Hiking Tips during COVID-19: Know Your Route Stay Hydrated

Dr. HONG Tin Chak

Resident Medical Officer

Specialist in Family Medicine

Despite the changes to lifestyles due to the pandemic, you can still enjoy outdoor activities as long as you follow the infection control measures and COVID etiquette.

Many people try to let off steam and have family outdoor fun by hiking. Accidents are not uncommon during the pandemic, as it is easy for newcomers to underestimate the risk involved and overestimate their fitness level when planning a hike. And here are some of the major tips for safe hiking.

Be Well-prepared before Hiking  

The first rule of safe hiking is “Know Yourself (and Your Companion) and Know the Route”. Choose a trail that suits you and your fellow hikers. For emergency, tell your family and friends early about your hiking plans.

You are also advised to check the weather forecast and charge your mobile phones before hitting the hiking trail.

Wearing light-coloured, loose-fitting clothes helps keep you cool. Proper footwear is also important: high-cut hiking boots provides adequate ankle protection; they should also stay tight so as to leave space between the toes and toe cap, thereby preventing toe injury while walking downhill; other features include a solid sole with deep lugs for better grip and soft interior. Thick socks are also recommended for providing better cushion and leg protection.   

Bring along insect repellents and body cooling items, such as towels, portable fans and sun hats. Using hiking poles can help reduce the burden on the legs. To prevent fluid loss, carry adequate water supply rather than drink alcohol or caffeinated beverages.    

Take Notice of Temperature and Humidity

One can get exhausted easily when hiking under Hong Kong’s wet and humid weather. To prevent heat exhaustion and heatstroke, try to avoid the hottest period of the day. Start hiking at 10:00am and return after 4:00pm.

Heat Exhaustion and Heatstroke

Heat exhaustion occurs if you are exposed to high temperatures for a prolonged period of time. It can cause systemic discomfort when your body keeps losing sodium and water through sweating without replacement. Though conscious, you may show symptoms such as dizziness, profuse sweating, pale skin, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, wet and cool skin, rapid but weak heartbeat.

Heatstroke is caused when your body fails to cool off, increasing the core body temperature to over 40.5.℃. It can affect the central nervous system and cause headache, flushed skin, lack of sweating, weak muscle, dry skin, high body temperature and racing heart rate

Whether heat exhaustion or heatstroke is suspected, try to move the person to a cool, shady place immediately and remove excess clothes. Cool him/her down by using a portable fan or wiping the body with warm water. You can also wrap some ice bags or cold drinks in towels and place them by his/her neck or under his/her armpit. Stop cooling him/her if he/she shows signs of over-cooling, e.g. shivering.

Heatstroke not only can cause damage to internal organs; it can be life-threatening if severe. If you suspect someone has a heatstroke, call 999 or take him/her to the hospital without delay.

Prevent Heatstroke

Stay Hydrated at All Times

Keeping yourself hydrated is extremely important. Failure to do so may lead to increase in body temperature, more viscous blood and slower blood flow, resulting in lack of oxygenation and result in fatigue, racing heartbeat and extra heart burden.    

To stay hydrated and lower the temperature, try to take a few sips every 15 minutes. You don’t replenish fluids only when you feel thirsty.

Seniors and children are having weaker thermoregulation, thus cooling off and hydration is particularly noteworthy. Patients with chronic cardiopulmonary and musculoskeletal conditions should consult their doctors before hiking and avoid rugged terrains. If symptoms like fatigue, nausea, dizziness or headache continues after rest, better call it a day. Do not exert yourself too much.

For safe and happy hiking, remember the following tips: check the weather forecast; plan the hike based on your fitness level; wear the right clothes; bring along all necessary accessories and beware of your body condition while hiking.

Source：

1. Steadman, R.G. The assessment of sultriness. Part I: A temperature-humidity index based on human physiology and clothing science. J. Appl. Metereol. 1979, 18, 861 - 873.