Trail Electrolyte Mix
Sugar, salt, and lite salt in a bottle. Costs pennies a liter and beats carrying tabs.
- calories
- 170
- weight
- 1.7 oz
- cal / oz
- 100
- protein
- 0 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 0 min
- total time
- 5 min
- water
- 750 ml cold
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Drink
- No cook
- Backpacking
- Thru-hike
- Day hike
- Bikepacking
- Canoe / raft
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Eat in the bag
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Table sugar | 3 tbsp | dextrose works too and dissolves faster in cold water |
|---|---|---|
| Table salt | 1/4 tsp | about 600 mg sodium |
| Lite salt (potassium chloride blend) | 1/8 tsp | sold next to regular salt; this is the potassium |
| Citric acid | 1/8 tsp | canning aisle; cuts the salt flavor |
| Powdered drink flavor | 1/2 tsp | unsweetened lemonade or fruit punch powder |
| Baking soda | a pinch | optional, takes the edge off a sour mix |
Method
- Measure everything into a snack bag at home. One bag per liter you plan to drink.
This is the thing the gear roundups are selling, minus the sachet. The ratio is what matters: sodium in the 500 to 700 mg range per liter, a smaller hit of potassium, and enough simple sugar that the water actually moves out of your gut instead of sitting there. Salt alone tastes like seawater and absorbs slowly. Sugar alone leaves you drinking sweet water while your sodium keeps dropping.
Citric acid does the flavor work. Without it the salt sits right on top and most people quit after two sips, which defeats the point. Mix it into a full bottle, not a half-full one, or the concentration gets unpleasant. Shake rather than stir, since cold filtered water dissolves sugar slowly and the last of it otherwise settles into a syrup at the bottom.
Packing
Snack bags nest flat in a hip belt pocket. Double-bag the whole batch; citric acid pulls moisture and a leaky bag cements the rest together.
Variations
- Halve the sugar for a mix you drink all day rather than one you drink after a climb.
- Swap the drink powder for 1/2 tsp of powdered ginger in cold weather.
- Add a scoop of unflavored maltodextrin if you want the calories without more sweetness.
https://www.cleverhiker.com/hiking/best-hydration-mixes