Breathless

How to hike and explore with asthma.

One of the most important parts of any kind of outdoor activity is knowing your limits. No matter who you are or what you’re doing, you need to get acquainted with the limitations of your gear and your body. Sometimes this means knowing the rated strength of your climbing rope, the ground clearance of your vehicle, or the temperature rating of your sleeping bag. In those cases, upgraded gear can solve any problems you experience. Other times, the limitations aren’t as easily remedied. Asthma is one such limitation.

With the myriad of outdoors sports and activities available, there are several which don’t require as much physical strain. Four-wheeling, mild camping, and certain types of fishing are all hobbies that can be enjoyed by severe asthmatics without worry. But many past times do require a substantial bit of muscle, endurance, and agility. Skiing, hiking, trail running, cycling, kayaking, rock climbing; the list goes on and on. Most outdoor sports demand robust respiratory health in order to enjoy them to their fullest. So what are adventurers with asthma supposed to do?

I was formally diagnosed with asthma around seventeen years ago, when a simple elementary school recess left me wheezing, gasping for air, and feeling faint. Since then my asthma has never completely come under control despite preventatives. I can remember a middle school summer camp deep in the heart of the Rockies, somewhere exceeding 8,000 feet, where I was winded after dragging a few armloads of gear inside the cabin. I still find myself using my rescue inhaler, albeit less often as the years go by and I continue to learn what my limits are. Many people would tell me to cut back my physical activity, but I found that engaging in the activities with a different strategy was actually the better solution. So allow me to pass on some of my knowledge to you, the dear reader.

Pace yourself and take breaks when you need to.

This level-one rule of hiking and exploring seems like a no brainer, but it’s one that we often forget. It’s easy to surge ahead in excitement of a new location, but it’s even easier to forget to pace yourself if you’re hiking with non-asthmatics. Before setting out, make sure the whole party knows each others’ general limits, whether it’s a nut allergy so they know not to bring out their particular trail mix, or a respiratory issue so they know to take it easier. Many trails, even hard ones, have enough switchbacks and random widenings to allow you to pull off to the side and catch your breath without becoming a road block to other hikers. Take these times to grab some water from your canteen and take in the sights. Remember, it’s a hike not a race.

Know your own warning signs.

The biggest part of knowing your limits is not reaching your limit on the trail in the first place. Regardless if it’s a loop hike, an out-and-back, or a point-to-point, you need to know when to turn back. For older explorers this might mean keeping tabs on your knee stiffness; for asthmatics this means paying attention to your heart rate and breathing difficulty. If you find yourself breathing substantially quicker than you did at the trailhead, require deeper breaths, or experience even mild chest tightness, turn back. Never forget that however far you get into a trail, you have to hike that distance all over again when you come back down. Oftentimes for trails that are rocky and steep you even need to do a bit of trail running. This is because the steepness of the path would beat up your knees or trip you if hiked like normal, so a bit of trotting down the steep parts is necessary to avoid joint damage or falls. If you’re already spent by the time you turn around, the descent is going to be brutal. Never be afraid to make your own halfway point.

Watch the elevation and temperature.

Just as high elevation can aggravate asthma due to the thinner air, temperature can play a role as well. I’ll sometimes find that an exceptionally hot or exceptionally cold day can make strenuous activities more difficult. If it’s cold enough that you need a facemask, this makes the problem even worse. Remember that gentle deep breaths pull in oxygen much more efficiently than short gasping breaths, especially when the thermometer pegs in one direction or the other.

Always pack your rescue inhaler.

You can follow all of these tips and more to the letter and still have an asthma attack out in the wilderness. Whether you use it weekly or you haven’t puffed it in half a decade, always have an updated rescue inhaler for that “just in case” moment. Behavior modification only goes so far, and some severe asthma can attack somewhat unprovoked. In the same way you prepare a waterproof container of matches just in case your lighter runs dry of fluid, make that inhaler a standard part of your emergency pack. In a survival situation, it can be the difference between life and death.

Explore with a buddy whenever possible.

This one’s another no-brainer, but one that we neglect far too often. Between wildlife attacks, accidental falls and sprains, and dirtbag criminals looking to assault unsuspecting adventurers, your asthma should only be one of multiple reasons to explore with a buddy. When camping, fishing, and hunting it’s almost a requirement. Having someone to watch your six, share the gear load, and experience the wilderness with you is not only necessary for safety but it enhances your experience as well. Adventuring is just plain more fun with a good friend by your side to summit the trail with or share a whiskey with at the end of a long day.