Gatorade vs Water for a GHBag?

[etrain16]

If you are really serious about getting across rivers, a good dry suit is the way to go. They provide floatation and warmth. A friend who lived on Oyster Bay (Bremerton, WA) used a dry suit to get from his anchored boat to shore. He passed out from drinking too much and washed up on shore a mile down the beach. Woke up in the morning and walked home - warm and dry.

Except that a dry suit is a bit much to pack in a GHB. It would be one thing if I could be certain I could drive to that point, but it's unlikely.

 

[Pete F]

Except that a dry suit is a bit much to pack in a GHB. It would be one thing if I could be certain I could drive to that point, but it's unlikely.

Yes, I am not sure what it weighs or how bulky it is. Not a problem in a boat, but may have to have a separate bag for it. One more thing to drag around. I do know that they are amazing for keeping you dry and warm under many conditions - in and out of the water.

 

[CarlMc]

You get 10x the potassium (an electrolyte...nope salt isn't the only one) from a banana than a full bottle of gatorade and you also get natural sugars and some fiber to slow it down. A banana and some water would be more effective and no artificial coloring!

The OP's application is a GHB, not regular use. I'd be highly surprised if bananas fit that application.

This is a great question; you have to assume this might be your only safe hydration while on foot for extended periods, thus whatever else your diet normally consists of becomes moot. My hump home I figure will take a couple days (via highways, it's a 40 mile commute) and I don't expect to easily find safe drinking water while trying to navigate through downtown Seattle and all the burbs on the way.

I'm not a fan of Gatorade and similar products, but I also know that my tastes and needs change when the environment changes dramatically, and your body needs more than water to keep you going.

 

[Core]

Grabbed a Gatorade today for a little boost and thought about the benifits of drinking those instead of or on top of straight water while hoofing it Home.

Thoughts?

I have been hiking the mountains for 30+ years, been around the world and done plenty of field work. I have experience in extreme cold weather survival. I'm not an expedition professional, but I have have done some high spotting in my travels.

Gatorade is fantastic but you need to be consuming five times the amount of water in my opinion. Think of it as a supplement for re-hydration when you are doing stuff physically that you are not adapt to. There are plenty of better alternatives to Gatorade and Poweraid in both tablet and powder format. I recommend carry 100% water and carry concentrated electrolyte tabs or powder. For every five bottles of water you drink drink a electrolyte mix. The sugar can raise hell on your insulin levels and cause health problems for mid term use. Pedilyte is good stuff but it's expensive and tastes like crap. You can't go wrong with medical grade electrolyte, but there are hundreds of emerging brands that are promising. GNC carries a bunch: Endurox has a great line and is used by cyclists. I like Nuun tabs, they taste great and have premium ingredients. You can also get high grade gel at your local hiking store, and honey make a great one. Gatorade powder is good and cheap also if you plan on using it daily and can't buy a premium electrolyte in bulk or find it on sale online. I mix Gatorade at 3/4 strength max. Full strength will give me cramps and burps. Uncle Sam includes it in high altitude meals etc. High sugar concentration is tough on your organs to out process and causes insulin issues, and low quality corn syrup is really bad for your body. Look for blends of fast, medium, and slow burning carbs like fructose, glucose, and glucosimine. Gatorade by itself full strength is like a can of soda: it tastes great cold but it sucks for your body if you drink too much. A small bottle of Gatorade would last you two or three days of intense hiking with the proper water ratio. You don't want sugarless unless your taking insulin, because it will spike your insulin and damage your organs and cause your body to burn more calories than it needs to in extreme environments. The electrolyte is just there to keep your body from losing excess fluids and replace lost minerals, drinking full strength gatorade and doing intense cardio could cause you to out gas your heart, the same as dehydrating and overheating. Good luck!

 

[Motomom34]

@Joe13 very good question. My house does not carry (in our cars) or store Gatorade. It is costly plus full of stuff that we as a family do not care for. I went and bought some packets of powdered electrolyte mix. They come in individual tubes that are pre-measured for a water bottle. After testing different brands, we buy Ultima Replenisher brand. Products - Ultima Replenisher Since I buy it at the health food store, it is healthier then many electrolyte mixes on the market.

There is also an option to make your own dry electrolyte mix, this way you can use the sugar product that you choose.
2 quarts of water
5-10 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of salt substitute (potassium salt)
1 pack of sugar-free drink flavoring

Mix up the dry ingredients less the water and have it in a moisture proof container plus store some in your GHB. You will have your water but you will also have an electrolyte available and having it in powder form saves on weight. Hydration is very important and often during the summer months after hiking and just our daily lives, we find ourselves low on electrolytes. It is important to drink electrolytes at least once a week.

 

[CHLChris]

Or one more option. Get some dried fruit (I like mango, but a mix of banana chips, dates, papaya, etc would work), maybe put it into vacuum-sealed bags for longer storage. Then just use bottled water and eat some dried fruit as your calories. Another thing that WinCo has (besides a great dried fruit selection) is something called Wyler's Light. They are little packets of powder you can pour into bottled water. Some have sugar, some don't. Sort of like Kool-Aid or Crystal Light.

Since bottled water is so easy to rotate and store, find other ways to add calories.

 

[Joe13]

@Joe13 very good question. My house does not carry (in our cars) or store Gatorade. It is costly plus full of stuff that we as a family do not care for. I went and bought some packets of powdered electrolyte mix. They come in individual tubes that are pre-measured for a water bottle. After testing different brands, we buy Ultima Replenisher brand. Products - Ultima Replenisher Since I buy it at the health food store, it is healthier then many electrolyte mixes on the market.

There is also an option to make your own dry electrolyte mix, this way you can use the sugar product that you choose.
2 quarts of water
5-10 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of salt substitute (potassium salt)
1 pack of sugar-free drink flavoring

Mix up the dry ingredients less the water and have it in a moisture proof container plus store some in your GHB. You will have your water but you will also have an electrolyte available and having it in powder form saves on weight. Hydration is very important and often during the summer months after hiking and just our daily lives, we find ourselves low on electrolytes. It is important to drink electrolytes at least once a week.

Thanks for the reference and recipe!!!

I'll try it out and get something in my bag for regular carry.

 

[Joe13]

Or one more option. Get some dried fruit (I like mango, but a mix of banana chips, dates, papaya, etc would work), maybe put it into vacuum-sealed bags for longer storage. Then just use bottled water and eat some dried fruit as your calories. Another thing that WinCo has (besides a great dried fruit selection) is something called Wyler's Light. They are little packets of powder you can pour into bottled water. Some have sugar, some don't. Sort of like Kool-Aid or Crystal Light.

Since bottled water is so easy to rotate and store, find other ways to add calories.

I will look for that and try it as well.

Friday's are for trying new foods cuz if it doesn't agree with my gut then I'm not in pain during the week and can just crash on the couch till it's gone.

 

[44 Guy]

Grabbed a Gatorade today for a little boost and thought about the benifits of drinking those instead of or on top of straight water while hoofing it Home.

Thoughts?

Simple solution. Powdered gator aid and bottled water, mix as needed.

 

[Tully Mars]

@Joe13 very good question. My house does not carry (in our cars) or store Gatorade. It is costly plus full of stuff that we as a family do not care for. I went and bought some packets of powdered electrolyte mix. They come in individual tubes that are pre-measured for a water bottle. After testing different brands, we buy Ultima Replenisher brand. Products - Ultima Replenisher Since I buy it at the health food store, it is healthier then many electrolyte mixes on the market.

There is also an option to make your own dry electrolyte mix, this way you can use the sugar product that you choose.
2 quarts of water
5-10 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of salt substitute (potassium salt)
1 pack of sugar-free drink flavoring

Mix up the dry ingredients less the water and have it in a moisture proof container plus store some in your GHB. You will have your water but you will also have an electrolyte available and having it in powder form saves on weight. Hydration is very important and often during the summer months after hiking and just our daily lives, we find ourselves low on electrolytes. It is important to drink electrolytes at least once a week.

We do almost the exact same here. I see no need to carry the extra weight when we can carry premeasured packets made with the vac sealer.