First Rule of Tropical Survival: Carry Water

[BOD]

Very unfortunate story. Feel sad for the parents.

A small island and small forest but it all has to be treated with respect

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/150113-a...n-jungle-trek/

[Shewie]

Very sad news

It's interesting how the previous days activities and the extreme heat and humidity had turned an otherwise leisurely walk into a life threatening situation.
The fact that he was delirious and walked off instead of staying put is a scary thing to think about for anyone.

R.I.P David Andrews

[drago]

Cheers BOD for this

It seems like basics, but you would be surprised on how many people fail to take the basic precautions.

i am currently out in sub-saharan africa, and the amount of people we have to get looked at as they do not take the necessary preparations for working in highly humid environments is amazing, despite being shown the risks and given the lectures and access to supplies and equipment to kit themselves out..... most treat there working days as they would as if it is spring in the UK

if you are out in the tropical climates a basic water kit should be taken at all times (mine is currently a kattadyn hiker water purifier and a crusader mug, cooker and bottle) and remember the basics checks to avoid dehydration .....monitoring the frequency and character of urination.

If you develop a full bladder at least every 3-5 hours and the urine is only lightly coloured or colourless, chances are that dehydration is not occurring;

if urine is deeply coloured, or urination occurs only after many hours or not at all, water intake may not be adequate to maintain proper hydration.

When large amounts of water are being lost through perspiration and concurrently replaced by drinking, maintaining proper electrolyte balance becomes an issue. Drinking fluids that are hypertonic or hypotonic with respect to perspiration may have grave consequences.

if you are in the jungle then it is always good to learn how to get clean water from plants (such as bamboo) etc where water is stagnated....

i know many people probably already know this stuff.... but reiteration is some time required as a little reminder as to pack for you surroundings!

[tobes01]

Very sad.

Back in 2000 I was living in Hong Kong when they had a particularly hot spell, and a number of folk died rambling in the hills around town. The interesting bit was that they were all local Chinese with reasonable supplies of water, but as was common (at least back then), it was distilled - not mineral or tap - water.

As I understand it, they felt that distilled, being purer, was therefore better. What they didn't know was that the distilled water was stripping salts and other minerals out of their bodies, leading to the inevitable consequences. There were calls to ban the sale of distilled water for drinking purposes, I don't know if anything was done about it.

[nickg]

Possibly a callous thought - but I wonder how much alcohol he had been taking the night before. Brits abroad are notoriously careless of the effects of alcohol on dehydration in arid or arctic environments. And it never fails to amaze me the number of them that think that a couple of pints of beer etc will actually rehydrate them.
Happens ALL the time in spain etc

Cheers
Nick