Good story Aimless. My eye opener was actually before I started hiking and backpacking. We traveled to the US virgin islands for the first time and St John being a NP had some trails to hike. On my first hike, woefully unprepared for the heat, we hiked along and atop of the island. Thinking this was going to be just a short walk at best I carried NO water. The sun soon dehydrated me to the point of exhaustion and I got to the point I could take only a few steps at a time before I would collapse to the ground. I would pull myself to my feet and take a few more steps...doing that for the remainder of the hike. At one point we were at the top looking down at the ocean and I thought here I am within sight of the cooling waters of the ocean and I feel like I'm gonna die on this pile of rock. Still we enjoyed hiking and when I got home I read everything I could about being prepared in the outdoors. Never have I put myself in a situation like that again.

jimmyb