I wrote a rather long blog post about my experience hiking with type 1 diabetes (focusing more on the diabetes/wanting to be free of it/ aspect than the hike itself) and I wanted to see if others here have also had a similar experience.
For me, one of the biggest things to consider was the insulin, and making sure it doesn't freeze at -20 F temperatures. Water freezing is not that big of an issue if you have the proper equipment to defreeze it - but if insulin freezes, you are in trouble.
Did you have any other big problems or issues? What was at the top of your mind? How did your trip go? (and where was it?)
I am planning on making other such trips this winter, and it wouldn't hurt to be more prepared and see how others have fared.
I wear my pump against my skin on my hip or abdomen when I ski, and it's fine. My meter froze up on a ski trip to Wolf Creek, Colorado, last year, even though I had it inside my jacket in an inside breast pocket. I read in Diabetes Forecast that a hiker kept the meter's battery warm in his pants pocket and then popped it in the meter when he needed it. I think the key is to keep the stuff between skin and thermal clothes. The article also mentioned glucose tabs instead of liquids because they don't freeze. I noticed that the altitude, cold, and exercise gave me a rush and made me feel low, even though I was actually running 300+ mg/dL from all the extra snacks I was eating "just in case" so I could keep skiing. Oops. Good luck!
