When you’re doing a multi-day expedition, it’s really important to stay healthy. You need to make sure you’re as strong and fit as you can be to get the most out of a trek, but also to keep yourself safe. But if you’ve done all your training, and prepped all that you can, what can you actually do on the ground? If you’re wondering how to stay healthy on a trek, we’ve got you covered…
How to stay healthy on a trek
Firstly, remember the important thing – we send an international doctor on every single one of our expeditions. That means you have medical care as soon as you need it. But remember, you must tell the expedition doctor the moment you feel unwell. That way, the treatment will likely be simpler. Don’t be a hero and keep it to yourself! Now, onto you…how to stay healthy on a trek.
Keep hydrated
This is so, so important. You need to stay well hydrated not only because you’re sweating a lot on a trek, but also to help you acclimatise to increasing altitude. If you don’t keep up your water intake, you can suffer. Remember the golden rule – drink at least 5 litres a day on a trek. You can follow James’s advice here – he drinks 1 litre as soon as he wakes up, 2 litres on the trail, and 1 litre as soon as he gets to camp. That way, the 5 litres are drunk before you stop and eat, and long enough before bed that you won’t need to pee in the night (hopefully).
Stay well fed!
Again, it’s so important to keep eating on a trek. This is kind of an obvious one – you need the energy to keep trekking day after day. We give you three amazing and hearty meals on a trek, but it’s also important to bring some snacks with you. These need to be high in calories and, more importantly, tasty! A cruel trick of high altitude is that it can diminish your appetite, just when you need it the most. Don’t bring a weird energy gel if you’ve never had them before – they might upset your tummy. Bring the protein bars, cereal bars and chocolate that you love – just bear in mind you don’t want anything too melty.
Get a good sleep
We all know how important a good nights sleep is. And it’s definitely needed on a trek. But again, altitude can play tricks on us. That, combined with sleeping in tents in unfamiliar territory, can be even trickier. Make sure that you create a cosy little den in your tent, and that you’re nice and warm. Bring ear plugs too, if you’re a light sleeper.
Wash your hands
Ugh, we know, we know. It feels like everyone’s been telling us to wash our hands constantly since March 2020. But on a trek, it’s super important to wash your hands before you eat and after you go to the loo. Gastroenteritis is the most common illness on a trek, and the best way to avoid it is good hand hygiene. Bring plenty of hand sanitiser and wash your hands with soap and water whenever you can.
