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Trail notes

Five short guides to water, salt and sweat on long hikes, in milligrams, miles and degrees. They give ranges; your sweat sets the real numbers.

General information, not medical advice.

Dusty trail shoes on pink granite switchback steps at golden hour, trekking pole tips planted beside them.
Switchback steps in late light, the hour most long days end.

The guides

  1. How much sodium do you need on a long hike?

    A working range in milligrams per hour, why your sweat sets the real number, and how to measure it.

    3 min readSodiumPlanning

  2. How many electrolyte packets for 10 miles and 3,000 ft?

    The count worked through in plain numbers: 3 packets on a cool day, more when it is hot or high.

    3 min readPlanning

  3. Do you need more electrolytes in the heat or at altitude?

    Heat raises sweat and sodium loss; altitude mostly raises water loss. What to change for each.

    3 min readHeat and altitudePlanning

  4. Why you cramp late in a hike, or on the drive home

    Tired muscles first, salt and water second. What helps on the trail, at the car and on the drive.

    3 min readCrampsSodium

  5. Can you have too many electrolytes?

    Most short, cool hikes need no stick. The bigger risk is drinking far more than you sweat.

    2 min readSodium

How these numbers become a pack: see how the count works.