What does it mean to be dehydrated?
Dehydration is a sneaky issue and can happen before you feel the side effects. It occurs when your body loses more water than it is taking in, and therefore does not have enough water to function properly.
When you’re at a festival, particularly in the summertime, you may be out in the sun and surrounded by people — and it can get pretty hot. When you’re in those kinds of circumstances, you will sweat more than normal, causing your body to lose water and important electrolytes. If you don’t replace that water at the same rate that you are losing it, you will become dehydrated.
Signs of Dehydration
It’s not always easy to tell if you’re becoming dehydrated, but here are some common signs and symptoms to watch out for:
- Dry mouth
- Dry, cracked lips
- Extreme thirst
- Fast heartbeat
- Dizziness
- Feeling tired
- Less urine than normal
- Darker urine than normal
An easy way to check up on your hydration status is to look at the color of your urine. If it’s light yellow, you’re good to go. If it’s darker yellow, you need to hydrate immediately. Take a look at this handy chart that shows the different colors to watch for. Remember, it’s possible to be dehydrated and not have any symptoms, so be sure you keep track of how much water you’re drinking. It’s also important to remember that alcohol can cause you to become dehydrated. So, if you’re drinking during a festival, be sure to match your water intake to your alcohol intake. In other words, drink a full glass of water for each alcoholic drink you have.
Tips to Stay Hydrated During a Festival
- Make a hydration kit. You don’t have to be a Boy Scout to live by the motto “be prepared.” Make yourself a hydration kit to take with you to festivals. A hydration kit can include a water bottle or hydration pack, hydration powder like HydroRX (more on that below), and a printout of a urine color chart for reference.
- Start out hydrated. You’ll be ahead of the game if you start drinking water the day before the festival. Make sure you are drinking at least 64 ounces of water the day before, so you’ll already be ahead when you get there. Make sure to utilize water lines at festivals so you can keep up with hydration throughout the day.
- Water bottles or hydration packs. There are lots of different water bottles on the market to choose from. It’s probably your best bet to go with a water bottle that keeps drinks cold for long periods of time (HYDRO CELL makes a good one). Not only will you have refreshing cold water that tastes good, but it will also help you cool down if you are in a hot, sunny environment. If regular water isn’t your thing, there are infusion water bottles to consider. These have baskets that hold fruit in your water, infusing it with a hit of flavor. The possibilities are endless, so you can add whatever you feel like adding that day. If you need a water bottle that reminds you how much to drink throughout the day, they have those too! This water bottle has time marks on it, so you know how much you should have had by whatever time it is. If water bottles aren’t your thing, consider a hydration pack that you can wear on your back. These can be backpack-style canteens, vests, or even waist-wearable that have a tube that is easily accessible, making staying hydrated hands-free and an incredibly easy task.
- When you sweat, you’re actually not just losing water – you’re losing important electrolytes too. Electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, and others come from the food and drink we consume, and levels change based on the amount of water in your body. Electrolytes are incredibly important to your body’s functions and have big impacts on vital organs like your heart. Sounds like something you want to keep in check, am I right?! So how do we do that? Drinking electrolyte-enhanced water will help you maintain a good balance. There are water supplements (both liquid and powder form) that you can buy that act in the same way. HydroRX is an amazing hydration powder that has 19 essential vitamins, Himalayan sea salt for that extra boost of sodium that your body needs, a hint of energy, and ZERO calories. Better yet, it’s immune-boosting, vegetarian-friendly, and has no artificial sweeteners or coloring, so you can enjoy it guilt-free all while maintaining good hydration during festivals.
Festivals can be an amazing place to dance, hang out with people, and experience music, so you don’t want to miss out on anything by being dehydrated. Use the tips above to keep yourself in optimal hydration shape, so you can have the incredible experience you came to have!
