Don't forget to keep hydrated
Dehydration is the main enemy of hunters and campers, particularly when the weather is cold.
During the hot season and warm days, it's easier to get thirsty and thus find something to drink but when the day is cold, water losses are almost the same than during hot days but it's harder to be aware of it because of the lack of thirst, making easier to get dehydrated during a hunting expedition or just hicking around.
Once dehydrated, a person is more likely to get disoriented, the judgment gets blurred and it's harder to make clever decisions, especially during a critical situation, and that's why dehydration is so dangerous.
It's not only is capable to kill a person because of its body dysfunction, but also affecting his survival capabilities and even putting people in hazardous situations, most of the time without being aware of the real risk.
That's why it remains paramount not only to count on a reliable water supply but also to be conscious of the need for water and don't neglect hydration, otherwise, our body and mind will deteriorate silently until putting us in real danger.
During physical activity, our body heats up and bodily water is used to keep everything running well inside the cells, so there's water consumption even when the weather is cold and it's necessary to refill bodily water reserves to prevent organ damage.
In a hot climate, things are easier because it's feasible to get thirsty but during cold days many people don't feel the need to drink water, getting dehydrated slowly and continuously, until being so weak that it's possible to collapse.
To avoid such a dangerous situation it's very important to be aware of how much water we are drinking throughout the day, and rehydrate our body continuously, despite being thirsty or not, otherwise, once we find out we are dehydrated, it might be too late.
A good idea to keep hydrated is to have a fixed amount of water with us every day.
Usually, a healthy adult needs around 2 liters of water daily, 3 during exhausting physical activity, thus if you begin your day with 2 liters of water on your canteen, by midday it should remain half the volume and late afternoon all the water should be consumed.
Monitoring the amount of water on our reserve provides an objective approach to our hydration status.
Another trick is to check the urine color. Clear, crystalline urine means good hydration instead, dark yellow urine implies dehydration and the need for water urgently.
Same with the urinary frequency. Even when each person has a particular pattern, usually there is a time frame between 3 and 4 hours between micturitions, so if such period extends up to 5 or 6 hours, probably you are dehydrated and your body reduces the urine production to save water.
In both cases, urine concentration or longer micturition intervals, the solution is easy: Drink water! But the best would be to avoid achieving such a point.
Perhaps it's not a big deal, but drinking enough water during your hunting expedition might save your life, so next time you pack for camping or hunting, don't forget to be aware of your hydration status.
