleetwood
Richard Rawlinson, Fleetwood
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