Its summer in Las Vegas. That means it’s going to be hot outside. Real Hot! If you plan to walk the Las Vegas Strip or take a hike in one of our National Parks in this heat, it’s important to know what color your pee is. Seriously. I’m betting you are wondering why I said that.  Glad you asked…
The color of your urine will tell you (or the rescuers) just how dehydrated you are. If you didn’t know, Las Vegas is located smack dab in the middle of the Mojave Desert and in the summertime, it gets really hot, really fast. Not only do we have high heat, but we also have very low humidity levels. That can mean you can become dehydrated faster than you realize. Knowing the color of your urine can help you determine your level of hydration.
In other words: Stay Hydrated!
To do that, hike in the early hours of the day. Dress in layers and wear breathable (cotton) clothing. Take water. Lots of water with you. Take more water than you think you will need in case you are delayed, trapped or need to help a fellow hiker who did not prepare for the elements. As well, drink a sports drink to help balance out the electrolytes. Plus, you need to carry a salty snack with you.
Keep Wet, Keep Cool
In the summer, in the canyons or on a tour, I am always carrying several Cooling Towels. Â Keep them wet, wrap them around your neck or help another person to get their body temperature under control. They are cheap and so easy to carry with you.
Water, Water, and More Water
Carry Water with you. I recommend you get a Camelbaks/water bladders. It’s like a backpack but filled with water. If you need to use plastic bottles (eek!) don’t forget to carry them out with you when empty. “Pack out what you pack in” Take the trash you created with you. Want some brownie points?? Be a good steward of the lands and pick up some of the trash left by others. It will make you feel good and help keep our parks a little cleaner.
Bottle Filling Stations
On some of the more popular trails in the National Parks, they are installing refill stations. If your trail or park has one, please use it! This helps keep the amount of litter down. I often travel with a refillable water bottle. It’s become my best friend when riding around town or out walking the trails. My Favorite Water Bottle is the Thermoflask
Pack Out What You Pack In!
If you are going to carry disposable bottles of water (and other packaged goods) into the National Parks with you, take them back out with you. My absolute pet peeve when hiking is finding trash or watching others empty a plastic water bottle and leave it on the trail or in a tree. Why? Why can’t you use it and take it back out with you?? You brought it in full. You can carry it out empty!
The best part is that now it’s not full, that means it will be smaller when you pack it out compared to when you packed it in. So take it out with you!! When I see some idiot liter the trails, I just want to bury their lazy ass in the desert!! SO don’t do it!!
So What Color is Your Pee?
So now we get to the reason for this post. The important part of safe hiking and hydration. When hiking, you need to know your health status. Are you nearing the point of dehydration? To know that, you check the color of your pee. It’s that simple!
Image Courtesy of NPS
Health Tip:Â If you are feeling the need to drink water, you are already dehydrated and need to stop, get into the shade and drink water. Drink a sports drink to help balance out the lost electrolytes. Enjoy a salty snack and just relax.
Don’t ruin a wonderful trip to the beautiful desert. Don’t make your next stop a trip to the emergency room. Save a Park Ranger some time and not need to be rescued. Stay aware, stay healthy and stay focused. Know what color your pee is and keep it bright and pure by drinking plenty of water!!
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