Your Health Comes First

or you may not make it back

Water:

• You should have at least 1 gallon per person per day, plus an extra 5 gallons in the vehicle.
• Drink water if you have it.  Do not ration it if you have enough.
• Breathing through your nose and not your mouth will help reduce moisture loss.
• Depending on the type of activity and the heat of the day, your water needs can and will dramatically change.
• Always keep hydrated.
• No beer, coffee, or alcohol while hiking - these will dehydrate you and not quench your thirst.

Some of the signs of possible dehydration:

• Thirst
• Dry mouth / Cottonmouth
• Muscle aches
• Headache
• Confusion
• Irritability
• Dark urine

Heat Cramps:

One heat related problem that you may encounter that is not normally considered life threatening is Heat Cramps.

• Usually associated with strenuous hiking.
• Usually cramps in the legs or stomach.
• Normally a condition of low sodium.
• Try not to use Salt Tablets because they require a lot of water vs. using a salty food such as nuts.
• Try resting in a shaded area.
• If cramps are in the legs, try stretching or massaging the muscle.

Two things that you might come up against in the desert are Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke.  Of course this not to mention the possible snake bite, cactus needle in the leg, or broken bone now and then.  In my case it is the bloody legs because I hike in shorts which is a big no-no.

Heat Exhaustion:

What happens to the Body:

• Headaches
• Dizziness / light headed
• Weakness
• Feeling sick to your stomach /vomiting
• Pale clammy skin
• Irritability or confusion
• Fainting
• Decreased and dark urine

What should be done:

• Move the person to a cool, shaded area to rest and do not leave the person alone.  If the person is dizzy or light headed, lay them on their back with their feet elevated.  If they are nauseated, put them on their side.
• Remove heavy clothing.
• If they are not sick to their stomach, have them drink a small amount of water every 15 minutes or so.
• Try to cool the person with a spray mist or cold wet cloths.
• If the person does not feel better within a few minutes, they will need to be transported or taken to emergency help.
• If not treated, the illness could advance to Heat Stroke.

Heat Stroke:

What happens to the body:

• Dry pale skin - no sweating
• Hot red skin - looks like sunburn
• Mood changes - irritable, confused, not making sense
• Seizures, collapses / passes out

What should be done:

• Emergency help needs to be obtained immediately
• Move the person to a cool shaded area
• Lay the person on their back
• If they are having seizures, protect them so they do not injure themselves
• If the person is nauseated, place them on their side
• Remove heavy clothing
• If they are not sick to their stomach, have them drink small amounts of cool water every 15 minutes
• Cool the skin by fanning, spray mist, or wet cloths
• Place ice packs (if available) under the arm pits, back of the neck, and groin area

The Cold: Hypothermia

Yes, it does get very cold during the winter in our local Southern Nevada deserts, at least cold by my standards.  The low 30's with a wind chill may be nothing for those of you from the mid-west and the upper northeast, but if you were running around in a short sleeve shirt with no jacket during the day because it was 70 degrees during February and the sun goes down, you may have a recipe for disaster.  The deserts are no different from hiking anywhere else, so be prepared.  Something to remember is that the deserts tend to lose heat very rapidly after the sun goes down.

Hantavirus:  The short version, followed by a link to "Hantavirus Fact Sheet":

• There are confirmed reports of the virus in the southwest.

• This disease is characterized by influenza-like symptoms.

• Hantavirus appears to prefer rodents as a host, but other small mammals can be infected.

• Rodents that are carrying the Hantavirus do not exhibit signs of apparent illness - at least none that the layman would recognize.

• The virus is passed from the infected critter through its urine, saliva, and feces for many weeks.

• Human infection may occur when infected saliva or excretions are inhaled as an aerosol directly from the infected animal or when dried excretions are disturbed and become airborne and then are inhaled.  The infection can also occur through a break in the skin, through the eyes, or even ingested in contaminated food.

• The last bit of information that I was able to obtain stated that the experts are still uncertain at this time exactly how long the virus survives in fecal matter once it is shed into the environment.

• The Hantaviruses are currently susceptible to most disinfectants.

Probably one of the more common ways for people interested in rock art to come in contact with the virus would be when they are crawling around in caves, rock shelters, or under the overhangs of cliffs.  These are all potential places where infected rodents might hang out.

Please click here to go to the "Hantavirus Fact Sheet" from the Southern Nevada Health District

Other Stuff:

• Know your limitations
• Take advantage of shade whenever possible.  When resting, try not to sit directly on the ground.  It can be 10 to 30 degrees hotter on the ground.
• If possible, rest at least 10 minutes every 60 minutes.  Increase your resting time as it gets hotter or when you feel the need.
• Keep hydrated with water.  Do not drink alcohol or coffee as they will dehydrate you.  A cold beer is NOT the answer to thirst.
• Everyone should complete a basic First Aid and CPR course, if for no other reason than to be able to help their own family or friends in the case of an emergency.
• On the average, a person tends to acclimate to the weather in the area that they are living in about 4 weeks.  So, if you have just moved to the southwest deserts in the middle of summer, from say cooler northwest environment, you may want to give yourself a few weeks to get use to the heat before venturing out on desert hikes.  Then it would be advisable to start with slow easy hikes on a well traveled trail and preferably not during the heat of the day.  If you hike during the summer months - which is not recommended - start very early in the morning and finish up in the early morning and keep hydrated.
• And, oh yes, Know Your Limitations.

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