Tips for Hot Weather Walking

Warm weather makes the idea of spending the day out in nature all the more appealing. But, did you know that just 40 minutes of walking in temperatures in the mid-late twenties can cause dehydration to set in to the point where it can impact your decision making, cause you to feel increased levels of stress and induce fatigue?¹ Allowing you to stop dehydration in its tracks, the portable LifeSaver® Liberty™ means you can access safe drinking water on demand when exploring the countryside. Its ultra-filtration technology removes a minimum of 99.99% of dangerous viruses, bacteria and cysts from water sourced from any water source you find on your route, allowing you to stay hydrated, energised and safe on the trails.

Staying hydrated is the key to enabling your body to regulate its temperature and once that begins to suffer, you’re on the road to heat exhaustion. Mild dehydration sets in long before your thirst appears, so it’s important to ensure you keep your fluid levels up as you walk. Here’s some key tips from LifeSaver® to help you stay safe and hydrated while walking this summer:

1. Plan, plan, plan

Avoid walking during the hottest times of day (11am and 3pm). Plan early morning or evening walks and take frequent breaks in the shade to slow any effects of dehydration. It’s important to choose a route with areas of lush, dark green vegetation for shade and water sources. Walking parallel to mountains or hills is a good way to find places to source additional water, if you don’t know the route well.

2. Cover–up

Keeping yourself protected from the sun should be a top priority. Even if the sun is hidden behind cloud, wear sunscreen, loose clothing and a hat to keep the sun off your head.

3. Minimise weight and water!

Longer routes require more than 2-3 litres of water, adding significant weight to your pack which will mean you have to work harder and you’ll lose more water through sweating. Make clever lightweight swaps when choosing the kit you take with you. Using a LifeSaver Liberty means you don’t have to carry litres of heavy water with you on the trails, giving you greater freedom to explore further while staying hydrated.

Around the size of a standard sports water bottle, the LifeSaver® Liberty™ is super portable and holds 400ml of H²O to keep you topped up until you can find the next water source. If you’re walking with friends, the Liberty™ also doubles up as a fast in-line filter, so as well as being able to drink directly from it, you can screw it onto a wide mouthed water containers, such as a Nalgene or Hydro Flask bottles, and fill these with purified water. A five foot scavenger hose makes it possible to access hard to reach water sources and, if you’re taking your efforts up a gear, this fully featured bottle even has the option of an attachment (sold separately) to make it easy to fill a hydration bladder.

It’s incredibly easy to use, simply scoop water up through the bottom of the Liberty™, pump its base a couple of times and release the top valve. Clean, purified water will be released from the SteriTouch® drinking spout at the top of the bottle – there’s no strenuous sucking, chemicals or waiting around for treatments involved.

Two transparent side windows allow users to keep track of water remaining and the LifeSaver® Liberty™ boasts a high-capacity filter which is capable of treating up to an incredible 2,000 litres of water. For added peace of mind, all LifeSaver® products feature our FailSafe technology. This means once the pores in the filter’s membrane are blocked, it no longer allows water to pass through. This eliminates any guesswork or the risk of mistakenly drinking unfiltered water.

https://www.hydrationforhealth.com/en/hydration-science/hydration-lab/hydration-mood-state-and-cognitive-function/