HOT weather hiking

[Paul Grube]

I recently moved to Las Vegas and I am looking for tricks/tips on doing my 8-26 miles training hikes more comfortable. I hike at night with a headlamp when I can, but sometimes I have to hike during the day. Any ideas?

[Carol Crooker]

Hi Paul,
I swear by a long sleeved sun shirt and light weight pants. When I moved to Phoenix 9 years ago I quickly found that full coverage of my limbs was much less energy draining than shorts and a tank top in hot sun. And don’t forget the sun hat! I like a Tilley hat with a cotton bandana under it for extra protection of my neck and the sides of my face. Finally, sun glasses also reduce fatigue for me.

[Paul Grube]

Carol, good tips! I have long sleeve white synthetic shirts and tan synthetic shorts that I wear during HOT training. I will check into a Tilly hat (I wear a mesh running/baseball style ha now). However, I go through a LOT more water in the warmer temps than I do when it is cooler. Right now I am carrying my GoLite Infinity pack with a 3L bladder and 2L in bottles (yes, I really drink that much!)

I am trying to focus on extending my comfortable mileage per day.

How can I haul water with maximum efficiency?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know the science behind covering up in hot weather? It seems anti-intuitive to me. There may be something to it since you always see desert nomads covered up.

I’m in central FL, so most of my hikes are hot weather. I tried covering up more with a Railriders Echo-mesh shirt, put felt the long sleeves and tan color kept me warmer.

Another idea – a wet cotton shirt and/or shorts. Since cotton holds the water, when a breeze blows, you feel a cooling effect. But it does get sticky after a bit and can be uncomfortable in camp.

Keep your water out of the sun for a cooler drink and shower.

Washing off with a wet bandanna in the shade is a nice treat. With wet skin, a breeze can bring a wonderful chill. It’s a great feeling after a few hours in the hot sun.

A space blanket covered umbrella is very helpful. I covered the top of my Golite umbrella with space blanket fabric and it really helps block the heat. I’d love to use the MontBell umbrella (it’s much lighter), but it folds up in a way that makes applying the mylar difficult.

Someone should make a umbrella that just uses space blanket-like material for the cover. I saw something from Golite like this, but it was made of silver fabric instead – seems like it would to much of a compromise.

Light colored/pack clothing makes a larger difference then I anticipated. Even colored socks are noticeably hotter than white.

Thinking cool thoughts and mental preparation for the heat is very helpful too. You can even chill yourself by “thinking” cool.

Chris

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