Originally Posted by
Koyote
This.
Was once backpacking with my first wife in Grand Gulch in Southern Utah -- very remote, no roads, pre-cell phone era. I was kind of a desert rat in my twenties and thirties, and was accustomed to the heat - and knew how to handle it. She declined my frequent advice to drink more water, and ended up with a wicked case of heatstroke -- could barely walk, was hallucinating at one point, etc. We made it out, but slowly -- and I had to transfer virtually everything from her pack into mine. 'Course, I wasn't a dumbass, so I was drinking plenty of water.
The heat and humidity are killers where I live in a Gulf Coast swamp. The only thing that helps me is ICE. Insulated bottles, extra cubes in a pannier, etc. When the ice runs out I better be close to home. No other way for me until late September. When I used to do much longer rides, or weekend tours, I hauled a BOB trailer with an ice chest on it, golf umbrella, and a big sponge. I could have you shivering in 10 minutes under the umbrella squeezing ice water on your head while you suck on ice cubes. Nowadays I just ride the smart trainer inside. With ice in my bottles!