Written by Aga Macura and Yan Giovannoni. Posted in Tech-n-Tips

It’s early morning as I open my helmet visor. The feeling of the hot air rushing in is akin to opening an oven door. We are in the remote Australian Outback; the closest city is 200 miles away. Today, we want to reach the mesmerizing Bungle Bungle Range in the middle of the desert, and we need to start right away—before the temperature passes 100°F. Suddenly, I feel a sharp pain in my abdomen. The pain gets worse. I can’t ride any farther and must lay down. We don’t know it yet, but in several hours, I’ll be on a plane heading to the hospital. The culprit? Dehydration.

Before setting off on a trip around Australia on our two Suzuki DR650s, we knew it meant riding in oppressive heat. We bought well-ventilated gear and planned our route carefully to avoid the extremes, including floods and torrential rains of the wet season when many roads in the north are impassable.

Carrying enough water for the Outback is critical due to the region’s remoteness and scorching temps. We carried three 1.6-gallon water bladders and each had 0.8-gallon hydration backpacks—a total of 6.4 gallons between us. That’s a lot of extra weight, but it’s better to be safe than sorry; the Outback is unforgiving, and we had no intention of being ill-prepared, irresponsible travellers needing rescue.

A few months into the trip, we were on schedule to avoid the worst of the wet season in the north. But, nothing ever goes exactly as planned on long motorcycle trips. One day, as we rode along one of the countless dirt roads, Aga lost control of her bike in deep sand and broke her big toe. Ignoring the pain, she managed to ride another 60 miles to the nearest city. By the time we stopped, her foot was so swollen that she couldn’t get her motocross boots back on. At that point, there was little choice but to pause our trip for a month, although that wasn’t nearly enough time for a broken bone to heal completely. The hotter months were rapidly approaching, and we still had all the Australian north to cross, about 2,500 miles through one of the most remote and unforgiving parts of the continent.

Fifteen hundred miles later, we reached Darwin only to be delayed again—this time a busted carburettor cost another 10 days waiting for parts. The pressure of time started to weigh heavily on us; we were now six weeks behind. It was September (the beginning of Australia’s summer season) and the heat was already intense. We had many miles to cover before heading to the cooler south.

Somehow, we had to regain the lost time. That meant riding extended hours, often during the hottest times of the day. And that meant we didn’t make enough stops to hydrate and eat well.

Riding in the sweltering heat for days on end drains energy fast, and in the midst of our exhaustion, we started making mistakes. To make matters worse, we were now dropping the bikes more often; picking them up, especially in full gear with all the luggage, drained even more energy, adding to the vicious cycle of making even more errors!

Bull dust, a.k.a. fesh-fesh, is one of the worst surfaces to ride on. A fall is almost certain, but at least the landing is soft. (Gibb River Road, Western Australia)

In hindsight, the warning signs of dehydration were already evident: fatigue, irritation, decreased urination. It got even worse when Aga suffered a brief episode of heat exhaustion. She was struggling with fatigue, severe headaches, and nausea. But we brought her electrolytes up, gave her a little rest in the shade, and everything seemed back to normal, so we carried on as before.

If you push hard for long enough, something is bound to go wrong at some point, and that’s what happened a few days later. It was nearing the end of the dry season. We were in the middle of nowhere on our way to the Bungle Bungle Range, one of Australia’s World Heritage Sites, and super-excited to be almost there. That’s when Yan’s dehydration hit, and he ended up in a hospital.

We just made it to a small clinic in an aboriginal community, receiving a few shots of morphine, and an IV bag of saline, waiting for five hours before getting him medivacked to a hospital 500 miles away. Diagnosis: kidney stones due to extreme dehydration. Fortunately, after all the necessary tests, a night at a hospital, a few extra shots of morphine and more bags of saline, he made a full recovery. We were lucky and the story ended well. So, without further issues, we continued on. From that point forward, we were much more careful.

Aga’s heat exhaustion, followed by Yan’s visit to a hospital was a reminder that no matter how well-prepared you are, things will go wrong if you ignore the dangers of extreme heat.

In the Australian Outback ,the temperature can reach over 86°F early in the morning. Riding offroad in these conditions is a sweaty business. (Northern Territory)

Here are a few rules to keep in mind when riding in extreme heat (above 100°F) for long periods. If you ignore them, you could end up having the same issues we had… or worse.

The amount depends on the person, the type of riding, the region, if you’re planning to camp and cook, etc. Consider also if you have enough water in case of a delay caused by emergency such as breakdown or injury. In northern Australia, signs recommended drinking at least a gallon of water per day. Some sources recommend each rider carrying at least a quart per hour of riding.

It’s also important to carry water in several bladders, packs, or bottles, in case one breaks. The added benefit is that you can better balance the mass around your bike by packing the containers in different places.

Drink regularly throughout the day, even when you don’t feel thirsty, as that means you’ve already started to dehydrate. This is why we advise using hydration packs or having an easy-to-access bottle so you can drink often.

Before riding into a remote area, plan in advance where to resupply your water. When there is water, but you’re not sure if it’s safe to drink, use a water purification filter, a gravity filter, or purification tablets. Furthermore, check the weather forecast in advance so you’ll know when the heat is the strongest as well as when sunrise and sunset occur. This helps to plan stops around the hottest point of the days. In extreme heat conditions, it’s advisable to ride early in the day. Stop before midday, and either set up camp for the night, or wait until the temperature drops before resuming riding.

Sure, everyone likes to end their riding day with a cold beer or two. Unfortunately, alcohol makes your body dehydrate even faster, and sugary drinks prevent your body from absorbing water. Not a good idea when undertaking significant physical effort (i.e., off-roading) in hot conditions in the middle of nowhere and with limited water supplies.

When you sweat, your body loses water and precious minerals. Electrolyte tablets or powder help fight dehydration and make you feel better after a particularly sweaty day. We usually had water with electrolytes at the end of the day.

Drink enough during the day so that your pee is a pale-yellow color. The darker the pee, the more dehydrated you are. If you do not pee at least four times per day you are dehydrated—so, drink more!

Gear with mesh or ventilation will help you cool down when riding and reduce sweating. However, when off the bike, you probably won’t last long wearing that gear without a cool breeze passing through the vents. That doesn’t mean to strip down to short-sleeved T-shirts and shorts. Yes, it may sound counter-intuitive, but long-sleeved, loose-fitting clothes are actually a much better option. They keep your skin shaded and trap moisture, and also protect from sunburns. Sunburns make it harder for your body to cool down. Use sunscreen on any part of your body not covered. And don’t forget a hat! Finally, it’s preferable to have your gear and clothes in light colors. They reflect sunrays better than darker colors (which can be as much as 20°F hotter). Now you know why the famous Tuareg nomad, the icon of the Dakar Rally, wears a long light-blue garment and a turban. It is simply the best desert gear.

When you need to stop, try to find shade. It’s a good idea to carry a tarp or a large clothing item to make some shade if needed. This kind of setup will also come in handy if you need to repair a puncture in the middle of the desert under a scorching sun.

The symptoms of dehydration include less frequent urination, dark-colored urine, extreme thirst, fatigue, dizziness, confusion, and irritability. If you start showing these symptoms, you need to stop in the shade and drink more water. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are more extreme; learn about their symptoms and the first-aid procedure for each. Heatstroke can be life-threatening, and when experienced you should not hesitate to call for an emergency or use an emergency beacon (Spot, EPRB, and Garmin inReach).

Australia is full of dirt roads where you can test your off-roading skills. (Cape York, Queensland)

Aga Macura and Yan Giovannoni are a Polish-Swiss couple currently traveling the world on their two Suzuki DR650s. They have recently completed a lap of Australia, a journey of almost 10 months and over 20,000 miles. While this was Aga’s first long motorcycle trip, Yan rode in 2012 from Europe to Japan via Russia, Mongolia, and South Korea on a 1993 Honda Africa Twin. You can follow their adventures on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and on their website: FarWayout.com

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