marlin55388 wrote on Jul 29^th, 2011 at 8:46pm:

Sorry, this might seem off topic but we're here The heat/hot thing is maybe the really hiccup in this area. Being over heated plan sucks and is really pretty hard on yah; just as bad cold or worse in my book. Acclimation makes all the difference in the world. I am in the heat everyday, no AC at home either; I am acclimated. For those that get AC'd everyday all day your not. So dawning another layer when your hot and not use to the work gets yah hotter; go swimming, wet a bandana and put on the your neck, drink the water, and don't forget to practice the wet entry especially if your soloing.

Well, I hit the "wall" this year on my WCPP.  I literally reach the point on the last day of portaging (9 ports that day with the longest being 168 rods) where I could no longer put one foot in front of the other.  After days of not having a dry stitch of clothing on (I SWEAT, I don't perspire), knocking back well over a gallon of water a day while moving (and more at the campsite overnight) I reached the point where I just had to lay down and rest for a while before I could proceed.  You know its time when nausea and dizziness hits you that you've reached your limit.  So despite being wet, despite frequent plunges, despite the fact that I get out and walk for miles in the heat when its 95 or hotter outside, sometimes you are going to reach the point where you are all in.  I guess the tipping point could have been that I did part of the last portage in pouring rain ... meaning the humidity was REALLY high, so I wasn't sweating enough to keep cool.

Luckily I was traveling with a partner on this trip.  He was a great help in finishing the last portage and setting up camp.  My goal was to strip to my skivvies and walk out into neck deep water and just stay there a while, which I did.  I then strung my nylon string hammock and laid out in the shade for an hour with breezes blowing on me.

Yet, after all that I still had liquid running out both ends after I got up an hour later.  I went to "nap" in my tent at 5:00 and arose to grab a snack at 9:30 and went right back to bed.  Still, fully rested the next morning, I was again exhausted by the time we finished a 6 hour paddle to the take-out (the paddle in was more like 3 hours ... it was WINDY!).

So, be careful of the heat.  It can grab you quick and lay you low!  BUT, I was wearing my PFD all the time!

dd

BTW:  We shared a lunch stop with the park portage clearing crew on the way out.  The leader shared that he had made the sat. phone call back to park headquarters concerning whether or not they should fly him out because of heat exhaustion.  Luckily his younger counterpart's mom had required him to pack some electrolytes for just such a problem, so that "saved" a plane ride for the leader.  The leader was seasoned veteran of the park service and probably wasn't 50.  So, it wasn't my advanced age or physical condition alone that put me over the edge.  From now on, I'm packing electrolytes!