Please note, that everything said here should be done with (as Buster noted) room temperature or slightly cool water.
Alright, you find yourself in a hot environment and know that you will be spending a whole day there.
What should you do about it?
The answer is simple: Lots of water. If possible, do not buy Coca-Cola, Pepsi, etc. Water is the best way to go.
That is an even simpler answer. It is cheap, easy to carry around in a camel bag, and can be replenished from almost any source. Yes, there are other beverages (more on that later), but water seems to work the best.
What you can do is put some powdered sugar into the water (do not over-do it, though, it is generally two table spoons per liter). Sugar help you to replenish the energy. It is cheap and effective.
How much should I drink per day?
As
much as you can. You should
always drink as much water as you can and well water your organism. What we were thought in boot camp
was to drink a lot during one to two days prior leaving the base so that
your skin and every part of body has
enough water in case you got into some sort of trouble. That is quite a good thing to do before longer events.
But is water the only thing that we should drink?
No, but if I were you, I would scrap all the sodas right away. The amount of
a) bubbles will make you sick the second you try to run after having drunk half a liter of it
b) all the crap in it (all the ENumbernumbernumber stuff) will make you sick in the long run
c) sugar will make you want to drink even more without quenching your thirst.
What you should drink on the other hand is the following:
Water
Electrolite (Gatorade, etc. lots of things with carbohydrates and saccharides, a natural juice is not bad at all)
Water with added flavor (freshly squeezed lemon or orange will add great flavor while still keeping the water potable for quite a long time)
Some energy drinks - try to say no to Redbull and other crap. Instead, get something that has at least some dietary value. Monster energy drink is a little bit better. For those over 21, a
beer is a good idea to replenish minerals and SOME vitamins. AFTER ALL AIRSOFTING (driving, etc.) IS OVER, OF COURSE! The two do not belong together under any circumstances!
What should I do when I feel light headed or sick?
The
most important - and I cannot stress this enough - is to
stop playing and find a spot in the
shade. Sit back and relax. Pull out your
death rag and have a
drink.
Pour some over your
head and neck. It should cool you down a bit.
Remove all as many
layers of clothing as you are willing to to get your body to a lower temperature.
I did that, but it did not help. What next?
Ask someone
politely to help you to get to the
Staging Area. If it is a
sanctioned field, they should have someone who can give you
first aid. If this is not the case, make sure someone
tries to find anyone with any experience. If that still is
not possible, get someone to take you to the
hospital.
Make sure you have
an easy access to WATER during the
whole time!
What should I do to prevent this scenario from happening?
Choose your
clothing for the
day! Make sure you get l
ight breathable materials (most summer uniforms are) and that you do carry
enough fluids!
Very
similar procedures apply to airsofting in
cold weather, where a lot of your
body fluids are used to keep the
body warm! No matter what,
do not eat snow, ever! It
cools down your
metabolism and you will need
more and more fluids to keep it at a
stable temperature. Instead, get a
canteen and let the snow
melt in there!
I guess this is pretty much it about staying safe and well, so let's recap this whole thing.
Bad signs:
Urine has a dark color - the
darker the
worse. You need to
replenish your fluids right
now.
Urinating hurts, urine has a dark golden color - a
very bad sign, it is almost
too late.
Dizziness - A very good
sign of your body slowly
getting dehydrated.
Drink a whole
lot and
sit back for a couple minutes.
Dry skin - the
more dehydrated you get, the
drier your skin. If you pinch the skin on your wrist and it
takes a while for it to get back to its
former condition (dark spots take a while to dissipate, the pinch marks stay a while),
drink!
Okay, but what if it is too late and I find someone laying down and not responding?
Make sure you
call someone who has a
first aid experience or at least
knows what they are
doing! If the person is r
eally dehydrated, they will
breathe slowly and will have
dry lips. If the person is actually
breathing, the
best thing you can do is
pour some
water into their mouth. Do not worry, the
swallowing reflex will work. Once the
water reaches the root of the
tongue, the person
will swallow. That prevents you from inhaling a spider crawling into your mouth while you are asleep.
Call the ambulance next! Time is a factor here. Get the person to the most easily accessible point for the paramedics and wait there until they arrive.
Hopefully, this will help every of you to stay hydrated and know what to do to prevent it and how to deal with it.
Should anyone have anything informative and important to add, go ahead!
Stay safe,
Shifty
