How to Beat the Heat in Summer While Hiking
How to Beat the Heat in Summer While Hiking

How to Beat the Heat in Summer While Hiking

Hiking in the hot summer months can be challenging and demanding for your body to handle the heat. This summer 2022, we tried out simple tricks that work pretty well.

Holding the head under cold water to beat the heat.
A cold head and hair is awesome in the heat.

If you carry plenty of water or water is provided during the hike cool down your head.

If possible, sleep close to a cooling river which we will do in Sedona.

A man sitting on a trunk next to a tree in GSENM
Preparing coffee early morning

Get up at dawn and finish your hike before midday or start late in the afternoon and take a torch with you in case the trail takes longer than planned.

A hiker at a creek putting in a scarf
During this water hike, we always soaked our hat and buff full of water.

Do hikes which lead through water, a creek or a river - something we did multiple times like through the Narrows or to the Kanarra Falls.

Getting acclimatized to the heat takes one to two weeks afterwards, you are able to handle the heat much easier. Therefore, we plan to hike into the Grand Canyon the SK down to the Colorado River and the BA up after two weeks. This will be the most challenging track of all, but we know how to master it. Do you wish to learn more about this hike? We did it already 18 years ago. We were much younger but less prepared and trained. We can't wait to do it again: Grand Canyon

Salty Nuts for hiking
Salted cashew nuts and pistachios

Most crucial, drink plenty of water daily plus electrolytes and eat salty snacks.

All water bottles from a hike
This is what we drunk during a 16 km hike - almost 2 gallons - more than 7 l

Don't drink any alcohol after such trips. Why? Alcohol dehydrates you, but coffee or tea is fine.

A water soaked towel around the neck
A towel soaked with the creek water

What kills you in the winter is a life-safer in the summer; take a cotton or wool buff and soak it with water. It cools you perfectly down.

Wearing a hat to protect against the sun
It was too windy for my hat

Always wear a  broad-brimmed hat; also, this one you can soak with water to cool down your head.

Wear a lightweight, long-sleeved shirt to protect your arms from getting sunburnt and even better also this we put into water.

A woman with umbrella against the intense sun
It was a hot day at the Toadstool Hoodoos close to Page.

On such extreme hikes in the heat, hear to your body what it is telling you. If you need to rest, rest in the shade. But what if there isn't any? Well it may look funny but an umbrella is a great solution.

Photos

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