How to Keep Hydrated While Hunting

Hunting is an outdoor activity and so it’s important to take steps to stay hydrated. When you are outside, be sure not to neglect your coolant, otherwise known as water. Hunting is highly physical and can generate a lot of heat from both the strenuous activity and the environment.

It’s also important when hunting to keep in mind what it means for your body to sweat heavily in high temperatures and humidity. This can lead to dehydration. Dehydration is a serious condition that needs medical attention if left untreated or ignored for too long.

You should also be aware of the dangers of drinking too much water before or during a hunt, which can lead you going into hypotension (low blood pressure).

The best way to combat dehydration is to hydrate before you leave and take a water bottle whenever you go out hunting. Hunting in the early morning is one of the most intense times.

There’s a good chance that you will sweat heavily before midday, especially if your hunt takes place during the warmer months. Make sure you bring a lot of water with you and drink it as soon as possible while it’s still cool.

Don’t wait until you’re thirsty or exhausted because this could already be too late for your body.

When on the hunt it’s important to keep hydrated at all times, especially if it gets hot or there are strenuous physical activities involved like tree climbing, creek wading, etc. When you start to feel very thirsty or suffer from lightheadedness, stop drinking water and avoid any strenuous activity until you’re able to rest a little.

Even during the night, you should still keep your body hydrated by drinking water before going to sleep.

If you find it hard to drink enough fluids when hunting, take a look at what you are eating. If your diet is low in carbohydrates, there won’t be enough energy coming through your digestive tract and won’t be able to produce the enzymes necessary for hydration. Also, if you eat very little salt or sodium then this will have the same effect as ingesting too much water. This is why it is so important to eat carbohydrates that have a high water content such as fruits, vegetables, and grains.

You should also try to always drink before your body is actually thirsty. If you have eaten enough water-rich foods, your body will already have more fluids than needed at the time of hunting.

And while drinking too much water before you’re thirsty is dangerous in itself, don’t be tempted to drink coffee while hunting either as caffeine can increase urination and lead to dehydration. Coffee can also dehydrate you just by its caffeine content alone, so many hunters like to stick with tea or decaffeinated coffee even if it doesn’t quite taste the same.

You may also like: benefits of proper hydration.

How much water do you need while hunting?

If you are on a long hunt, it’s important to remember that you will be losing water very slowly over the course of the day. It can even take several hours for a cup of coffee or even a glass of water to lose its effect. So before drinking, make sure your body is actually in need of water and not just because you’re thirsty.

You should also consider the season and temperature while on a hunt. It may be hot outside but still cold inside your hunting cabin or blind at night. This can lead to hypothermia as well as dehydration as you lose much more fluids while sleeping than while hunting during the day.

You should always prepare for the worst and ensure that you have a lot of water with you at all times during the day. Drinking a lot of water before going to bed can also keep you warm while sleeping as your body can retain more heat than usual.

Drink small amounts of water throughout the day and try to make it last a long time by mixing it with food or other drinks (like tea). It’s also important to remember that urine will be a lot darker in color when your body is dehydrated so look out for this sign as well whenever you go to the bathroom!

beautiful woman taking water from forest spring on hiking trip

How do you rehydrate ASAP?

Though you should always keep hydrated while hunting, sometimes you may need to rehydrate yourself in a short amount of time. Not only will this be important if you’re already dehydrated but you’ll also want to do this if you want to avoid taking toilet breaks during your hunt or before going to sleep.

If so, try drinking water with electrolytes instead of drinking water alone. Electrolytes are what your body loses when it gets dehydrated and most good sports drinks contain a lot of them.

Fruit juices like orange juice also contain a high amount of electrolytes and are also great for rehydrating quickly since they contain sugar as well.

One of the easiest ways to determine if you’re dehydrated is by urinating. When you have been dehydrated your urine will be darker in color and it will also stink more than usual. If this is something that you notice, then it’s important to start drinking fluids as soon as possible.

Even after you’ve stopped sweating and have drunk enough fluids, some of the water that was lost will still remain in your system for a day or two. So after going on a long hunting trip, make sure to stretch out or get active so that your muscles can sweat some of the water back out.

This will also help your body release toxins that were flushed out as well.

Keep in mind that these tips should only be used if you are actually dehydrated and not just thirsty or eating less than usual. If you are simply losing a lot of fluids due to sweating, then it’s best to wait until the end of the day to replenish them.

This is especially true if you have been drinking throughout the day, as it will be hard to go back to drinking water when there’s already extra fluid in your system!

In conclusion, it’s important to remember that hydration while hunting is just as important as hydration while not hunting, if not more so. You’ll lose a lot of water through sweat and breathing, so it’s crucial to make sure that you’re taking in enough water throughout the day. Also if you’re going on a hunt where temperatures can vary drastically throughout the day (like in the fall), then you should ensure that your body is able to maintain its temperature.

About the Author

I'm Rodney Heaton and I love hunting in the wild. In the past, I was in the military for over 5 years. After that I became a licensed hunter and a mountain guide.