Surprising Data: The Best Electrolytes for Hiking (2026)

Here’s a table of all the products I checked and the data I pulled from their nutrition labels…

BTW: thanks to all my Patreon Content Supporters who made this post possible.

The biggest shock in this data was the very last item I thought to add: Salt & Vinegar potato chips!

Yes, potato chips are a little calorie-high but, on long hikes, where you’re burning thousands of calories, that’s not much of a concern; it’s just more fuel for your body.

Turns out: salt and vinegar potato chips are a very cheap way to buy the best electrolytes for hiking. At just 0.12¢ per mg of electrolyte, they rank well with some of the fanciest products in the category.

It’s important to point out that this applies to the salt and vinegar flavor only. The other flavors do not provide nearly as much sodium. So, in 2025, salt and vinegar chips were the cheapest way to get my sodium.

But in 2026, when I found the Venture Pal product, it became significantly cheaper to get my sodium via a sachet.

The Outlier: Potassium

Check out that coconut water, eh? Look at all that potassium! Almost an exact reverse of LMNT powder’s sodium/potassium ratio. Low potassium is often implicated in cramping so you can decide whether you want to tote a large banana or some coconut water. Both are 120 calories. Neither is a big help with sodium. So these feel like roughly equal substitutions.

But then again, the potato chips offer basically the same amount of potassium as a large banana anyway — and they won’t goose your glucose/insulin response nearly as much.

Are Energy Chews the Best Electrolytes for Hiking?

When I asked my audience for their input on electrolytes, several people mentioned Clif Bloks and Honey Stingers—but I think there’s some confusion here. These products are energy foods. They provide very few electrolytes. They are therefore, by a huge margin, the most expensive ways to buy sodium.

They’re basically just sugar—and an incredibly expensive way to buy sugar at that. Basically, for sports lifestyle marketed products, IMO, these products are kind of garbage. I didn’t realize how bad they were until I looked at them for this post.

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Recovery Products for Hiking

Zaca sent me some chewable recovery tablets to try. I like them. Tasty and easy to ingest. Vegan-friendly. While not a traditional electrolyte product, they offer a unique blend of ingredients aimed at supporting hydration and recovery through antioxidant protection, liver support, and improved cellular water absorption. They won’t replace salt and potassium after a long sweaty climb, but they’re a smart and very pleasant supplement to bring along for multi-day trips, altitude hikes, or flights. Combine with a true electrolyte formula for best results.

For Wellness’ Electrolyte Recovery Gummies were recommended to me by a friend. They do not rank well for electrolytes, and they’re also a little spendy. However, they do taste pretty great and offer good recovery and antioxidant support.

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Some Caveats…

This analysis is for the best electrolytes for hiking only.

• It does not take into consideration things like preferences for liquid over solid forms of intake, or even flavor profiles.
• It does not take into account how any individual might metabolize anything they eat, how much they weigh, how and when they intake a product, or weather conditions like heat and humidity.
• YMMV so dial things in for yourself and your own preferences and health choices.
• To keep things somewhat even-keeled, all items were priced off of Amazon in June 2026. Prices fluctuate, of course, and many of these items are likely cheaper if you buy them at your local supermarket.

My Switches for the Best Electrolytes for Hiking…

I began by using SaltStick tabs. But I haven’t bought them since I first published this post. They are one of the most expensive ways to buy sodium; they also don’t provide that much sodium. I also switched away from Gatorade powder, which I assumed would be very inexpensive. Nope.

During the summer of 2025 I tried LMNT sachets, and my endurance issues disappeared immediately—even on two of the longest hikes I’ve done to date, both of which were over 15 miles. LMNT has a lot of sodium and this seems to be the key depletion for me.

Now I’m onto my Venture Pal phase. I was happy to find a much cheaper alternative to LMNT. I’d been enjoying LMNT but it’s a lil pricey, strictly speaking, for what’s in those sachets. Venture Pal is basically an identical product in terms of contents, but at less than half the cost—and still pretty tasty to boot.

And I still supplement with my beloved salt and vinegar chips and the odd banana.

A lot of hiking goes like this. You dial in your preferred gear and processes over years, based on your own personal experience. Everyone finds their own way.

Symptoms of Electrolyte Depletion

Finally, just a quick review of how lousy it can feel to become electrolyte-depleted on the trail. On humid days, it’s possible to sweat away several pounds of water—and with your sweat go some of the most important molecules your body needs to function.

I notice it in two ways…

1. A throbbing headache
2. Cramping in my legs

Neither of these is a good time, but severe cramping is a real concern. One year, coming down off Lone and Rocky in the Catskills both legs cramped up hard. It felt very painful and was quite concerning at the time.

Other symptoms of dehydration can include…

• Lack of energy / you’ll find yourself on the struggle bus quickly
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Dry mouth
• Dark urine
• Nausea or upset stomach
• Rapid heartbeat or palpitations
• Irritability or mood swings
• Cold hands and feet (especially in heat)
• Loss of coordination

I used to get headaches on all my summer hikes. I figured it was just how I was! In 2024, someone put me on to SaltChews and they changed the game instantly. I couldn’t believe the difference they made. So I’m a big believer in these handy products and I now consider them an indispensable part of my kit.

The best way to stay on top of your electrolytes is to take ’em before you need ’em. Just like the old hiking rule — eat before you’re hungry and drink before you’re thirsty — make sure you’re constantly popping some electrolytes in your system right from the get go.

Enjoy your next happy healthy hike!