How much water do you need?

[Gus]

I had some health issues on my November trip and although I had earlier felt fine and was drinking some water, I fear that I may not have been drinking enough to stop becoming dehydrated.

What would be a reasonable amount of water to drink in 24 hours to stop becoming dehydrated?
I realise this will have to be a ball park figure to take into account peoples size, activities etc etc
TIA

[johnnyk]

2-3 litres in a hot climate

[PeteC]

Beer really dehydrates you as well. I think a safe rule of thumb is an extra 1 glass of water for every beer you have. That's in addition to the normal 2-3 liter JK mentions above. Pete

[Gus]

Cheers Guys, I didn't know that I was dehydrated at the time but now I feel that I was, must drink lots more water next trip, even if it means going into the sea more. :-)

[johnnyk]

Cheers Guys, I didn't know that I was dehydrated at the time but now I feel that I was, must drink lots more water next trip, even if it means going into the sea more. :-)

Stay out of the sea. Fish fuck in it.

[MrPlum]

I may not have been drinking enough to stop becoming dehydrated.

What signs of dehydration did you have?

[Nereus]

I don`t really see how anyone can put a volume amount on how much water you should drink--there are just too many variables.

I have worked in the desert, in sticking hot ships engine rooms in the middle east and in freezing snow conditions. Each situation is very different.
In hot climates we were always advised to drink enough water that your urine passes clear. The first sign that you are not drinking enough is dark yellow coloured urine, and infrequent passing of ANY urine. It is very easy to become dehydrated without realising it, especially in severely hot conditions where you may be blaming some other factor.

[STEVE G]

.....I think a safe rule of thumb is an extra 1 glass of water for every beer you have.

I'd be scared of drowning Pete and don't forget that this is the stuff that the CIA use to torture people!

[PeteC]

.....I think a safe rule of thumb is an extra 1 glass of water for every beer you have.

I'd be scared of drowning Pete and don't forget that this is the stuff that the CIA use to torture people!

You could always use prune juice. A hangover for me is non-existent when I remember to down several pints of water before bed after a marathon beer night. If I should forget to do it, the next day is simply written off and spent in a semi-coma. So, I chalk the differences up to proper and improper hydration. Pete

[Gus]

When on holiday in HH I usually sit on the beach from 12 to 5 ish, not in direct sunlight though, I sit under a parasol reading books.
The first task is to order a bottle of water but I have made that last for the afternoon rather than drinking adequate amounts, mainly because of the toilet factor.
I now know that this is not a major problem as most of the vendors in front of the Hilton/Centara have a makeshift toilet at the rear of their kitchen areas.

I had read somewhere that when a person is dehydrated then they become susceptible to other ailments, for what it's worth my leg is still swollen 3 months after coming home and I was going to come back to HH on 28th January but my GP advised against it.
Come next November when I hope to be back in town I would like to be in a reasonable condition to thwart any sickness, yes I know, I need to try and lose some weight this summer. :-)

[Frank Hovis]

Pee in the sea !

[MrPlum]

I had read somewhere that when a person is dehydrated then they become susceptible to other ailments, for what it's worth my leg is still swollen 3 months after coming home and I was going to come back to HH on 28th January but my GP advised against it.
Come next November when I hope to be back in town I would like to be in a reasonable condition to thwart any sickness, yes I know, I need to try and lose some weight this summer. :-)

Hi Gus. Sorry to press you but I'm curious as to whether your doctor actually diagnosed you as being dehydrated and what symptoms made him believe a lack of water was the problem? Are you able to provide any more detail?

[Homer]

How much water? It depends. This is how I figured out my needs. I adopted some hydration tips from a bicycle racer when I was in my late 20s, spending most weekends doing an outdoor activity where endurance mattered. Stuck with them because I believed they improved my endurance. Cointinued using them as my activity level declined because it also measured hydration. Use them now because it's pretty sweaty in the tropics.

First one sets a baseline. Rate how fatigured you are on a 1 to 5 scale before taking a pee. Do this everytime, not just during an activity. Then rate the clarity - darkness of the urine on a 1 to 5 scale. What my racer friend said was true for me: more fatigued often went with darker urine. I upped my water (in both fluid form and in foods) intake until there was little relation between fatigue and urine color. That told me the fatigue wasn't caused by dehydration. Once I knew how dark my urine could be before indicating dehydration I stopped doing the ratings.

Second one is drink early, drink often, drink many small amounts.

Third is before I go to sleep I fill water bottles with what I expect to usually drink at home the next day (It doesn't vary much except for exercise and temperature). That way I can tell at the end of a day if I was under and then compare that to urine color. Obviously this is a general guideline as one could consume more or less water / water containing food than usual outside the home.

Does all this rating and observing sound too fussy? Nah. It became second nature to check urine color every time and fill the bottles.

[margaretcarnes]

I had read somewhere that when a person is dehydrated then they become susceptible to other ailments, for what it's worth my leg is still swollen 3 months after coming home and I was going to come back to HH on 28th January but my GP advised against it.
Come next November when I hope to be back in town I would like to be in a reasonable condition to thwart any sickness, yes I know, I need to try and lose some weight this summer. :-)

Hi Gus. Sorry to press you but I'm curious as to whether your doctor actually diagnosed you as being dehydrated and what symptoms made him believe a lack of water was the problem? Are you able to provide any more detail?

I think Gus means that the swelling is preventing travel Mr P. As we know a regular fluid intake can help with swelling caused by fluid retention. But Gus might want to take a look at a book called The Waterfall Diet. Sorry I don't have the publisher details handy, but my Mum followed the diet strictly for a month when she had lower leg swelling following a hip replacement. It worked like magic and 2 years later her legs are still fine, with no need for diuretics. Always a good idea to seek the GP's advice first of course.

[bonnielass]

Dehydration can cause a lot of problems you wouldn't even think about.
Unlike most people, I suffer from low blood pressure. Sometimes to the point that I feel faint.
My doc told me keeping hydrated was important as it increases blood volume.
So I started to drink a lot more water throughout the day and feel much better for it.
Pain in the butt having to run to the loo all the time. But the fainting feeling has completely disappeared. I keep a bottle of water with me at work, at home and in my car to remind me to top up.

BL