Speaking Of Hydration Packs

[Doc]

I'm going to give you a trick so you can use a hydration bladder comfortably.

So mention has been made of the GPZ8000 coming with a hydration pack.  Some say it will cause you to perspire.  Probably.  Let me be clear, I am a huge supporter of hydration packs.  I used to carry just a canteen.  Invariably I would get dehydrated because I didn't want to stop long enough to get a drink.  Hydration packs let you drink at will and never break a swing.  HOWEVER, the big problem is not only perspiration, a gallon of water weighs 8 pounds.  That weight is pulling on your shoulders neck etc.  Also you ever tried to swing a pick hard with a hydration pack on and the weight of all that water sloshing back and forth on your back?  Whether you realize it or not it causes fatigue.  Your muscles are having to compensate for every time that weight shifts.  Think of digging a hole and a little kid jumps on your back.  It may not knock you over but you are going to have to adjust and tense muscles so you don't lose your balance.

I solved these issues years ago.  I took a hydration bladder and found an insulated cover.  Amazon has them.  Typically they are made to fit into a back pack that you might already have.
But that's not what we are going to do.  I took the insulated bag and stitched it to a 2 inch webbed belt with a plastic buckle or Velcro® type closure is OK too.  I stitched it so it was slightly diagonal.  We are going to strap this around our waist with the bladder in back.  So we want it slightly tilted so the water runs down towards the intake of the hose.  Now when I get all my gear on I strap the bladder onto my waist.  There is no sweat, there is no weight on shoulders or neck, because the weight is on your waist.  For some reason you never feel weight on your waist because you have a lot of big muscles under you.  The sloshing around of water when you are swinging a pick is not noticeable.

Every person I have ever shown my rig to has said, are you making those?  Ah no, I just made this one for myself.  Maybe that's my next project.  Bladders are easy enough to source.  I could probably get inexpensive ones from China, but they make the water taste like Egg Fu Yung.  😂

Doc
 

[F350Platinum]

Looking forward to it, Doc. 👍

Got a little story for ya, I was in Myrtle Beach last summer detecting, it was a hot day. Thought I had enough hydration on me, but found out the hard way that I didn't. About a half hour after I got back to the campground, I started getting muscle cramps, so I drank another couple bottles of hydration and some water and vinegar, but the cramps kept getting worse. Ended up calling the rescue squad to take me to the hospital, good thing I did because they got me to drink more and and it got even worse. I cannot describe the excruciating pain. 😵

They got me in the hospital, shot me up with some sort of muscle relaxer, and then started the IVs. A few hours later I was fine, just a little shaky, and they put me in a cab and sent me back to the campground.

Let's say that opened my eyes a bit, so now when it's hot I drink a lot of fluids before I go out, even when it isn't all that hot. 🤔 I've done much better since, but I take a swig of vinegar in water when I get back anyway. Did that in Florida for almost 3 weeks and never had a cramp, just had to make sure there was someplace to hit the bathroom 😅 luckily most Florida public beaches have them. 

My only concern is the sterility of a rig like that over time. 🤔 My idea is to use a light backpack vest that would normally hold a hydration bladder, and put as much water or hydrating drinks in it as possible.

I know runners use these rigs and I think so does the military, but the long term is what concerns me. 

🍀

[Shojo510]

@F350PlatinumSounds like you needed electrolites which is salt and minerals mixed into the water. You could also try some apple juice as an addition to the straight water but that muscle cramping is most likely a direct effect of not having enough salt or minerals for your muscles to function correctly.  I have a friend that gets that when he goes on long bike rides. He does a mix of salt and lemon in a juice or something but he was amazed at the effect and how much salt it took for the cramping to mitigate. 
 

camel backs and water bladders are great additions to the kit. 👍👍

thanks for the diy suggestions @Doc

 

[GotAU?]

I prefer lukewarm water, not cold (have gotten some horrible stomach cramps when drinking cold water when I was too hot). And as an electrolyte, a chilled V8 on hot summer days is great- no fat, lots of potassium and some calories. I highly recommend them.

[deathray]

21 hours ago, F350Platinum said:

Looking forward to it, Doc. 👍

Got a little story for ya, I was in Myrtle Beach last summer detecting, it was a hot day. Thought I had enough hydration on me, but found out the hard way that I didn't. About a half hour after I got back to the campground, I started getting muscle cramps, so I drank another couple bottles of hydration and some water and vinegar, but the cramps kept getting worse. Ended up calling the rescue squad to take me to the hospital, good thing I did because they got me to drink more and and it got even worse. I cannot describe the excruciating pain. 😵

They got me in the hospital, shot me up with some sort of muscle relaxer, and then started the IVs. A few hours later I was fine, just a little shaky, and they put me in a cab and sent me back to the campground.

Let's say that opened my eyes a bit, so now when it's hot I drink a lot of fluids before I go out, even when it isn't all that hot. 🤔 I've done much better since, but I take a swig of vinegar in water when I get back anyway. Did that in Florida for almost 3 weeks and never had a cramp, just had to make sure there was someplace to hit the bathroom 😅 luckily most Florida public beaches have them. 

My only concern is the sterility of a rig like that over time. 🤔 My idea is to use a light backpack vest that would normally hold a hydration bladder, and put as much water or hydrating drinks in it as possible.

I know runners use these rigs and I think so does the military, but the long term is what concerns me. 

🍀

Welcome to my world, lol. Man, I get some of the worst leg cramps, almost every night, especially in the summer. Im a 60 yr old roofer. Love what I do, but hate dealing with them . Excrutiating is right! Coconut water helps, as does this powder I get from Costco, think its Called Liquid IV.  And when they hit, i pop these leg cramp pills and down some pickle juice. I buy the juice by the gallon, on Amazon. Good luck dude!

[F350Platinum]

3 minutes ago, deathray said:

Welcome to my world, lol. Man, I get some of the worst leg cramps, almost every night, especially in the summer. Im a 60 yr old roofer. Love what I do, but hate dealing with them . Excrutiating is right! Coconut water helps, as does this powder I get from Costco, think its Called Liquid IV.  And when they hit, i pop these leg cramp pills and down some pickle juice. I buy the juice by the gallon, on Amazon. Good luck dude!

Thanks Deathray.

I use about an ounce or two of Bragg Cider Vinegar in about 4+ ounces of water, it stops them in seconds, but that day it did nothing. 😵 Only time ever it didn't work.

I did one 12-12 roof in my life, and never did it again 😏

[deathray]

Hmm...looks like Im going to get some Cider Vinegar. Haha

[okara gold]

6 minutes ago, deathray said:

Welcome to my world, lol. Man, I get some of the worst leg cramps, almost every night, especially in the summer. Im a 60 yr old roofer. Love what I do, but hate dealing with them . Excrutiating is right! Coconut water helps, as does this powder I get from Costco, think its Called Liquid IV.  And when they hit, i pop these leg cramp pills and down some pickle juice. I buy the juice by the gallon, on Amazon. Good luck dude!

I've spent over 30 years as a painter, climbing ladders all day, crawling up roofs to paint dormers, and never drinking enough water. I feel your pain with the leg cramps, and I suffer with them in more places than just my legs. At least for me, it was mostly seasonal. In the wintertime, things slowed down, and prospecting to warmer climates I would go. Dill pickle juice is still my go-to when I absolutely have to get quick relief. When in the bush I almost always used a bladder.

[okara gold]

19 minutes ago, F350Platinum said:

Thanks Deathray.

I use about an ounce or two of Bragg Cider Vinegar in about 4+ ounces of water

I will definitely try your formula. Sometimes my hand would cramp after hours of using a 4 inch paint brush.