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Tips on surviving HK's sticky, humid summer

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  1. #51

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    Quote Originally Posted by cheepo:
    In my opinion, hiking in this heat is not a very good idea. Every summer (or almost every summer) someone dies from heat stroke, or whatever. If indeed you must go hiking bring a lot of water, a phone fully charged to call for help, and tell your friends where you are going.
    Some of us are grown up and don't need to be nannied. People die in their bathrooms all the time, doesn't mean we shouldn't go to the bathroom.

    Hiking in Hong Kong is a damn sight objectively* safer than a lot of popular outdoor destinations. It's certainly the safest place that I have spent any 'wilderness' time in.


    * Bugger all poisonous fauna, stable geology, good phone coverage, usually a handful of kms from habitation, freakishly responsive emergency services.

  2. #52

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    Quote Originally Posted by jgl:
    I'd ask his trekking buddies for confirmation of this before accepting his claim at face value
    If it was something I really wanted to know, I would have. But no fooking (for the delicate among us) way am I trying that myself!

  3. #53

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    Quote Originally Posted by cheepo:
    In my opinion, hiking in this heat is not a very good idea. Every summer (or almost every summer) someone dies from heat stroke, or whatever. If indeed you must go hiking bring a lot of water, a phone fully charged to call for help, and tell your friends where you are going.
    People can make their own choices, however...


    Please don't walk your dogs to death, literally.
    ..............

  4. #54

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    I do wonder about the people who manage to die though. Has anyone paid attention to numbers or causes? I don't as I do not listen to local news.

    I'm under the impression that it's usually a result of people falling off land or sea cliffs- can anyone confirm this?


  5. #55

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    It's a mix. Stream trekking in summer is one (a couple of people most years). But simple heart attacks, dehydration etc are not uncommon. My gut feeling is that somewhere between 5 and 10 people die hiking in HK most years.

    Which is really a very tiny number given how many people do it and given that about 100,000 people die here every year.

    And frankly, I'd far rather die of a heart attack climbing up a nice hill than spend 6 months in a hospital slowly dying of cancer.

    Last edited by Gruntfuttock; 21-06-2013 at 04:11 PM.
    MovingIn07 likes this.

  6. #56

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    Ive bought both the Uniqlo Cotton woven undershirt and the spandex type and I prefer the cotton woven. Seems to have a better fit and more comfortable and breathable.


  7. #57

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    "Hiking" someplace that doesn't eventually get you above tree line = walking in the woods.


  8. #58

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    Quote Originally Posted by jgl:
    Some of us are grown up and don't need to be nannied. People die in their bathrooms all the time, doesn't mean we shouldn't go to the bathroom.

    Hiking in Hong Kong is a damn sight objectively* safer than a lot of popular outdoor destinations. It's certainly the safest place that I have spent any 'wilderness' time in.


    * Bugger all poisonous fauna, stable geology, good phone coverage, usually a handful of kms from habitation, freakishly responsive emergency services.
    Outsiders don't really know how dangerous the heat in Hong Kong is, when hiking in summer. I remember a few years ago an experienced New Zealand hiker died during a summer hike. I think he fell off a cliff or something and broke his leg and because of the heat he died before they found him (he died because of the heat, not because of the fall). So, my advise if you are new to HK (as the OP seems to be) is "don't go hiking". And if he must, then "don't go hiking alone, without a lot of water, and a fully charged phone". Of course the phone signal isn't all over HK territory, so you might get in trouble anyway.

    I also remember the HK government telling people better not to hike in summer, or at least not strenuous hikes or something. I don't really remember, because it doesn't concern me: I think only crazy people or masochists would consider hiking in this heat.

  9. #59

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    Quote Originally Posted by cheepo:
    I remember a few years ago an experienced New Zealand hiker died during a summer hike. I think he fell off a cliff or something and broke his leg and because of the heat he died before they found him (he died because of the heat, not because of the fall). So, my advise if you are new to HK (as the OP seems to be) is "don't go hiking". And if he must, then "don't go hiking alone, without a lot of water, and a fully charged phone". Of course the phone signal isn't all over HK territory, so you might get in trouble anyway.
    I am convinced that in fact that guy was murdered by the other Air New Zealand pilot that was hiking with him. There were just too many things about the story as told by that other pilot that just didn't make sense to regular hikers. Remarkably the HK authorities seemed to let it go with very little meaningful investigation.

  10. #60

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    Be courteous to other users on the trails.



    But don't feed them!


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