I stumbled upon a women laying flat in the middle of the trail high on a ridge, wearing her tent as a blanket late one hot afternoon. Her husband explained that she collapsed and wasn't able to move for several hours. Heat stroke, maybe? He somehow had cell reception for a few minutes and was able to phone for help, but we were miles from a road. I gave them what water I could spare, and remembered something I stored in my first aid bag for this very situation: Oral IV.

Back home, a friend gave me a bag of these small water capsules and explained that they are like an entire IV of hydration. He didn't ask me to rep the brand, but more, test it out if I, or any other hiker for that matter, was dehydrated and in a desperate situation. I certainly didn't want to be caught in that scenario, and every ounce matters out here, but I still carried one just in case.

She downed it with a few sips of water and I went on to look for a place to pitch. An hour or two later, the couple made it to my campsite, feeling much better, and we thought it wise for her to get some rest and try to make it out in the morning. I smell a trail name: Heat Sleeper. Search and Rescue arrived near midnight. They were fantastic, helpful, kind and thorough. That was a fun wake up call (I thought they were aliens). Camping so close together, you can hear every word, and the couple explained that she felt better after taking the water capsule. Their words, not mine. I'm so happy we woke up as new friends with a memory to share, rather than anything more severe. I'm definitely going to carry a few Oral IV's with me moving forward, and hope to hell I never need to use 'em.