Posted this in the pfd thread, but it probably applies more here. 

I found that heat stress "wall" 2 weeks ago during the Death March out of Delahey.  It was 90, sunny, humid, with no wind.  I drank 2 liters of water before starting and had 2 liters with me.  Not enough.  I literally fell over with the canoe on the second leg as I reached the little pond midway on the 1.5 mile leg.  The canoe hit a 2-in birch sapling left of the trail dead on.  It must have bent away and then snapped back, sending me and the canoe to the ground.  Can't recall the last time that ever happened.  Just before the pond, I reach several rock boulders/faces that needed to be climbed up and over.  But when I tried to take the canoe off to rest, the yoke pad caught my head and next thing I knew the canoe was banging off the rocks and I was sprawled on my back to the left of the trail.  Thankfully, nothing was busted or sprained.  When I reached the pond, I sat in the shade for a good twenty min and even after the rest, my heart rate was still 120 beats per minute and I was sweating like a pig.  Ate a little trail mix, drank some more water, and triple portaged the rest of the Death March.  I recall paddling towards the last portage into Conmee and I could barely move my arms to move the yak paddle...really weird feeling.

It took me 8 hours to reach Suzanette, 6.5 hours was on the portage trail.  At the campsite, I unloaded the gear, sat in the water for a bit, then sat in my camp chair in the shade for about 75 minutes, just staring and soaking in the scenery.  Never felt dizzy or nauseous, just hot, very tired, and relieved the day was almost over.  Finally ate a PBJ sandwich with some gatorade and felt a little better.  Just before heading into the tent for the night, I recorded on my digital voice recorder I bring on solo trips: "Today was a bitch.  Hardest damn day I've ever had canoeing.  I'm 2/3 thirds of the way done with this tough physical trip...not sure I'm enjoying it that much.  I'm very achy, shoulders and back.  Not sure I'll ever do that Death March again without the boys or a partner."

While I never felt cramping, dizzyness, headaches, or nausea during the entire day, I did feel hot and my heart rate seemed elevated after the first 1/4 mile portage.  my clothes were soaked head to toe.  I tried to eat trail mix, peanut M&Ms, a few tootsie rolls, and drink water during the ordeal.  I wasn't hungry at all when I first got to camp...all I wanted to do was just sit there.  FInally ate the PBJ, but had to almost force myself to eat.  Didn't sleep well that night, but thankfully the next day was a layover day.  Good thing I was trolling the shoreline and not casting a spinnerbait to shore or I might have snagged this large black bass...

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