Most of us know dehydration is a bad thing to happen and particularly for those of you who are new to the region, it may well be something you experience at some point. The bad thing is, if you feel a headache or, even worse dizziness, it is already too late and it will take some hours or days for your body to recover.
Everyone undertaking any kind of outdoor activity will agree that, especially during the summer months, you need to learn to drink to stay hydrated and not because you feel thirst. You quickly get used to sweating but it takes some time and experience to figure out how much liquid your body is really losing. On dry and windy days you might not even feel the sweat because it’s evaporating.
An easy way and a very good indicator is your pee. If you drink and don’t pee at all for several hours, rest assured this is a sign you are dehydrated. If you pee, the darker the pee, the less hydrated your body is, meaning you should drink much more.
You also need to pay attention to what you are drinking as water alone is not enough, especially here in the UAE, where most bottled water comes from desalination. There are various supplements with electrolytes, minerals and salts which your body needs. Don’t be surprised by the amount of water you can pour into your body. When I’m out fishing on a medium hot day with temperatures of 35-40°C for 8 hours, I will need about one litre of liquid per hour to stay hydrated, and fishing is one of the more relaxed outdoor activities.
Published in September 2012
