Staying Fit and Healthy Trekking on Kokoda Track
Health Considerations and Staying Safe While Hiking the Kokoda Trail
Oct 16, 2009
With good management and addressing possible risks, it is possible to stay fit and healthy while hiking the historical Kokoda Track.
Hygiene on the Kokoda Track
Personal hygiene is one area that a trekker needs to be extra vigilant while on the Kokoda Track. The entire trip can quickly turn into disaster if a stomach bug is picked up on the first day. All the training in the world, the best equipment, boots and trekking with the best tour company can quickly be negated if drinking contaminated water.
Therefore, the first requirement is to treat all water. Chemical or other treatment, such as a Steripen should be used. A trekker must not rely on boiling water, as a fire won’t always be available.
Hands should be washed regularly; especially after ablutions and just prior to eating. Like normal hygiene measures in the city to avoid catching bacteria and viruses, a trekker should avoid putting dirty hands in their mouth, nose and eyes as this is a common way for nasties to enter the body.
The alcohol based hand wash gels are perfect for trekking. Just a small amount is required to effectively sterilise the hands, so only a small bottle needs to be carried on the Kokoda Track.
Food Preparation on the Kokoda Track
A trekker should also be well aware of food preparation. This mainly applies on the track where trekker’s food is usually cooked by porters, but can also be relevant when in Port Moresby before starting across the Owen Stanley Ranges.
A general rule is to only eat things that have been cooked or opened yourself.
The cooking rule means that the heat will have killed off any of the bugs and bacteria that might have been lurking in things like meat, vegetables and in the water.
A hiker who opens a food item himself can have some confidence the food is free from bugs. These are items like tinned food, packets of biscuits, cans of drink and fruit.
Buying fruit from the villages along the track is one of the simple pleasures of a trek along the Kokoda Trail. And if a trekker opens the fruit, such as a banana, themselves there is the check of contamination.
A trekker also needs to be aware of dragging the mouthpiece of their hydration bladder in the dirt when taking the backpack on and off. The dirt can contain bad organisms and these can easily be ingested when taking the next sip from the hydration bladder mouthpiece.
Dehydration on the Kokoda Track
The most vital aspect of keeping healthy on the Kokoda Trail is keeping hydrated. Excessive sweating from the physical exertion is the main source of loss of body fluids. These fluids can also be lost from the body by vomiting and diarrhoea from a bacteria or virus.
The big danger on the Kokoda Trail can occur when these causes of dehydration work together. That is, a trekker who is slightly dehydrated from the excessive exercise may catch a vomiting bug that expels more fluids from the body and also prevents the body from absorbing fluids. This is a dangerous situation and can be fatal.
To prevent any chance of dehydration, a hiker needs to be continually taking in water. A hydration bladder with tube is best as the hiker can sip during the trek. Water bottles are suitable, but need the hiker to stop to take in the fluid.
It would be safe to state that a hiker could never drink too much water on the Kokoda Track.
Replace Electrolytes When Hiking
Some sort of electrolyte replacement strategy should be used when trekking the Kokoda Track. This is to replace the body salts that are lost through sweating.
Some trekkers and tour companies suggest adding electrolyte powder (such as Staminade) to a hiker’s water bottles or water bladders at every fill. This can be a good strategy, but care needs to be taken that not too much powder is added as the opposite effect can occur and can lead to dehydration. There is also the problem of carrying the heavy powder before it is added to the water
Another solution is to take sachets of electrolyte powder (such as Hydralyte) that can be added to a cup of treated water at the end of each day. During the day straight sterilised water is drunk. The electrolyte powder sachets come in various flavours and can mean a nice flavoured drink at the end of the day’s hike. They are also less weight to carry.
It is possible to stay healthy while trekking the Kokoda Track. All that is required is to be aware of risks that may occur on the track and have effective strategies to reduce those risks.
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