As people like myself who enjoy the sport of shooting we all know the basic safety rules such as always wear eye and ear protection. So we pack up our range bags with our eye and ear protection, some cleaning supplies, we even manage to remember sun screen as most out door shooting clubs offer little to no cover from the sun. But as the north east braces for another week of 80’s and 90’s hot and humid weather we manage to forget possibly the most important item. Water. Most shooting ranges do not have any drinkable outside water source. I always have a large cooler filled with ice and about 20 bottles of water with me regardless of the temperature it is now just a habit of mine to keep a cooler tied down in the back of my pickup. So far every day I have been at the range this summer season the weather has been hot and humid and I see people fatigued from the heat with no water. Of course I offer them some and they are always extremely thank full. One guy asked if he could take a handful of ice and put it down the back of his shirt. I was more than happy to watch that happen. If I only had a dollar every time some one said to me ” I have to start bringing water with me” But seriously safety at the range comes in many forms not only the safety gear and clothing(I will write about clothing another time) we bring but also hydrating our bodies so we do not put undo strain on our bodies and risk injury in the elements we enjoy the great sport of shooting in. What ever it is you shoot pistol, rifle , or shotgun. Enjoy and be Safe.
Hydrate.