TIPS: GET THE MOST OF WATER
Understanding how the air temperature and your physical activity affect your water requirements allows you to take measures to get the most from your water supply. These measures are —
* Find shade! Get out of the sun!
* Place something between you and the hot ground.
* Limit your movements!
* Conserve your sweat. Wear a complete set of clothing to include a T-shirt. Roll the sleeves down, cover your head and protect your neck with a scarf or similar item. These steps will protect your body from hot winds and the direct rays of the sun. Your clothing will absorb your sweat, keeping it against your skin so that you gain its full cooling effect. By staying in the shade quietly, fully clothed, not talking, keeping your mouth closed and breathing through your nose, your water requirement for survival drops dramatically.
* If water is scarce, do not eat. Food requires water for digestion; therefore, eating food will use water that you need for cooling.
Thirst is not a reliable guide for your need for water. A person who uses thirst as a guide will drink only two-thirds of his daily water requirement. To prevent this "voluntary" dehydration, use the following guide:
* At temperatures below 38 degrees C, drink 0.5 liter of water every hour.
* At temperatures above 38 degrees C, drink 1 liter of water every hour. Drinking water at regular intervals helps your body remain cool and decreases sweating. Even when your water supply is low, sipping water constantly will keep your body cooler and reduce water loss through sweating. Conserve your fluids by reducing activity during the heat of day. Do not ration your water! If you try to ration water, you stand a good chance of becoming a heat casualty.
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