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This is extremely irresponsible advice. Any food you put in your body requires water to digest. If you can’t convert calories, your body will struggle to regul

This is extremely irresponsible advice. Any food you put in your body requires water to digest. If you can’t convert calories, your body will struggle to regulate core temp, so this is a danger in cold temps, not just heat. Dehydration can impair judgement. If you get injured or lost with no way to get more water or food, you run a serious risk of dying, or at best requiring a very expensive rescue. Experienced hikers have died mere hundreds of feet off trail [0], and that’s starting with food/water/gear/etc. If you are comfortable going an entire day without water, that is your prerogative, but to anyone looking to dabble in outdoor adventure, DO NOT attempt any hike without some kind of survival supplies. The cost/impact ratio is just ludicrous and should be a no-brainer. [0]: https://m.ranker.com/list/lost-hikers-near-civilization/jacob-shelton https://m.ranker.com/list/lost-hikers-near-civilization/jaco...

peterwwillis 8y ago
Seconding this. Back in the 50's and 60's, the top Tour de France contenders would tell people not to eat or drink anything before or during a race, for fear that their stomach would start digestion and rob them of power. Several of them died on the tour essentially of exertion and dehydration. Your body will not tell you when you are dehydrated until it is too late. Your mind can get clouded, you can get delusional, and then lost. You might try to wander around and an accident will happen. Or you might get really tired and decide to sit down and wait for someone to come by you. It's just stupid to go out for multi-hour hikes or runs in the wilderness without the essentials (such as water).
- somecontext 8y ago
  > Several of them died on the tour essentially of exertion and dehydration. In case anyone was curious, four cyclists have died during the Tour de France. One drowned during a rest day (in 1910) and two crashed in different ways (in 1935 and 1995). The remaining cyclist died of heart failure on a hot day (in 1967), after mixing alcohol and amphetamines. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Tom_Simpson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Tom_Simpson
newnewpdro 8y ago
There's a difference between backpacking and hiking. What I tend to see is people often preparing as if we're going backpacking for days just to hike 12 miles in a day, usually climbing up to some ridge from a beach then back down to the coast here around the SF bay area. I'm not advising people stop preparing appropriately for the situation at hand, but it's worth noting that people tend to overpack and actually make it unnecessarily harder on themselves in the process. Increasing the likelihood of injury with the added load and altered center of gravity. I used to carry way too much crap on the most trivial of hikes, because it was all crazy nature outdoorsy stuff. After getting more experienced, my actual requirements are much better calibrated to the task at hand. The only advice I'd actually give newbies to the outdoors is to go with someone experienced and listen to what they recommend bringing.
- sixstringtheory 8y ago
  Backpacking and hiking are different, true. And I’ll admit that on 1-2 hour trail runs I don’t bring water. But please consider that you are hiking in a place with optimal climate. A 12 mile hike in Colorado can take you through 3 seasons, and high enough to develop altitude sickness. I consider myself experienced, but I minimally still bring food, water, extra layers, sunscreen, sunglasses, a knife and a small first aid kit, and I use all of them every time except the first aid. My wife and I also carry two-way radios because sometimes I like to forge ahead. My pack comes in around 10 lbs during the summer. At the end of the day I’m not even saying you’re wrong. We take calculated risks like not carrying water on a trail run, but they are still risks. Your original post came off like someone declaring a position of authority and ended stating an all day hike can be done without water. I just wanted to make sure people who saw that and might not know better saw another perspective. Happy trails!

peterwwillis 8y ago

Seconding this. Back in the 50's and 60's, the top Tour de France contenders would tell people not to eat or drink anything before or during a race, for fear that their stomach would start digestion and rob them of power. Several of them died on the tour essentially of exertion and dehydration. Your body will not tell you when you are dehydrated until it is too late. Your mind can get clouded, you can get delusional, and then lost. You might try to wander around and an accident will happen. Or you might get really tired and decide to sit down and wait for someone to come by you. It's just stupid to go out for multi-hour hikes or runs in the wilderness without the essentials (such as water).

somecontext 8y ago
> Several of them died on the tour essentially of exertion and dehydration. In case anyone was curious, four cyclists have died during the Tour de France. One drowned during a rest day (in 1910) and two crashed in different ways (in 1935 and 1995). The remaining cyclist died of heart failure on a hot day (in 1967), after mixing alcohol and amphetamines. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Tom_Simpson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Tom_Simpson

newnewpdro 8y ago

There's a difference between backpacking and hiking. What I tend to see is people often preparing as if we're going backpacking for days just to hike 12 miles in a day, usually climbing up to some ridge from a beach then back down to the coast here around the SF bay area. I'm not advising people stop preparing appropriately for the situation at hand, but it's worth noting that people tend to overpack and actually make it unnecessarily harder on themselves in the process. Increasing the likelihood of injury with the added load and altered center of gravity. I used to carry way too much crap on the most trivial of hikes, because it was all crazy nature outdoorsy stuff. After getting more experienced, my actual requirements are much better calibrated to the task at hand. The only advice I'd actually give newbies to the outdoors is to go with someone experienced and listen to what they recommend bringing.

sixstringtheory 8y ago
Backpacking and hiking are different, true. And I’ll admit that on 1-2 hour trail runs I don’t bring water. But please consider that you are hiking in a place with optimal climate. A 12 mile hike in Colorado can take you through 3 seasons, and high enough to develop altitude sickness. I consider myself experienced, but I minimally still bring food, water, extra layers, sunscreen, sunglasses, a knife and a small first aid kit, and I use all of them every time except the first aid. My wife and I also carry two-way radios because sometimes I like to forge ahead. My pack comes in around 10 lbs during the summer. At the end of the day I’m not even saying you’re wrong. We take calculated risks like not carrying water on a trail run, but they are still risks. Your original post came off like someone declaring a position of authority and ended stating an all day hike can be done without water. I just wanted to make sure people who saw that and might not know better saw another perspective. Happy trails!