Hannah M. was a 31-year-old faith and fitness influencer from Scottsdale, Arizona who appeared to be in outstanding shape.
Her social media was filled with photos of her hiking trails and working out at the gym.
She was young, strong, and active.
In May 2025, Hannah went for a hike on a trail in Scottsdale.
She was found about 600 yards from the path.
The Maricopa County Examiner confirmed that heat exposure took her.
Hannah’s mother, Terri, told AZFamily that when the ruling came back, it meant the death was preventable.
Her middle son pointed that out, and it was a hard truth to accept.
Phoenix Fire Captain DJ Lee explained that once the body climbs above 104 degrees, heat stroke sets in.
He said heat illness comes in stages, and once symptoms appear, you need to respond quickly.
Most importantly, Hannah’s story proved that being in peak physical condition does not shield you from heat-related illness.
When you sweat, you shed more than fluid.
You shed sodium, potassium, and magnesium — the minerals that keep your muscles firing, your brain sharp, and your heart beating in rhythm.
Without enough water and electrolytes, the body can shut down in hours — regardless of age or fitness level.
But water by itself is not always enough.
Replacing water without replacing those minerals can actually make things worse.
It is called hyponatremia — and it can be fatal.
So, this is what you need to know about homemade electrolyte solutions and why they belong in your emergency kit.
What is an electrolyte solution?
An electrolyte solution is a drink made with water, salt, sugar, and sometimes potassium that replaces the minerals your body loses through sweat, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Oral Rehydration Therapy has been credited with saving roughly 70M lives worldwide since the 1970s.
It is one of the simplest and most effective health interventions ever created — and you can make it at your kitchen counter.
Basic Homemade Electrolyte Solution: (single batch — about 1 quart / 1 liter):
• ½ teaspoon table salt
• 2 tablespoons (6 teaspoons) granulated sugar
• 1 quart (≈0.95 L) clean, drinkable water
• Stir until fully dissolved. Chill if desired. Discard any unused solution after 24 hours.
This is the recipe that was distributed across Brazil during a cholera epidemic.
The government handed out measuring spoons with two scoops — a larger one for sugar and a smaller one for salt — so families could mix it accurately.
Measure precisely. Too much salt or sugar can be harmful; the effectiveness depends on correct proportions.
If you find the taste unpleasant, adding one lemon or pineapple Crystal Light packet can improve flavor.
And the Crystal Light doesn’t upset the balance, provided you use one packet per quart and do not add sugar.
But note that this is not a full substitute for commercial ORS in severe cases.
Commercial ORS packets contain additional electrolytes (for example, potassium and citrate) and are preferred when available.
Seek professional care for severe dehydration, infants, the elderly, or anyone who cannot keep fluids down.
Sports Drink Based Oral Rehydration Recipe
Yield: about 1 quart (≈1 L)
Ingredients
• 1 quart Gatorade G2 (any flavor)
• ½ teaspoon table salt
Method
1. Pour 1 quart of Gatorade G2 into a clean container.
2. Add ½ teaspoon table salt and stir until fully dissolved.
3. Chill if desired. Discard any unused solution after 24 hours.
If using regular Gatorade or Powerade
• Mix 5 cups of the sports drink with 5 cups of clean drinking water, then add ½ teaspoon table salt. Stir until dissolved.
Gatorade G2 has lower sugar than regular sports drinks; adding salt brings the sodium closer to oral rehydration levels.
Diluting regular sports drinks reduces excess sugar so the solution absorbs more effectively.
Drawbacks to homemade electrolyte solutions:
Measurement errors:
Too much salt or sugar can make things worse, not better.
Stick to the measurements exactly.
Guessing can land you in more trouble than the dehydration itself.
Short shelf window:
Homemade solutions must be used within six hours at room temperature, or twenty-four hours if refrigerated.
Without refrigeration, you make it fresh, the patient drinks what they can, and you toss the rest.
Not a substitute for professional care:
Oral rehydration works for mild to moderate dehydration caused by illness, heat, or exertion.
It does not replace IV fluids for severe cases. If someone is confused, has stopped sweating, or cannot keep fluids down, they need professional care.
Hyponatremia confusion:
Hyponatremia — too little sodium in the blood — can look exactly like dehydration or heat exhaustion.
But the treatment is the opposite.
If someone is overhydrated rather than dehydrated, giving them more fluids could be fatal.
Signs include headache, nausea, confusion, and loss of balance after drinking large amounts of water during extended exertion.
In a wilderness setting, the WMS recommends giving a broth made from three or four bouillon cubes in half a cup of water.
If you want to be prepared for heat illness or dehydration emergencies, keep these priorities in mind:
Priority 1: Store salt, sugar, and measuring spoons in a sealed bag inside your emergency kit.
These weigh almost nothing and could keep someone breathing during a crisis.
Priority 2: Print the basic recipe and laminate it.
Tape it inside your first aid kit so anyone in your group can mix it under pressure.
Priority 3: Keep commercially packaged electrolyte tablets — like Potable Aqua Electrolyte Tablets — in your vehicle and go-bag.
This will cover you in situations where mixing a solution from scratch is not practical.
To make sure you are ready for heat emergencies and any other crisis, keep a hydration pack with your bug-out bag.
