iRunFar Survival Tip #1 – Emergency Electrolyte Sources

If you are ever stuck out on the trail or the road with water, but no electrolytes consider using your […]

By on October 27, 2008 | Comments

desert salt electrolytes runningIf you are ever stuck out on the trail or the road with water, but no electrolytes consider using your head… or, more specifically, your hat. If you’re like me, you don’t wash your running hat all the time. During this time various salts build up in and on the hat. When in need, just wet a small section of the hat and squeeze into your mouth or water vessel. (Don’t wet the whole hat at once, lest electrolytes end up dripping uselessly on to the ground.) While this may seem gross to some (not to us), it’s far better than cramping up or worse out in the wilderness because you don’t have an electrolyte source. Read on for more emergency electrolyte sources.

Anyone every tried something like this? Got any other ideas for emergency salt sources?

mimulus ringers Allegheny monkey flower electrolytesHere are are three more, we’ll add more as comments come in:

  • Wring out a sweaty shirt – This will only work if it’s humid out.
  • Face salt – Ever come back from a winter run and notice salt all over your face? Just consider your a giant soft pretzel and eat up!
  • Monkey flowers – Flowers in the genus Mimulus concentrate salt in their leaves and stems and are a good source of electrolytes if you are stranded in the wilderness.
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Bryon Powell

Bryon Powell is the Founding Editor of iRunFar. He’s been writing about trail running, ultrarunning, and running gear for more than 15 years. Aside from iRunFar, he’s authored the books Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons and Where the Road Ends: A Guide to Trail Running, been a contributing editor at Trail Runner magazine, written for publications including Outside, Sierra, and Running Times, and coached ultrarunners of all abilities. Based in Silverton, Colorado, Bryon is an avid trail runner and ultrarunner who competes in events from the Hardrock 100 Mile just out his front door to races long and short around the world, that is, when he’s not fly fishing or tending to his garden.