I am thinking about going on a 3 day hike on the Appalachian Trail. Its obviously a very "minimalist" hike. I am carrying my food in a backpack, etc etc etc. anyway, any pointers or suggestions for me since I am diabetic? Should I not go? I take really good care of myself and keep control of my blood sugar, but this will be pretty extreme conditions.
3 Day Hike...diabetic
- Thread starter origino
- Start date
So are you looking for advice from diabetics, backpackers, or diabetic backpackers? I don't know very much about diabetics but I would think as long as you took care of yourself it would be ok. However, you would need to study your route and plan for a worse case scenario. Assuming you are not travelint alone you would probably need to make sure your hiking partners were aware of what to do in an emergency.
chuychanga
500+ Posts
My dad is diabetic and we've been on tons of 5-7 days expeditions together. He probably does one or two hardcore outdoor trips every year. Kayaking, hiking, etc... all on unguided trips hundreds of miles from medical help. He can control his with diet, he's never been on insulin.
He says he knows the feeling when he needs to eat something. He ends up snacking a lot to keep from getting too low. He is never without some sort of food nearby and always has a little extra for unexpected meal delays.
Have fun.
He says he knows the feeling when he needs to eat something. He ends up snacking a lot to keep from getting too low. He is never without some sort of food nearby and always has a little extra for unexpected meal delays.
Have fun.
I can't help you with the diabetic aspect, but one of my college roommates and I covered a good part of the ~300 miles of the AT that runs in Tennessee, when we were in undergrad in Knoxville. My advice is do not be frugal when you are picking out hiking boots. Get something with a very hard bottom. The AT is covered with roots and rocks like no trail I've ever seen, and the soil is as hard as concrete from all the foot traffic. Your feet will thank me.
mayberryrfd
100+ Posts
Why don't you give a nutritionist a call and ask about this?
Are you hiking alone? Consider getting a (PLB) personal locator beacon for emergencies. There might be places you can rent one if you don't wish to purchase. If you are a seasoned hiker, you probably already know to check in with a Park Ranger and stuff before you go off hiking on long trails.
Hiking with diabetes
Backcountry menus for diabetics
Aside from that, make sure your footwear is good stuff from the socks on up and that you take supplies to take care of anything that could happen to your feet. Look into sealed sugar tablets-they are waterproof but not too hard to get into if you find you are in trouble.
Are you hiking alone? Consider getting a (PLB) personal locator beacon for emergencies. There might be places you can rent one if you don't wish to purchase. If you are a seasoned hiker, you probably already know to check in with a Park Ranger and stuff before you go off hiking on long trails.
Hiking with diabetes
Backcountry menus for diabetics
Aside from that, make sure your footwear is good stuff from the socks on up and that you take supplies to take care of anything that could happen to your feet. Look into sealed sugar tablets-they are waterproof but not too hard to get into if you find you are in trouble.
As a diabetic myself, I say you should be fine...though I should caution I don't have great control.
My advice would be:
1) Test your blood sugars much more frequently than normal...The hiking will drop your sugars so you should keep a closer eye on them than normal.
2) Keep extra glucose tablets (or whatever you use) on supply.
3) I don't know if you are Type 1 or Type 2, or if you use shots or a pump. If you are type 2, I can't offer anything. If type 1, lower your carbs-to-insulin ratio...You won't need nearly as much insulin as you normally do.
4) Pack lots of extra snacks, more than you would normally expect to take. I would go with carb heavy snacks, power bars, etc...Stuff that will pack the carbs in without taking lots of space in your pack.
5) If you have a regular diabetic educator or endocriologist, contact them and let them know your plan...They will be able to offer much more specific advice since they know your diabetes, patterns, etc. better than any of us. They will likely encourage you to go too, b/c cardio is excellent for diabetics...as long as you know what your doing.
Over 3 days of hiking will cause you to burn lots of carbs, so you will have to closely watch blood sugars more than usual, probably lower insulin levels, and definitely carry more snacks/glucose than normal...I have hiked the grand canyon several times, and it was definitely worth it and I was fine.
My advice would be:
1) Test your blood sugars much more frequently than normal...The hiking will drop your sugars so you should keep a closer eye on them than normal.
2) Keep extra glucose tablets (or whatever you use) on supply.
3) I don't know if you are Type 1 or Type 2, or if you use shots or a pump. If you are type 2, I can't offer anything. If type 1, lower your carbs-to-insulin ratio...You won't need nearly as much insulin as you normally do.
4) Pack lots of extra snacks, more than you would normally expect to take. I would go with carb heavy snacks, power bars, etc...Stuff that will pack the carbs in without taking lots of space in your pack.
5) If you have a regular diabetic educator or endocriologist, contact them and let them know your plan...They will be able to offer much more specific advice since they know your diabetes, patterns, etc. better than any of us. They will likely encourage you to go too, b/c cardio is excellent for diabetics...as long as you know what your doing.
Over 3 days of hiking will cause you to burn lots of carbs, so you will have to closely watch blood sugars more than usual, probably lower insulin levels, and definitely carry more snacks/glucose than normal...I have hiked the grand canyon several times, and it was definitely worth it and I was fine.
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