Now before I get sued, let me state that the title of this entry is is also the slogan of the company Camelback, who makes backpack hydration systems. Although many other companies make similar products, the Camelback has become ubiquitous with this type of product, similar to Kodak, Kleenex, Hoover, etc. Dehydration can be a real problem in the desert leading to heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and death. Not as common, but just as deadly is over hydration, or water intoxication, that leads to hyponatremia which results when too much water is ingested in too short a time without replenishing electrolytes, particularly sodium and potassium. So plenty of water and a balance of food and sports drinks are recommended.
The DoD doesn't recommend drinking the water out of the tap in any of our deployed countries even though it may be considered potable by some. To remedy this, we buy and consume literally billions of bottles of water. It's ironic that we have so much drinking water available to us while the indigenous citizens are in need of potable drinking water. (This is part of my job here to help remedy this situation) What's equally astonishing is the sheer waste of this product. In the early years of this conflict, we used to only get bottles in one to 1.5 liter sizes. All too often I would see people grab a bottle, take a few chugs, and then throw the rest away. At least I've noticed this time over here, there are only single serving 0.5 liter sized bottles so less goes to waste. Although the plastic trash in the form of a carbon footprint is staggering. I suppose if you have that much oil, you can afford to be so wasteful with producing plastic in these countries.
Let me take this opportunity to step on my soapbox for a moment. I'm absolutely ashamed that our Western society has bought into the sham idea that bottled water is good for you. It has no natural minerals and offers no real health benefit. In fact, their pure water isn't really what they portray it to be at all. In fact, many bottled water producers only filter regular tap water to create their "superior" product. So why shouldn't we drink bottled water? With the exception of a municipal supply that might have been temporarily tainted, there's absolutely no reason in the U.S.A. that anyone should ever turn to a bottle of water over tap water. Americans have been brainwashed that somehow bottled water will make them healthier, which it will not. In fact, you get the majority of your body's requirement of water from the food you eat. The remainder of that requirement is filled when you quench your thirst with a beverage (any beverage including sodas) of some sort. Normal functioning kidneys don't care where you get your water source from.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20080402/health-benefits-of-water-oversold
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/02/eveningnews/main3991145.shtml
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/top-6-myths-about-bottled-water
But I digress...
While in the desert, if you aren't urinating every couple hours you're putting yourself at risk. This makes sleeping through the night pretty difficult, which is why many over here have a "piss bottle" handy near the bed. Keep in mind that most of us typically don't have bathrooms facilities in our living quarters and must walk several hundred yards to a latrine trailer. In the accommodations on my base I'm lucky to have indoor plumbing and a toilet twenty feet from my bed, so the afore mentioned makeshift chamber pot isn't really necessary.
Just keeping hydrated in the desert really isn't enough. Preventing sunburn and keeping cool are crucial to survival. In this heat, you will sweat and you won't even know if it you're in shorts and a t-shirt because the perspiration will evaporate almost instantly. The trick to staying cool in the desert is not to be as naked as possible, nor is it to completely cover up all exposed skin in non-breathable fabric. The Arabs have this right with their the Abaya or Burqa for women and Keffiyeh, or "man dress", for the men. A loose fitting garment to cover exposed skin from the sun, yet allows air to circulate throughout the body is best. Unfortunately the U.S. Army doesn't seem to understand that when wearing constricting clothing, such as the ACU or MultiCam duty uniform, sweat does not evaporate, and thus heat builds up. At least the Marines are allowed to roll up their sleeves when not in combat.
As it stands now I'm at 6000 feet above sea level in Kabul, so it's not quite as hot here as it was in Kuwait on the Arabian peninsula. There, you were literally sweating out the water as fast as you could get it back into you. Here, I'm working in an office and and really don't go outside much unless I have a mission at another camp or one of the government ministries. It's also starting to finally cool off in the afternoons as we get into the Fall, although I'm dreading the snow in the winter months. I'm still taking in a lot of water though. I'm trying to bulk up, and the supplements I'm taking are mixed with water, so I drink about a liter of water every day in the gym alone.
As I have slowly acclimatized to this environment, I've noticed I've needed less water and less trips to the bathroom. I'm also not sweating as much anymore as when I first got here. Once I first got off the plane in Afghanistan, I was in a constant state of perspiration for several days until I was used to the altitude. So as my body gets accustomed to the environment and food, my mind settles in for the long haul. A year is a long time and all I can say is I'm glad they have (Arabic) Coke Zero because drinking only water to replace fluids is really starting to get old.
More to follow.
The DoD doesn't recommend drinking the water out of the tap in any of our deployed countries even though it may be considered potable by some. To remedy this, we buy and consume literally billions of bottles of water. It's ironic that we have so much drinking water available to us while the indigenous citizens are in need of potable drinking water. (This is part of my job here to help remedy this situation) What's equally astonishing is the sheer waste of this product. In the early years of this conflict, we used to only get bottles in one to 1.5 liter sizes. All too often I would see people grab a bottle, take a few chugs, and then throw the rest away. At least I've noticed this time over here, there are only single serving 0.5 liter sized bottles so less goes to waste. Although the plastic trash in the form of a carbon footprint is staggering. I suppose if you have that much oil, you can afford to be so wasteful with producing plastic in these countries.
Let me take this opportunity to step on my soapbox for a moment. I'm absolutely ashamed that our Western society has bought into the sham idea that bottled water is good for you. It has no natural minerals and offers no real health benefit. In fact, their pure water isn't really what they portray it to be at all. In fact, many bottled water producers only filter regular tap water to create their "superior" product. So why shouldn't we drink bottled water? With the exception of a municipal supply that might have been temporarily tainted, there's absolutely no reason in the U.S.A. that anyone should ever turn to a bottle of water over tap water. Americans have been brainwashed that somehow bottled water will make them healthier, which it will not. In fact, you get the majority of your body's requirement of water from the food you eat. The remainder of that requirement is filled when you quench your thirst with a beverage (any beverage including sodas) of some sort. Normal functioning kidneys don't care where you get your water source from.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20080402/health-benefits-of-water-oversold
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/02/eveningnews/main3991145.shtml
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/top-6-myths-about-bottled-water
But I digress...
While in the desert, if you aren't urinating every couple hours you're putting yourself at risk. This makes sleeping through the night pretty difficult, which is why many over here have a "piss bottle" handy near the bed. Keep in mind that most of us typically don't have bathrooms facilities in our living quarters and must walk several hundred yards to a latrine trailer. In the accommodations on my base I'm lucky to have indoor plumbing and a toilet twenty feet from my bed, so the afore mentioned makeshift chamber pot isn't really necessary.
Just keeping hydrated in the desert really isn't enough. Preventing sunburn and keeping cool are crucial to survival. In this heat, you will sweat and you won't even know if it you're in shorts and a t-shirt because the perspiration will evaporate almost instantly. The trick to staying cool in the desert is not to be as naked as possible, nor is it to completely cover up all exposed skin in non-breathable fabric. The Arabs have this right with their the Abaya or Burqa for women and Keffiyeh, or "man dress", for the men. A loose fitting garment to cover exposed skin from the sun, yet allows air to circulate throughout the body is best. Unfortunately the U.S. Army doesn't seem to understand that when wearing constricting clothing, such as the ACU or MultiCam duty uniform, sweat does not evaporate, and thus heat builds up. At least the Marines are allowed to roll up their sleeves when not in combat.
As it stands now I'm at 6000 feet above sea level in Kabul, so it's not quite as hot here as it was in Kuwait on the Arabian peninsula. There, you were literally sweating out the water as fast as you could get it back into you. Here, I'm working in an office and and really don't go outside much unless I have a mission at another camp or one of the government ministries. It's also starting to finally cool off in the afternoons as we get into the Fall, although I'm dreading the snow in the winter months. I'm still taking in a lot of water though. I'm trying to bulk up, and the supplements I'm taking are mixed with water, so I drink about a liter of water every day in the gym alone.
As I have slowly acclimatized to this environment, I've noticed I've needed less water and less trips to the bathroom. I'm also not sweating as much anymore as when I first got here. Once I first got off the plane in Afghanistan, I was in a constant state of perspiration for several days until I was used to the altitude. So as my body gets accustomed to the environment and food, my mind settles in for the long haul. A year is a long time and all I can say is I'm glad they have (Arabic) Coke Zero because drinking only water to replace fluids is really starting to get old.
More to follow.
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