I had heard that hiking here in the summer can be dangerous..but just how dangerous?

A couple visiting from the Midwest DIED the other day hiking in Mesa!! They had only taken a liter of water with them and didn't make it back to their car. Internal temp of the guy was 110.

I am going to take this heat seriously before I do any hiking..even SHORT ones.

PHOENIXPHIL is Geographically Superior! ... Steve Garufi

I suffered from heat when I came here on vacation. Luckily Joel was with me and took good care of me. Had he not been with me it could have been very serious. It is amazing how quickly someone can dehydrate in our arid conditions. It really is a different heat.

I have taken care of several cases of serious dehydration from hikers at work.

Joel gave me some good advice that I will share with you. Hike only as far in as half the water you have with you. That way, you still have half of it to get out with.

Take care out there Phil!

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You were talking about the dangerous heat at the festival, too. I think I would hike in fall/winter only there.

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Lisa formerly of OK, now Lisa in Telly

Myspace page

So fantastically hot, where you can have ice cream anda nice game of backgammon whilst enjoyig the fact that you are drying to death. p

Yes, sadly people die often hiking out here in the West. With Arizona's hot temperatures (which I personally love), it's so important to hike early if one is going to do some significant distance by foot.

As for water, I always carry a full camelback and an extra liter or two. Of course, a good sun-blocking hot and sunscreen is a must as well. I consider Arizona's hot similar to Colorado's bitter cold: If you're out there, you darn well better know what you're doing, where you're going and be fulled prepared for what the elements will likely bring.



-Steve
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Colorado Guy - New Mexico Guy - Montana Guy

I carry a case of water in my trunk. Bring water and drink it often. After all, we find corpses in the desert constantly. No other state has our death toll from dehydration.

Life doesn't begin until it's over 105 degrees.

And, that was very practical advice that Joel gave you, Brandi!

You know, this reminds me of some survivalist documentary I once saw where the man demonstrating surviving extreme conditions actually hiked only at night in such desert areas. He then would stop, before the sun arose and the heat began, and make himself some sort of shade shelter to ride out the heat of the sun. Fascinating, and scary!

Here's a good reference. Scroll down for desert shelters:
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/shelters-2.php

^..^ Julie