Heat Illness

Heat can turn an ordinary day outdoors into a medical emergency. The tricky part is that heat illness often builds gradually: someone gets tired, irritable, or clumsy, and the group assumes they just need to push through. In the field, that assumption can be dangerous. Learning to spot heat illness early—and act promptly—matters just as much as carrying water.

First, know the difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat exhaustion may bring heavy sweating, weakness, headache, nausea, dizziness, muscle cramps, or faintness. Stop the activity, move the person into shade or a…