WOW, TBN pulls through again. Heat Exhaustion.

[dmccarty]

I remember a discussion years ago on TBN about MarkC working in hot weather to the point he got heat exhuastion. At the time we had a member, RCH, who was a doc and wrote up a formula for a "sports" drink. Turns out the discussion was in 2000.

What is amazing to me is that I guessed the year correctly and more importantly my search found the conversation on the first try! Usually I can't find what I'm looking for...

Here is a link to the discussion, http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1384&highlight=heat+exhaustion+drink

The DR Mower I bought is kicking my fanny. I was out clearing a property line this weeked with the mower and a machete to cut through trees that had fallen on the line. After three hours and three liters of water I was WHIPPED. The temp was 87 in the shade. I don't like the sports drinks since the sugar makes me sick. I remembered the 2000 discussion and just went and printed off the formula. It was interesting to see my comments from six years ago.

Any one use something similar?

To be fair to the DR mower I cleared about 900 feet of line at least 5 feet wide. Do to that with the brush cutter would have taken at least twice as much time.... Clearing lines like this is just plain hard work....

Later,
Dan

 

[riptides]

I was going to have a snide remark about favorites, but the new subscription feature will hold that thread for me.

Luck would have it I am a big Gatorade fan. I can tolerate the sugar too. But when I am outside, I usually have something to drink. No alcohol, until AFTER the work is done. Usually that is in the evening.

I wonder how many of our TBN member carry some liquids as part of the normal "work" package? Or do they rely on getting to the fridge. When I am doing property lines, the fridge is just too far away.

-Thanks for the post resurrection. I am rebuilding my subscribed base.

-Mike Z.

 

[rox]

riptides & dmcarty,

Your post could not have come at a better time. It is just getting really hot and for a climate that is usually totally dry we are having some humidity.
Just yesterday we started to hand pick the almonds. We will pick for about 3 - 3/2 weeks. It is HOT. I carry a mans hankerchief and when that gets wet I use my t-shirt. I drink a minimum of 2 liters of sweetened ice tea in about 4 hours. My husband drinks water that he has pured in a fruit flavored syrup

I so much thank you for this timely post with the link to the discussion about what we should be drinking while working in the heat. I will just add 1 teaspoon of regular salt (I wouldn't knwo where to get light salt here) & 2 teaspoons of baking soda to my iced tea and I should be all set. In the original thread the doc said to add potassium but he never said where to get it. I went on this website and looked at food rich in potassium and realize that we already regularly eat food rich in potassium so we should be okay. Plus we are picking almonds and eating as we pick ,and the website said that nuts are rich in potassium so I believe we would be covered for the potasium. I hope so anyway.

I did feel myelf getting very sick our first year picking almonds. I actually could feel my core body temerature rise, not just hot on my skin. I went in and took a cool shower and laid down. Glad I did, on that prevous TBN thread you posted where the guy talked about getting heat stroke/heat exhaustion, I now realize how smart I was to back off when I felt the symptoms.

My husband did not back off and he was very sick for 3 days. I knew he had a heat stroke and after reading about it, I am more convinced then ever. He has since changed his ways and when it is just too hot he comes in the house and waits until after 6pm when it is cooler.

Many thanks for bringing up this topic, I put the recipie on the bulletin board next to my computer. It is very timely indeed.

 

[dmccarty]

Over the years I have used plastic bottles and Platypus bags to hold water. The Platypus bags are thin plastic the you can fill with water or whatever you want to drink. They have a hose that can connect to the bag that has a bite valve. You can then drink the water as you move around. I used to use this setup when kayaking and it worked real well.

Working on the property before we had a house I would take the bags and fill them with water. Some I would freeze. I would put them in a cooler and be a happy camper.

Working on the tractor I just use a bottle. It gets warm but it works.

Working with the DR Mower I need more water than a bottle so I went and bought a new bag system. I think its MSR. The old bags I just wore out. The new bag hold three liters.

When I used to really work hard with the chainsaw and brush cutter I would take a break every hour or so. This would allow me to eat and drink water. I would FORCE myself to eat. Eventually I stareted eating Cliff and Luna bars. They do a real good job or replacing the minerals you used up. My problem now is that the DR Mower runs for about 2.5 hours before running out of fuel. The Stihls would be done in 45-90 minutes depending on what I was doing. 2.5 hours is just too long with the mower. Its a beast. And once I start I don't want to stop until I'm done....

The food that will really perk you back up are banannas. I was working years ago directing traffic and had been sweating for hours. I started to feel light headed and found a bannana to eat. It was like flipping a switch. I felt better immediately. Of course banannas are high in Potassium.

If I'm working really hard I can tolerate Gatorade type drinks and they really work. But I prefer to stay away from them if I can due to the sugar.

I also will soak my head and shirt in water to cool off. That really helps as well.

Later,
Dan

 

[Doc_Bob]

riptides & dmcarty,
He has since changed his ways and when it is just too hot he comes in the house and waits until after 6pm when it is cooler.

I never work when it is too hot. I just wait until it gets cooler. Work in the a.m or p.m.
Bob

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I never work when it is too hot. I just wait until it gets cooler. Work in the a.m or p.m.
Bob

Some of us don't have those options. We work outside and we have work that has to be done.

Yesterday was one of those. Six of us, fifteen post holes that had to be dug four to five feet deep, and filled with three and a half inch schedule pipe and concrete.

This was all done on a hillside and every thing had to be hauled in from the road.

It was a very hard day.

We got it done. I'm paying the price. Most of last night was up with cramps and yesterday was a bear for me. Back in the day when the heat would get to me I'd just grab a lower gear and then keep on going. I can't do that anymore.

I think the concept of slowing down and smelling the roses is a good one. I recommend it often. But in life we can either make things happen or we can watch it go by.

 

[scott_vt]

Over the years I have used plastic bottles and Platypus bags to hold water. The Platypus bags are thin plastic the you can fill with water or whatever you want to drink. They have a hose that can connect to the bag that has a bite valve. You can then drink the water as you move around.

Working with the DR Mower I need more water than a bottle so I went and bought a new bag system. I think its MSR. The old bags I just wore out. The new bag hold three liters.



Later,
Dan

Mornin Dan,
I used those bags years ago when out on the dirt bike durring enduros. They are life savers!

 

[RonMar]

The last ship I was was on was designed to operate in the Arctic/Antarctic. Unfortunatly to get to Antarctica, we have to sail across the equator. Working the engine rooms in those latitudes and around Austrailia in the summer was brutal. We purchased "camelbacks" which is a trade name for the bags described above, for the engineering watchstanders. 2 liter capacity in a close fitting nylon backpack harness. Man those things were great! The watchstanders and mechanics could work without them getting in the way and stay hydrated at the same time.

 

[RobertN]

When I am outside working, I keep a 5 gallon Igloo water cooler handy. Fill it with ice, then slice a lemon and put in there. Then fill with water. Works great. I also carry the 1-liter Nalgene bottles to refill as I go along.

At Cub Scout day camp, for each station, we had a rule. The kids had to carry a water bottle. When they moved to the next station, they had to take two chugs of water before they left your station, and do the same as they entered the next station.

 

[HammerFour]

rox, I don't know how you can drink sweet tea while working outside, the caffeine in the tea and all that sugar makes my feel much worse when I am hot already.

I prefer just plain water or water with gatorrade dry mix stirred in at about half the strength that gatorrade calls for.