Hmmm, how did you end up 7 hrs+ from decending with only a quart of water between three people is the first question. How much water did you haul up when you started and was there a water source along the way ?

You've never climbed Sharkstooth, have you?

Yeah where is jt? Calling Mr. 512.

While we wait for you, I will offer some ponderings. My buddy, while we were stupidly hiking (nearly stumbling) in 110 degree temps in Josh with only a liter of water between us, said, "the best place to carry water is in your stomach" and so we drank up. Since this was in 1997, it obviously wasn't a fatal decision. I have been thinking about this for the past decade however, as his statement stuck with me and I am not sure whether it's true or not. Certainly it's not universally true.

I think **it depends** on a couple things. If you are hydrated enough that your kidneys are still making urine, then you still have an extra source of water loss besides respiration and sweat. I think if you are very worried about dying of dehydration and still have your wits about you, the best thing to do would be to drink enough to walk the fine line between when your kidneys stop producing urine and you stop sweating and start to overheat. You can last a day or two, maybe more if you don't eat of lot of potassium, with kidneys that have essentially totally shut down. This should be recoverable/reversible if you are rescued or start to drink when able. However, if you stop sweating and get heat stroke or if you become so dehydrated your blood becomes viscous and you suffer a stroke or whatever, this is not as likely recoverable and you will not be able to be mobile to get out alive. If you develop temporary kidney failure but not heat stroke or other serious complication, you should survive.

This is not the same thing as being stuck out in the cold, but I think the same principles apply in theory. You should drink enough to stay alive and awake enough to get down of whatever you are on, but not enough to be producing buckets of urine and water losses. I am also not sure that drinking urine to preserve water, as suggested in some survival guides, is that useful. In addition to the water, you are consuming concentrated potassium and acids which you were supposed to be getting rid of.

So I would say, again as a pondering without much data, that you should drink to keep sweating and keep from passing out from dehydration, but not so much that you are having to urinate.

Flame away.

What does that matter, was trying to find out why they did not plan ahead.

What does that matter, was trying to find out why they did not plan ahead.

Anyway, I thought about it, better to divide their drinking water when they woke up in the morning.

Don't dodge the question: Have you ever climbed Sharkstooth? A simple Yes or No will suffice.

Carry water in you body not on your body.

P.S. I saw this on discovery. But a good way to stow dehdration and keep yourself cool in a hot environment would be to piss on a shirt and rap it around your head. It makes sense, but i've never had the chance to try it, as i spend more time worring about freezing to death than staying cool.

Why is that related to drinking the water or not.

Because if you have, you'd understand why your statement is silly.

If you have not, that's fine.

Seems everyone is agreed so far drink all, I merely suggest drink all at the start of the day and not drink at night.

Seems everyone is agreed so far drink all, I merely suggest drink all at the start of the day and not drink at night.

Don't dodge the question: Have you ever climbed Sharkstooth? A simple Yes or No will suffice.

Reno, respectfully, you didn't answer his very simple question either. You answered it with a question. Those of us who have not climbed Sharkstooth might be interested in your explaining why having climbed it would exempt one from thinking it poor planning to be "7 hrs+ from decending with only a quart of water [among] three people" - I think he asked a reasonable question, and would like to know why you seem to think otherwise. Thanks.