In a dry climate, sweating isn't as apparent as it is in a humid climate. Born and reared in the very humid Southeast and working outdoors for many years in desert and near-desert aridity, I've been exposed to both extremes well enough to be very familiar with 'em.
In the extra-dry Southwest, where the air can be very dry right next to a bubbling fountain or an irrigation sprinkler, your perspiration can evaporate as fast as you exude it (leaving your clothes completely dry, for example). So you're losing more water � by far � faster than you know. In the Southwest, you can even go dangerously dry while you're right next to a swimming pool.
Scant urination and yellow urine are danger signals. Even if you have to drink gallons, don't stop until your urine is abundant and either pale or clear.
Along the southwestern border, the frequency of deaths from dehydration shows how easy it is for locals to under-estimate their need to drink a lot of water.
Riders coming into town from days in the desert and immediately seeking a slug of whiskey are Follywood inventions.
