Best electrolyte powder for a summer visit?

[danceintherain]

I have a little anxiety from traveling lately. Airline losing stuff. Planes getting redirected. Sleeping in an airport overnight.
So, I like keeping the "necessities" on me. But, I could probably throw Mio in my checked back for our trip in December. Hopefully, we'll be flying Southwest nonstop both ways.

Also, my youngest has terrible eczema, so it's not really an option to just buy and use whatever sunscreen for him we can find. Today, I just spent over $100 on long clothing for him that is marketed as cooling, because he had such a bad break out this week. Hopefully, once that heals, I'll be able to find a sunscreen that he can tolerate. It will also help once he's not doing chemo and taking pneumonia prevention antibiotics anymore. Hopefully, his skin will be stronger before our trip.

 

[kjs1976]

My two cents...Just returned and used Liquid IV for the first time. I'm 46 and have noticed it helps a lot with my energy and keeps blood sugar stable with my power walking and jogging so I wanted to give it a try at WDW. I felt it made a huge difference in my energy levels and recovery. I forgot to use it in the morning of our third day at Studios and I started to fade really fast compared to using it our first two days. I haven't used any other powder so I can't compare, but am glad I tried something to help with the heat and walking!

 

[Heather1101]

We will be in Disney World late June, early July. We have NEVER been to Orlando in the summer. (We used to pull our kids out of school in January/February to go to FL but they've gotten too old to do that anymore.)

I've read all the tips about summer touring and several things show up over and over... but sunscreen and staying hydrated probably top the list.

I'm looking on Amazon to preorder some electrolyte powder hydration packets and there are a zillion options. Can anyone recommend a brand that tastes ok and ideally won't break the bank? We've never used these before, but we live in a milder weather area.

(I wasn't sure which forum to post this in, so mods feel free to move it.)

Liquid IV from Costco is readily available and not too expensive but it’s full of sugar if that is a concern for you.. If you’re not afraid of alternative sweeteners, my favorite is Redmond Relyte. They have variety packs or Insividual flavors available in sticks or tubs. I love watermelon lime, strawberry lemonade and pina colada. The sticks are very convenient to just throw in your bag.

 

[cobright]

We will be in Disney World late June, early July. We have NEVER been to Orlando in the summer. (We used to pull our kids out of school in January/February to go to FL but they've gotten too old to do that anymore.)

I've read all the tips about summer touring and several things show up over and over... but sunscreen and staying hydrated probably top the list.

I'm looking on Amazon to preorder some electrolyte powder hydration packets and there are a zillion options. Can anyone recommend a brand that tastes ok and ideally won't break the bank? We've never used these before, but we live in a milder weather area.

(I wasn't sure which forum to post this in, so mods feel free to move it.)

The problem with those mixes is they give you more than you need and don't taste great. The parts that taste the worst are also the ones you probably won't need as much of (sodium chloride ... probably).

Some electrolytes are lost faster than others, If you are eating typical vacation food, don't worry too much about anything that adds sodium or chloride unless you go long stretches between eating. Calcium isn't usually the culprit either. Potassium isn't a problem if you have even an occasional fruit through the day. But the big ones are Magnesium, Potassium, and phosphate.

One of my favorites is a product used by the old-timey soda fountain jerks called Acid Phosphate. It's a food grade liquid made up of phosphoric acid, magnesium phosphate, calcium phosphate, and potassium phosphate. In drink recipes it can substitute for lime juice. As a mineral supplement, a tiny splash per water bottle worth... add it until you can just barely taste it.

Also, this plays out in ways you won't expect, if you're on any sort of hypertension meds, go easy with the potassium. A lot of those meds slow the reuptake of potasium and you can end up with too much. Too much potassium, oddly, can feel a lot like not having enough of it and then you try adding even more potassium to your system.

 

[Anna131517]

We use the pedialyte powder packets. They’re individual servings and come in a variety of flavors. You can probably find them in your local pharmacy in the baby/kids section. It’s basically just Gatorade but in single serving packets. Or take a big tub of Gatorade powder and put it in your water bottles.

 

[unrequited23]

Also, my youngest has terrible eczema, so it's not really an option to just buy and use whatever sunscreen for him we can find.

We found that applying CeraVe cream (in the big tub) before sunscreen application greatly expanded our choices of sunscreen. We still use mineral sunscreen, but can be more flexible about the brand.

 

[danceintherain]

We found that applying CeraVe cream (in the big tub) before sunscreen application greatly expanded our choices of sunscreen. We still use mineral sunscreen, but can be more flexible about the brand.

I'm going to try this..... I also ordered a whole Cetaphil line of "eczema relief" stuff and some Vanicream sunscreen. He just loves being outside so much! But, I never want to deal with cancer again!

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

I'm going to try this..... I also ordered a whole Cetaphil line of "eczema relief" stuff and some Vanicream sunscreen. He just loves being outside so much! But, I never want to deal with cancer again!

After my chemo and radiation, I actually used the CeraVe sunscreen. It was recommended by the nurses and they were right. It was gentle on my skin and blocked the sun as needed where I wasn't covered up with clothing.

ETA: We also really like the Liquid IV. If you visit their website, usually within hours they will start sending you promo codes for a percentage off via pop-up ads. They sometimes have direct sales that are better prices than Sam's Club.

 

[buzlite]

Some tips I would recommend.
Heat sickness is a big concern.
Keep whatever you’re drinking cool. Either by refilling with ice or keeping it in a cooler. If you have a cooler then keep some ice packs. If you feel you are overheating hold the ice packs in your hands inside the cooler for 10 minutes. Should cool you down. Keeping your drinks cool should keep you warm too.
Avoid alcohol if you can. Take lots of breaks to sit down and relax. Consider a mid day break when the sun is at its peak.
Wear a hat. Apply sunscreen all over. Don’t forget your ears! Reapply every 2nd ride to remember.
Walk through the stores when you can. For example magic kingdom. Saves your energy for walking in the sun.
Wake up early to get out before the sun. Afternoon pool breaks help a lot.
If you start feeling nauseated, lightheaded, dizzy, get a headache then it’s time to take a break. Don’t push through or you’ll ruin your whole day. Go sit down in AC, grab a cold drink and take at least an hour to rest, hydrate and cool down.

 

[Dug720]

For hydration, when I was running I used Nuun tablets - and I still like them a lot! Much easier to drop a tablet into the bottle than try to open a powder packet - at least for me.

 

[greeneyedchick]

Sorry, I haven't found any powders yet. I end up sticking with Gatorade or Vitamin Water.

You can buy single-serve packets of Gatorade powder from amazon. It's a lot less weight to carry around the park than bringing multiple bottles of liquid gatorade.

 

[Rogue1677x]

You can buy single-serve packets of Gatorade powder from amazon. It's a lot less weight to carry around the park than bringing multiple bottles of liquid gatorade.

That's great to know. Thanks!

 

[Bama Mom]

I dehydrate very easily, even though I drink a lot of water. My DIL suggested I try Liquid IV as did the lab tech at my doctors office. I have been using it every since and it helps keep me hydrated. It was suggested to me to start by using one every other day and not daily and then start taking it daily after a month. Not sure why, but that's what I did. It has worked wonders on keeping me hydrated. I like the strawberry flavor the best and surprisingly I like the lemon ginger even though it doesn't look very appetizing.

 

[fatmanatee]

You can buy single-serve packets of Gatorade powder from amazon. It's a lot less weight to carry around the park than bringing multiple bottles of liquid gatorade.

Can endorse this, have some Zero packets and they’re basically the same flavor as the bottles. Don’t think it’s been mentioned here but Biosteel is another good option, albeit more expensive for what you get. Other options: SaltStick chews, energy gummies/gels. There are tons of options, lots of good names mentioned here, just make sure it’s a name brand with a good reputation and is sold in stores, not sure I trust some of what I see on Amazon.

 

[boswelliseinhorn]

Brawndo the thirst mutilator. It's got what plants crave.

Sorry, when I hear electrolytes, my brain defaults to this.

 

[AustinTink]

Vanicream sunscreen.

Nothing beats Vanicream. My son has had eczema his entire life, over 20 years now. Vanicream doesn’t bother his skin in the slightest. We use the whole Vanicream line of products.

 

[AustinTink]

I’m not familiar with liquid IV and some of the other listed here. We’ve always just done Emergen-c. An extra large water bottle with ice water, emergen-c and a dash of orange juice always got us through Disney days as well as long sports days when my son was a student athlete.

 

[mandy200587]

My go to I haven't seen mentioned is drip drop, i've never noticed an after taste with it. Plus it's got me through southern days when it's hotter than blazes outside. Helps with hangovers, tiredness. They have a ton of flavors but fruit punch is my favorite

 

[loislane]

Just my 2 cents, but I much prefer Propel over LiquidIV - both the flavor and the ease of mixing/size of the packets. We try to travel light in the parks, so I wasn't wanting a pocket full of the LiquidIV packets. I got both at Walmart.

We were just there last week and of course it was hot. I would do just one or two bottles a day with the Propel added. Then I'd have plain water, maybe add some TrueLemon, and usually get a refill of whatever I drank at lunch. Seemed to work well.
Good luck with whatever you decide and enjoy your trip!

 

[sneedo24]

We use Waterboy packets. Takes some pre-planning to get but really good results.