I compared the cost and electrolyte content of 15 hiking hydration products
I got suspicious paying big money for electrolyte products, so I went full nerd and compared fifteen popular options, electrolyte by electrolyte, and costs. I looked at sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, cost per serving, and then calculated the cost per milligram of electrolyte so they all could be compared fairly.
Here’s what stood out:
1. Venture Pal was the best value among dedicated electrolyte mixes. 2. LMNT is excellent, but it’s much more expensive than a nearly identical alternative. 3. SaltStick isn’t nearly as good a value as I expected. 4. Energy chews like Clif Bloks and Honey Stinger are basically expensive sugar with very few electrolytes. 5. The biggest surprise: Salt & Vinegar potato chips are actually a remarkably inexpensive source of sodium for long hikes.
Since switching from Gatorade and SaltStick to LMNT and now Venture Pal, I haven’t had the headaches and leg cramps that used to kill me on long summer hikes.
I can also post the full comparison table here if people are interested. Otherwise it’s on my website if you’d rather see the raw numbers. #hiking #activity source