Survival Skills: Dehydration
by Blue Ridge Bass

All the basic info you need to know concerning dehydration.

The average adult loses 2 to 3 liters of water at a temperature of 68F. It is lost through natural body processes such as urinating, sweating, and defecating. I more extreme conditions your body might lose more water. Dehydration occurs when this water cant be replaced. But don't be fooled, thirst is not an indictation of how much water you need. So even if you aren't thirsty, drink small amounts of water regularly to prevent dehydration. Some signs that you are or are becoming dehydrated are the following:

5% dehydrated - Thirst, irritability, nausea, weakness

10% dehydrated - Dizziness, headache, inability to walk, tingling sensation in limbs

15% dehydrated - Dimmed vision, painful urination, swollen tongue, deafness, numb feeling in the skin

More than 15% - Death

Drink enough liquids to maintain a urine output of at least 1 pint a day. In a hot climate, drink 4 to 8 gallons. Do not use sea water or urine no matter what. This will satisfy thirst only a shortly. This will cause additional fluid loss.

Original at: http://www.gomestic.com/Emergency-Preparation/Survival-Skills-Dehydration.346627