How to deal with extreme sweating?

[Mats Roing]

One of the biggest problems I've encountered along the trail is the large amount of sweating I seem to produce. Even on a dry cool day wearing shorts the shorts starts to get drenched pretty fast and then the sweat continues down my legs and into my socks and shoes. Wearing a backpack makes things worse since the back produces extra sweat from not being able to breath as easily (even with meshnetting on the back like the Ospreys etc). It then goes down over the buttock (which usually gets soaked first) and down the legs into the shoes. I've tried wristbands around the ankle but they are difficult to get off and on with shoes on. Headbands are too big for the ankles unless I put them above the knees but often they slide down due to the variable thickness of the leg.

Any suggestions? Anyone with similar issues?

 

[Stash]

ShamWow undies?

 

[mookie]

Any suggestions? Anyone with similar issues?

dont hike?

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Any suggestions? Anyone with similar issues?

No. Yes. There are several threads on this already...

Sweat gets in my eyes
Hiking in long pants

Tim

 

[Mats Roing]

No. Yes. There are several threads on this already...

Sweat gets in my eyes
Hiking in long pants

Tim

Sweat in the eyes is taken care of by a headband.....so that's not a biggie....

Long Pant thread is about scrapes and bugs etc....

What I'm talking about is sweat flowing down your legs and soaks up your shoes.....probably the best way is to cut off a headband and attach velcro to it so that you get an optimal ankle fit and can easily wring them out with shoes on.....I'll keep trying

 

[Little Rickie]

What I'm talking about is sweat flowing down your legs and soaks up your shoes.....probably the best way is to cut off a headband and attach velcro to it so that you get an optimal ankle fit and can easily wring them out with shoes on.....I'll keep trying

I bring extra socks and have nylon shorts to change into if I get too wet. Sometimes I just live with it and have a change of clothes in the car for the end of the day.

 

[Paradox]

Slow down.

 

[Little Rickie]

probably the best way is to cut off a headband and attach velcro to it so that you get an optimal ankle fit and can easily wring them out with shoes on.....I'll keep trying

You could sell those on e-bay.

 

[WinterWarlock]

What I'm talking about is sweat flowing down your legs and soaks up your shoes.....probably the best way is to cut off a headband and attach velcro to it so that you get an optimal ankle fit and can easily wring them out with shoes on.....I'll keep trying

That is indeed a lot of sweat...I thought I was bad! Instead of your headband idea, what about a Buff around your ankles/calves? They wick pretty well (I use one instead of a bandanna since I soak thru the bandanna's too much)

Sorry - that's all I have for you.

 

[mookie]

we should have a sweat contest.
wear sweat bands in assorted areas of body and after a hike squeeze into a glass/jug and see how has the most sweat.

 

[Stash]

No. Yes. There are several threads on this already...

Sweat gets in my eyes
Hiking in long pants

Tim

And the ShamWow one...

http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=27546&referrerid=2939

 

[John H Swanson]

I have had the opportunity to work in the Philippines where the weather conditions lead to overheating when standing still. I noticed that the local people would have a sheen from pirspiration, while I was sweating profusely. In fact I would sweat so much that my clothes would be saturated and the sweat rolling down my legs would pool in my shoes. It was a rather uncomfortable climate for me.

A few things come to mind. Assuming your body is working as designed, then it is trying to cool down your core temperature.
1) One could reduce the core temperature by limiting the generation of heat - slow down, stop, limit activity in hot climates, shade yourself (umbrella?) or
2) increase cooling thru forced convection, drinking cool water (1/2 fill bottles and freeze overnight, then fill in the moring of the hike), bathe in cool water at streams, ice your body with ice packs, etc.....

But getting back to my Philippines experience...once I gave in to the fact that I was going to sweat, and sweat alot, to the point of saturating my clothes, then life was easier. The locals routinely use towels (sweat rags) to control the flow. I think this concept would have limited success as your feet will probably be sweating too. Changing socks might delay the problem, but not forever. We have all hiked with wet shoes in the rain. Perhaps a solution would be to determine how to equip your feet to work well when wet. Not desirable but possible.

 

[griffin]

I've seen half-gaiters made out of stretchy material - won't help with the swampy pants, but it might divert the torrent of sweat coming down your legs away from your socks and boots.

 

[DougPaul]

A few things come to mind. Assuming your body is working as designed, then it (your body) is trying to cool down your core temperature.
1) One could reduce the core temperature by limiting the generation of heat - slow down, stop, limit activity in hot climates, shade yourself (umbrella?) or
2) increase cooling thru various means: forced convection, drinking cool water (1/2 fill bottles and freeze overnight, then fill in the moring of the hike), bathe in cool water at streams, ice your body with ice packs, etc.....

3) Eat lightly. Digesting food also generates heat.

Doug

 

[Mats Roing]

we should have a sweat contest.
wear sweat bands in assorted areas of body and after a hike squeeze into a glass/jug and see how has the most sweat.

The headband I'm wearing gets filled up about every 30 minutes so I have to squeeze out many times before coming back to the TH. And that's just the sweat above the eye level.....on a pemi-loop if it's a cool day I sweat at least 2.5 gallons.........did about 2.75 when I did the last one overnight. I've started to bring additional salt to prevent cramping. 0.9% of your body is salt and 0.009 x 2.5 gallons isi about 3 oz of salt being lost through sweat.....but now I'm going off the track here.....thanks for your inputs.....much of the hiking is problem solving.......

 

[John H Swanson]

The headband I'm wearing gets filled up about every 30 minutes so I have to squeeze out many times before coming back to the TH. And that's just the sweat above the eye level.....on a pemi-loop if it's a cool day I sweat at least 2.5 gallons.........did about 2.75 when I did the last one overnight. I've started to bring additional salt to prevent cramping. 0.9% of your body is salt and 0.009 x 2.5 gallons isi about 3 oz of salt being lost through sweat.....but now I'm going off the track here.....thanks for your inputs.....much of the hiking is problem solving.......

And don't forget potasium

 

[Mats Roing]

And don't forget potasium

I usually bring a couple of bananas along also......and magnesium tablets....and endurolytes....and kelp.....I also think that miso soup with some good sea weed in it would be good to counter the sweating.....haven't tested that yet though.....gotta love testing stuff out

 

[MikeM]

Hi Mats,
How were you able to estimate the 2.5 gallons of sweat on the pemi loop? Maybe water consumption and a prehike and posthike weigh in?

 

[DougPaul]

And don't forget potasium

I usually bring a couple of bananas along also......and magnesium tablets....and endurolytes....and kelp.....I also think that miso soup with some good sea weed in it would be good to counter the sweating.....haven't tested that yet though.....gotta love testing stuff out

You can also buy potassium chloride (KCl) salt-substitute at the grocery store.

Morton Lite salt is half table salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) and half KCl. Also available at the grocery store.

A while ago, I posted a recipe for home made electrolyte--perhaps you can adapt it to your needs. Threads describing and discussing the electrolyte:
Long distance nutrition
recipe:
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showpost.php?p=54650&postcount=21
thread:
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=4914

Salt Tablets?
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=7093

Heat Illness and Hiking
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=7351

Have you had enough to drink?
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=11541

Drinking too much water on the trail?
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=6133

Mythbusters: Sports Drinks and Trail Mix
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16598

Real Food vs Processed : What do you bring on the trail ?
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=18975

Doug

 

[Mats Roing]

Hi Mats,
How were you able to estimate the 2.5 gallons of sweat on the pemi loop? Maybe water consumption and a prehike and posthike weigh in?

I filled up my 4-liter MSR bladder twice on the trail plus had it quarter full when started..... and then drank about half liter when returning to get re-hydrated....and was able to pee again in somewhat normal color. Didn't bring scale.......of the pemi-loops I've done this seems to be about normal. Once in November I did a flat two gallons....temps started in the 20's and finished around 40 or so.