Western hunting as a diabetic

[Greyes]

Hey guys, I would love to get some input on this. I have type 1 diabetes (meaning I have an insulin pump). I have grown up hunting in the midwest which has never been an issue with diabetes, but I have been looking in to hunting out West recently. The thought of doing a week long back pack hunt makes me a little nervous.

I know that you can kill elk and mule deer close to the trail head, but I would want to pack in far enough to get away from high pressure areas. If something goes wrong medically that I am up a creek without a paddle. I was just curious if there are any other Roksliders that have or know someone that has diabetes and does back pack hunts. I would be really interested to hear about how they prep and what extra essentials they bring along in their packs. Thanks!


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[mabrams]

I'm a type one as well and I would never do a backpack hunt by my self. You can feel the lows coming on but as someone that feels this in the mid 50's to high 40s that is too late. I think as a diabetic you need to pack a little more food than someone without diabetes. I would set my pump setting to 60% or lower as you will be expelling a lot of energy. Have a buddy back your glucagon and make sure he knows how to use it. I would run a little higher Blood sugar than normal.
I packed Trail mix for my lows but I would look at something like a Mio type drink that HAS sugar for a quick pick me up.

 

[kopecsean]

Type 2 here. You do the same as I and have to look at where I get my calories from, fat or carbs. Fat is extra weight. I usually run higher sugar also.

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[bigdesert10]

I was just diagnosed with type 2 last year and while mine is pretty easily managed, it certainly gave me pause at first. You just have to be disciplined with your diet, keep a very close eye on things, and plan on running a little higher on your blood glucose, in my short experience. Also don't go alone. I did a solo pronghorn hunt last year, and while I was never more than 3 miles from my truck and it went off without a hitch, it was a little spooky.

You figure out little hacks, too. Like I keep my testing supplies and some glucose tablets in pockets I can access without taking off my pack. Make all those monitoring and maintenance procedures as convenient and efficient as possible so you're not putting them off.

All-in-all it shouldn't be that different from managing it at home. Ease into it and you'll figure it out. God speed.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

Talk with your doctor, and follow his advice.

You might also consider a limited entry hunt or private land hunt with less pressure closer to the trail head.

 

[Pigdog]

Don't let your diabetes keep you from going into the mountains, just make a plan incase something goes wrong. Since you've got Type 1 I'm sure you have lived with it for a while and know how to manage it. Talk to your doctor, maybe get a pen, or vial of insulin for backup. Probably most importantly, make sure to go with a buddy who knows how to recognize the signs of hypo/hyperglycemia and knows what to do about it. Take a sat phone or rescue beacon just in case.

 

[WTFJohn]

I would recommend going with a partner that has taken a Wilderness First Aid (or better yet, Wilderness First Responder) course from a reputable company like Desert Mountain Medicine or NOLS (or similar). These are what's required of a guide in CO (among other things) and the courses will go over backcountry (>1 hr from a hospital aka hunting) diabetic emergencies, prevention, evac, etc...

The short version is have 3x your planned insulin in different spots. 1 on you, 1 in your bag, 1 with your partner. If it's got to be kept cool, you're limited to carrying coolers or hunting later seasons. You're going to burn more calories at elevation and in the cold, so plan on stopping a lot for small snacks (and the side effects of eating more often). Your partner needs to know about hyperglycemia/hypoglycemia, treatment for both, and when to call for help (the Garmin inReach has been great for me over the last 3 years for backcountry communications). Cake icing is a cheap way to make sure all in the party have a form of easy glucose as well.

You're fine to go into the backcountry; just make a plan and stick to it with a knowledgeable partner(s) to help you. Have a plan to get out (inReach or Sat Phone) Wilderness medicine can be slightly different than frontcountry medicine, and something you can get away with at home may put you and others in a bad place in the mountains. Make a trip or two out west and do some summer hiking & camping to get an idea of how your body will handle the changes, then come out and hunt hard and go home with heavy coolers.

 

[RedneckRyRy]

Man I’m glad you started this thread. I’ve often thought of asking the same question here. I’ve got type one. Diagnosed at 9 years old, I’m 35 now. So seems like my whole life at this point.

I’m a flatlander (Oklahoma) but I’ve been bitten hard by the western bug the last few years. Don’t let diabetes keep you from western hunting. Sounds cheesy, but I really feel like I’m alive when I’m out west.

Like you I was nervous at first. As you should be. Maybe conscious, is a better word than nervous. It’s just the way it is living with diabetes. Every carb you eat, step you take, stressful life event, etc is going to affect your blood sugar. But You know all of this already.

I still have plenty to learn and improve when it comes to backpack hunts but here’s a few things that have helped me.

1)Bought a Garmin inreach In case of emergency. It was only fair to my hunting buddies to do this . It also made me surprisingly more comfortable.
2)hunting buddies...you gotta have a Partner for a pack in hunt. Be sure to explain how your body works. Diabetes 101. Open communication between you and your partner will make you both feel better. You can’t get mad if he asks you every 10 min if you are doing ok.
3)obviously drop your basal rate before/during hike in. I’m assuming you have a CGM as well. If not, I’d recommend getting one. It really helps me catch lows before they happen
4)protein-I drink protein shake before hiking in. It will help keep blood sugar swings from being so drastic. Blood sugar won’t fall as quickly from strenuous hike in (as mentioned above, you should adjust your basal rate before this point)
5)pack enough low food. It sucks to add weight but it’s better to be safe. Rice crispy treats seemed to be the best carb to weight Ratio I’ve come up with so far.
6)try a short trip first. I went On several backpack fly fishing trips in the mountains before my first backpack hunt. The fishing trip were a good start because I had less gear and more room for food. I usually end up carrying most of my emergency food back to the truck but oh well. After a few trips you will start to get a better feel for exactly what you need.

Be smart about it, be safe, have fun!
Like I said, I’ve got plenty to learn here too but I’m up for the challenge.

And thanks again for starting this thread!

 

[Shraggs]

type 1 here too, adult onset 23 years ago, worked in this profession for 20 years too. lots of good advice here on going and being safe and partners you trust.. ha I've had partners who would eat my food... i don't hunt with them anymore. my in reach profile lists my medical conditions which also include severe sleep apnea. also buy the insurance... and as someone else pointed out - if not using a continuous glucose monitor, get one. fight for it, get your doctor to prior authorize it based on medical necessity.

but honestly, there is so much you can do now - to be totally prepared and more importantly confident.

make sure you eat carbs you know the value for and hold on dosing until you know exactly your blood sugar increase, then dose. then be sure your dose is correct in that your at target range in 2 hours. be particular aware of your insulin half life setting in your pump, as this can bite you with increased activity if wrong. dial this all in now. recored it, memoize it. know what you trends are at night too, this will be especially important to know. I know we all know this, but simply carbs vs processed crap carbs vs natural complex carbs all have different blood sugar increases and durations in our body so best to know it.

then repeat the entire process while your working out, spend all day working on the yard, anything to keep your heart rate up all day, etc. learn what happens when your sustained activity level is for 10 or 12 hours as it will have a dramatic effect on your status versus normal life. at near sea level, my normal heart rate is 62. as a flat lander, your body has to compensate for thin air at altitude and short term the body will increase your resting heart rate. at 11,000' i have been as high as 144 at rest, and will slowly drop over next few days, but never to my current levels. the heart is a muscle... and it burns a lot of energy/glucose to beat and lows can happen rapidly especially at night.

so with a good understanding of carb value increases, correct basal and effects of sustained activity, this way you will know that with moderate continued activity you can set your basal to 25% and be fine, or maybe you you need to set it at 30% and eat 20 grams of carbs every 3 hours, etc. at night, maybe you need to eat and not dose cause your heart is beating fast that you'll need the carbs to cover your for 6 hours. a sports specialists i work with has her diabetic athletes run 120-180! (during rigorous events, not all the time). i was resistant to this advice until my first trip.

for me, at 10-11k, i will set basal at 25% and if going hard uphill eat 20 carbs every couple of hours, if mostly moderate level trekking then basal 25% is fine and eat snacks and lunch noramally, but i don't dose full value. if i eat 40 carbs and were going to go, i only dose half that. at night i trend low, and at altitude stays true - so if i eat 50 carbs for dinner, i will set basal 25% and dose 25% - and i have still been low a couple of times. definitely easier to add insulin then to get low and need to eat. i carry fun size snickers in a sent proof small toiletry bag (for bears) for my emergency snack. enough sugar to be fast but i really appreciate the nuts for some lasting value of complex carbs. better yet is payday, actually carry a couple of both in my pack side pockets. all my food is healthy real, not processed stuff. heather choice is good food for diabetic, packaged bars based on nuts, yams and fruit, etc.

for me, i have different basal rates through out a day and night, same for bolus. my first couple of years i changed the time on my pump to local time - that was a mistake! having unexplained highs and lows. so now i leave my pump on home time as that is how my body deals with the insulin and my cycle of insulin resistance and a week or two away won't change that.

if you already know all this so sorry! if not i hope this helps. no way in hell this disease will stop me from adventure i love, like elk hunting - maybe even someday ill shoot one with a bow !

john