Dehydrated? Know What Color Your Pee Is

(Updated) Yes, I know… Las Vegas is hot. We have a dry heat. However, hot is hot, and with dry heat, you can dehydrate faster than you realize. Dehydration can kill you… So, knowing what color your urine is can save your life!

Let Me Explain

It’s summer in Las Vegas. That means it’s going to be hot outside. Real Hot! If you plan to walk the Las Vegas Strip or hike in one of our National Parks in this heat, it’s essential to know what color your pee is. Seriously. 

You may be wondering why I said that. Glad you asked…

The color of your urine will tell you (or the rescuers) just how dehydrated you are. If you didn’t know, Las Vegas is located smack dab in the middle of the Mojave Desert, and in the summertime, it gets really hot, really fast.

Not only do we have high heat, but we also have deficient humidity levels. That can mean you can become dehydrated more quickly than you realize. Knowing the color of your urine can help you determine your level of hydration.

In other words: Stay Hydrated!

Want to go for a hike? Hike in the early hours of the day. Dress in layers and wear breathable (cotton) clothing. Take water. Lots of water with you.

Take more water than you think you will need if you are delayed, trapped, or need to help a fellow hiker who did not prepare for the elements. As well, drink a sports drink to help balance out the electrolytes. Plus, carrying a salty snack with you would be best.

Keep Wet, Keep Cool

I always carry several Cooling Towels in the summer, in the canyons, or on tour. Keep them wet, and wrap them around your neck. Also, feel free to share with others who may not have been as prepared as you are. Cooling towels will help keep your body temperature under control. They are cheap and so easy to carry with you.

Water, Water, and More Water

Carry water with you. I recommend you get Camelbaks/water bladders. It’s like a backpack filled with water. If you need to use plastic bottles (eek!) remember to carry them out when empty. “Pack out what you pack in .”

Take the trash you created with you. Want some brownie points?? Be a good steward of the lands and pick up some of the trash left by others. It will make you feel good and help keep our parks a little cleaner.

National Park Water Stations

Bottle Filling Stations

On some of the more popular trails in the National Parks, they are installing refill stations. If your trail or park has one, please use it! This helps keep the amount of litter down.

I often travel with a refillable water bottle. It’s become my best friend when riding around town or out walking the trails. My Favorite Water Bottle is the Thermoflask

Pack Out What You Pack In!

Let me repeat myself. If you are going to carry disposable bottles of water (and other packaged goods) into the National Parks with you, take them back out with you.

My absolute pet peeve when hiking is finding trash or watching others empty a plastic water bottle and leave it on the trail or in a tree. Why do that? Why can’t you use it and take it back out with you?? You brought it in full. You can carry it out empty!

The best part is that now it’s not full, which means it will be smaller when you pack it out than when you packed it in. So take it out with you!! When I see some idiot liter the trails, I just want to bury their lazy ass in the desert!! SO please don’t do it!!

So What Color is Your Pee?

So now we get to the reason for this post—the critical part of safe hiking and hydration. You need to know your health status when outside in the heat for any reason.

Are you nearing the point of dehydration? Are you past the safety point? To know that answer, you need to check the color of your pee. It’s that simple!

How Hydrated Are You?
Image Courtesy of NPS

Health Tip:  If you are feeling the need to drink water, you are already dehydrated and need to stop, get into the shade, and drink water. Drink a sports drink to help balance out the lost electrolytes. Enjoy a salty snack and relax.

(Originally posted July 19, 2019)

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