Dehydration

How to prevent dehydration (even in winter)

How much water does a family of four need?

------------------------------------------------- Revised 02/18/2021
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Dehydration
How to prevent dehydration (even in winter)

Avoid dehydration (even in winter)!
One component of Winter survival that even survivalists often
overlook is dehydration. With water everywhere in winter,
including snow and rain, it's easy to overlook, but dehydration
happens in a cold environment just as much as it happens in a
hot one!

General loss of hydration can cause many health problems as well
as death. That's why it's imperative that preppers and survivalists
think about dehydration (even in Winter) and learn to recognize
the symptoms. It's a survial skill just as important as knowing
how to filter water.

How to Prevent Dehydration in Winter
Every prepper knows that you can live only three days without
water, and most preppers have skills to secure potable water,
few, however, think much about dehydration in the colder months.
Below is how to prevent dehydration (even in winter)...

Here's how to prevent dehydration:

#1: Recognize signs of dehydration...
You may be chronically dehydrated and unaware.There are many
signs of dehydration. When any of the following happen, your
body is asking you to drink more water:

Chapped lips. Chapped lips are one of easiest ways to spot
dehydration. If your lips are chapped, you not only need
lipbalm to retain what moisture is already there, but you
need to drink.

Constipation. Constipation is a side effect of not drinking
enough fluids. Women menstruating should drink more water
at the monthly cycle to help prevent the constipation they
get at the beginning of their cycle.

Dark colored urine. When urine is dark it's concentrated and
in short supply circulating in your body. It's one of the
important ways your body can tell you it's dehydrated. In
babies you may find that the diaper isn't wet for three or
more hours.

Dizziness. A person who is dizzy may be experiencing
dehydration.

Dry mouth. Sometimes medications cause dry mouth. A dry
mouth is a symptom in children who are dehydrated.

Dry skin. Evaporation of the skin is something that you'll
find more noticeable in winter months than in the summer.

Fatigue. Without water you will quickly feel lethargic. If
you're feeling tired you can quickly perk up with fluids. You
may feel weakness in muscles or just not having enough
energy. Lethargy is a serious indicator that you are
dehydrated. In children, you may find irritability and fatigue
when they are dehydrated.

Headaches. A headrush or headache is another side effect
of dehydration.

No tears. Children and babies who cry and have no tears
may be severely dehydrated.

Numbness. Tingling of fingers and toes or hands and feet
may be a sign you're dehydrated. Beware that some of the
same symptoms of dehydration may also apply to diabetics
and pre-diabetics.

Sunken eyes. In babies who are dehydrated you may find a
sunken fontanel. The fontanel is the soft spot of the baby's
head. Children who are dehydrated may have sunken cheeks
or eyes.

Thirst. One of the most obvious signs of dehydration is
thirst, but don't wait until you're thirsty to drink. By the time
you're thirsty, you are already severely dehydrated. Thirst is
the body's warning signal and you need to pay attention.

Nausea. One

#2: Know the causes of Dehydration:

Altitude. In high altitudes people may get altitude sickness,
which is dehydration in action.

Burns. Severe skin burns can cause dehydration.

Diarrhea. Loose watery stools from illness or

Diabetes. Dehydration is a major factor in diabetes

Excessive sweating.

Pregnancy. During pregnancy a woman is drinking for two
and can avoid some birth defects by hydrating properly.
Water helps form the placenta. The most critical time for
hydrating is in the final days before giving birth to ensure a
safe delivery and adequate breast milk for the baby. Women
will find they will vomit less and feel better during natural
childbirth if they are properly hydrated as well. Hydrating
during pregnancy is critical to avoid:

inadequate breast milk production,
low amniotic fluid,
neural tube defects or
premature labor.

Vomiting. When the body is not able to hold fluids and it
comes up as vomit, the body is severely dehydrated.

#3: Be aware of how you lose hydration...
To paraphrase Sting, you lose hydration with "Every breath you
take," and "Every move you make."

Breathing: Every time you exhale, moisture leaves your body.

Humidity: When the weather is humid, it draws moisture
from your skin. Humidity is the gaseous state of water ~ it's
invisible to the human eye. The more humidity the more
likelihood dew, fog or precipitation will follow.

Sweating: About 75% of your body is made up of water.
Through natural bodily functions we excrete fluids. Sweating
is an evaporation of moisture from the skin. It's the body's
way of cooling itself. High humidity reduces your body's
sweating effectiveness.

Urinating, defecating and vomiting. Through the bodily
functions you'll lose water naturally and it may seem like
there's nothing you can do, but you can! Make sure you have
the proper output of urination and that you aren't defecating
with loose watery stools by drinking lots of fluids. As well
you can limit vomiting when properly hydrated.

Detoxification: A natural process of detoxifying, your body
will sweat out toxins.

#4: Take small doses of water throughout your day.
Make it your morning habit to drink a glass of water before you
have breakfast. It's the most important thing you can do to stay
healthy and hydrated.

Take proactive approach!Throughout your day take steady sips of
water. Use of a hydration backpack can help you on a long
journey by foot or bicycle to keep a steady flow.

Hydration packs and bladders:

#5: Stay hydrated with Electrolytes.
A scientist might describe an electrolyte as a electrically
conducting solution ~ or a "compound which produces ions when
dissolved in a solution such as water,"but in layman's terms it is
hydration or the minerals dissolved in body fluids. Sure, they are
electrically charged ions, but it's about supply the body with what
it needs. The proper mix of salt (sodium) and sugar are the
foundation of an electrolyte, but it may also include calcium,
magnesium, and phosphate, and potassium.

Oral rehydration powders.

#6: Keep skin hydrated.

Lip balms and lotions. You can lock in moisture in the winter
and summer months in part with lip balms and add back
hydration with lotions.

Best ways to stay hydrated:
Below are some of the best water filtration devices a prepper can
own:

NOTE: With hydration packs and bladders you will need a
cleaning kit.

Hydration package:

Oral IV is contains trace minerals and structured water.
There's no sugar, no chemicals, no additives, no stimulants
and zero calories. It includes only the smallest and right
amounts of chromium, magnesium, manganese, potassium,
selenium, silcon, sodium, zinc, and a blend of other natural
trace minerals.

Hydration powders:

Hydration tablets:

Water filters:
Water is life! If you are a prepper, you always bring water with
you and you always have a filter handy, whether it's a small
filtration device stuffed in the glove compartment or your bugout
bag ~ or you have a water tank in the garage, bottle water
stashed in the basement, or gravity fed water filtration in your
kitchen.

AquaMira Frontier

Big Berkey! The Big Berkey is ideal for your everyday
drinking water to ensure you always have safe drinking
water. Capably handles both treated water and untreated
raw water from such sources as remote lakes, streams,
stagnant ponds and even water supplies in foreign countries,
where regulations may be substandard. The Berkey water
system purifies your water without the use of obnoxious
chemicals like iodine or chlorine that was the standard
procedure. In fact, it helps filter out those chemicals from
your tap water. And You can use your Big Berkey to filter raw
well water.

Berkey and Seychelle Makes a great Pair!
Right is the Seychelle Radiological filter, which removes the four
basic zones of contamination: Aesthetic (Chlorine, taste and
odor), Chemicals (from Industry and Agriculture), Dissolved Solids
(heavy metals such as lead, mercury, Chromium 6) and up to
99.99% of Radiological Contaminants such as Gross Beta, Radon
222, Alpha Radium 226, Plutonium, Uranium, Cesium 134 and
137. Removes up to 90% of fluoride.

Everyone knows that the best way to prevent dehydration is to
drink more water and yet most people just don't drink enough
water. Also, there's more to it than just drinking water ~ you can
learn tricks to retaining hydration.

Recognize the signs of Dehydration
Learn to recognize the signs of dehydration, particularly in Winter.
It's important to drink to stay healthy and to avoid constipation,
dizziness, lethargy, headaches and disease. Dehydration is just
as much of a problem on a typical winter's day as it is on a hot
summer's day:

Winter: While you may not associate cold-weather with
dehydration, there's a link. You'll lose hydration in winter
from exercising in the cold winter air. That's because sweat
evaporates more quickly in cold air. So be sure to hydrate
before you have fun on the slopes or shovel snow.

Summer: Sweat is a natural in summertime even if you don't
exert yourself with physical activity in the sun. If you are
thirsty you have started the dehydration process so be sure
to drink plenty of fluids all day long.

Happy endings...
Stay happy, healthy and hydrated! Be sure to stash enough water
for the long term. A family of four needs 270 gallons of water for
a three month supply according to Utah State University..

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* These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For
any health or dietary matter, always consult your physician. This information is
intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for professional
medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. Never disregard or delay in
seeking medical advice when available. These statements have not been evaluated by
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