As the weather gets hot, remember to take care of yourself!

Just a friendly little reminder to everyone to remember to hydrate and eat properly before going to play airsoft in the hot weather. Also to take care of yourself while playiing by staying cool and staying hydrated! I saw a lot of heat exahustion at the last op (myself included, I violated my own rule and did not eat anything and had not been hydrating properly, and I threw up). But, with proper care, heat injuries can be prevented.

Remeber when Hydrating to avoid Caffeine! Caffeine is a diuretic and dehydrates the body even quicker. Drink water or gatorade/powerade. In the mornings try to drink orange juice or something with a lot of vitamins/minerals, cus your going to need them when you play.

Rememebr to be eating healthy too. Eating healthy can do wonders for your energy levels. Does this mean you have to eat nothing but salads? Heck no. Just be smart. Eat pasta or meat or just things high in carbs or protein.

Remember to recognize sign of Heat stress, and if your not feeling well, dont be afraid to sit out for while. If you wanna rest but stay in the game, pull security on an Objective or something!







Symptoms of Hyperthermia (IMPORTANT)

The two most common forms of hyperthermia are heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Of the two, heat stroke is especially dangerous and requires immediate medical attention.

Heat stress occurs when a strain is placed on the body as a result of hot weather.


Heat fatigue is a feeling of weakness brought on by high outdoor temperature. Symptoms include cool, moist skin and a weakened pulse. The person many feel faint.


Heat syncope is a sudden dizziness experienced after exercising in the heat. The skin appears pale and sweaty but is generally moist and cool. The pulse is weakened and the heart rate is usually rapid. Body temperature is normal.


Heat cramps are painful muscle spasms in the abdomen, arms or legs following strenuous activity. Heat cramps are caused by a lack of salt in the body.


Heat exhaustion is a warning that the body is getting too hot. The person may be thirsty, giddy, weak, uncoordinated, nauseated and sweating profusely. The body temperature is normal and the pulse is normal or raised. The skin is cold and clammy.


Heat stroke can be life-threatening and victims can die. A person with heat stroke usually has a body temperature above 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Other symptoms include confusion, combativeness, bizarre behavior, faintness, staggering, strong and rapid pulse, and possible delirium or coma. High body temperature is capable of producing irreversible brain damage.

Yeah, and I strongly recommend for everyone to buy a hydration pack. At the last game I put 8 bottles of water through my hydration pack and was still somewhat dehydrated, so don't think, "oh thats to much water" when there really isn't. Especially since its getting 90+ go to the local army navy store and pic one up for about 30+ bucks. Or even go to a local BJs where I got my first 2L one for $20.

This is what we do for Cross Country and Track races to hydrate and eat.

Two nights before = Drink a lot of water and eat carbohydrate rich foods, pasta and chicken are the best. Pizza is good too.
Day Before = Drink fluids in general all day long, water and powerade/gatorade. Stay away from sugary things like soda and caffeinated beverages. Eat the same things as before and a lot of it. No dairy though. Stay away from butter and cheese and such. Get a goods nights rest.
Day off = Light breakfast, no dairy. Drink powerades/gatorades only 2-3 hours before the race/game. After this be drinking water only. Slow pace of drinking as race/game approaches.

As this is airsoft and not a race there will be breaks in between games. If its hot and your losing fluids, you will need to hydrate. In between games get a few sips of water but not alot. If you chug down a whole powerade or something and then proceed to play and run soon after you have a high probability of seeing the drink again which is even more likely if it is a sports drink. During long lunch breaks be sure to get a lot of fluids towards the begining so it has time to settle.

As for the methods of bringing fluids. Hydro packs are great. Dont get Condor ones though. The pack itself is great but the bladders suck. You could get a Condor and replace the bladder with a Camelback one but if you want quality get Camelback first off.

Or if you are cheap like me and don't want to spend the money on a camelback, just get a gallon jug of water and bring it with you to your games. I always have one with me whenever I am playing. It is a fairly inexpensive (in the grand scheme of things) way to remain hydrated while you are out on the airsoft field.

Simply drinking the water wont do it for you though, not when you run into temperatures above 90 with full gear on. When you can, sit in the shade, and splash some water on you, this will seriously help you alot. Key points to keep cool are the top of your head, the back of your neck, and your sternum. Come hyrdated before the games, keep hydrating throughout, and keep cool as often as possible. Open up your blouse and take off your hat, if you really have to its ok to compromise your camo, a sane player with poor camo is much better than a sunbaked loony with proper camo.

Aggressor Dog wrote:Simply drinking the water wont do it for you though, not when you run into temperatures above 90 with full gear on. When you can, sit in the shade, and splash some water on you, this will seriously help you alot. Key points to keep cool are the top of your head, the back of your neck, and your sternum. Come hyrdated before the games, keep hydrating throughout, and keep cool as often as possible. Open up your blouse and take off your hat, if you really have to its ok to compromise your camo, a sane player with poor camo is much better than a sunbaked loony with proper camo.

What kind of dedication is that?! Always keep your camo on!!!


Paul is right though, he is so smart lol

Also the inside of the wrists is a very good spot to splash some cool water.

NJSC wrote:Also the inside of the wrists is a very good spot to splash some cool water.

We do that for cross country as well haha

So true..... I drank my whole hydro pack yesterday and still felt really light-headed and tired. Just terrible to be out there without a hydro pack. Evryone that doesn't have a hydration pack needs to get one at your local Army surplus store or Walmart for these 100 degree battles. They are 100% recommended.