Great for High Altitude
Best Electrolytes for High Altitude
4.6 from 1092 reviews
Above 8,000 feet you lose water faster than at home. Sodium helps you keep what you drink on the climb and the ski day.
30-day money-back guarantee. Free shipping over $50. Pay with your HSA/FSA card. Reviewed by the Saltivate team.
- 800mg sodiumper serving
- Zero sugarno stevia, Reb M
- HSA/FSApay by card, no letter
- Made in USAImported ingredients, NSF GMP Certified facility. Third-party tested.
Altitude pulls water out of you
Land in Denver, drive up to the trailhead, and by the second day the dry mouth and the dull head show up. Part of that is thin air. A lot of it is water: at altitude you breathe faster through drier air, so more moisture leaves with every breath, and the kidneys shed extra water in the first days up high. Sweat from the climb goes on top.
Dehydration is the ordinary problem at altitude, and the one a water bottle can fix. Water is the first answer. Sodium is what lets you hold it, and a serving of Saltivate in the bottle carries 800mg. The hiking page covers the trail; flying covers getting there; every stick format is in hydration packets.
Signs you are running low
- Dry mouth and chapped lips by the first evening up high
- Dark urine after a day on the trail or the slopes
- Waking up thirsty in a dry hotel room
- A low-grade headache that eases after a big glass of water
- Drinking less because the cold hides the thirst
Why you dehydrate faster up high
Two things change with elevation. The air is thinner, so you breathe more to get the same oxygen, and it is drier, so each breath carries more water out of the lungs. In the first days at altitude the kidneys also let go of extra water and sodium, a normal response often called altitude diuresis. Add a climb, a ski day, or a dry hotel room, and the daily water loss runs well above what it is at sea level.
Sodium-forward hydration matters here for the same reason it does after a workout: fluid with enough sodium in it is retained, and plain water in large amounts is mostly passed. Altitude illness is a separate matter, and the Wilderness Medical Society guidelines cover it: ascend gradually, and if headache, nausea, dizziness, or poor sleep set in during the first days, stop ascending and descend if it gets worse. Electrolytes do not prevent or treat altitude sickness. They help you hold the water you drink.
What to pack
A stick packet weighs about 6 grams and goes in a hip-belt pocket. Tear one into a wide-mouth bottle and you have 800mg sodium, 240mg potassium, and 60mg magnesium in cold water, with 0g sugar, 10 calories, and no stevia aftertaste at 11,000 feet.
The Watermelon 30-count pouch covers a week in the mountains for a group or a season of weekends for one. For a jar at the cabin, the flavored jars sit in hydration powder; for the days a heat wave meets a trailhead, that page has the rest.
- 800mg sodium per serving so the water stays in
- 240mg potassium and 60mg magnesium
- 0g sugar, 10 calories, sweetened with Reb M, not from stevia
- 6g sealed sticks that fit a hip-belt pocket, no scoop to pack
- Pay with your HSA/FSA card
Try it. Sweat on it. Decide later.
Every order carries a 30-day money-back guarantee. If it is not for you, email us and we refund you in full. You do not even ship anything back.
What customers say
Rated 4.75 out of 5 from 4 reviews
After considering my electrolyte needs as a daily exerciser and occasional heavy sweater, along with taste, cost, and my sensitivity to highly acidic products, I switched from LMNT to Saltivate. I really appreciate the flexibility of being able to purchase Saltivate in bulk and choose...
The watermelon flavor taste great. My whole family really likes it. If you like to eat watermelon with a little salt sprinkled on it then this is for you!
I was excited to see a new flavor pop up and no surprise Saltivate dropped another banger. I have tried a coupe other watermelon flavors and they always taste like a close approximation to the actual thing. I think this is the most accurate “watermelon”...
Pick your Saltivate
Common questions
Do electrolytes help with altitude sickness?
No. Acute mountain sickness comes from the altitude itself, and the guidance for it is gradual ascent, rest, and descent if symptoms worsen. What electrolytes do at altitude is help you hold the water you drink, since dry air and faster breathing pull more of it out. Dehydration and altitude sickness can feel similar early on. Treat a headache that worsens, or that comes with nausea or dizziness, as altitude sickness and see a doctor.
How much water should I drink at altitude?
More than at home, and steadily rather than all at once. Dry air and faster breathing raise the daily loss, and the kidneys shed extra in the first days. Watch urine color and thirst, and put sodium in some of it so it stays in. Drinking a great deal more than you lose does not help.
Should I drink electrolytes before a ski trip?
The first day or two up high are when the extra water loss is largest, and the trip usually starts with a flight or a long drive, which dries you out further. A serving on arrival and one during each day on the mountain is a common pattern.
Which flavor for the trail?
Whichever you will actually drink cold. Watermelon and Orange are the bright ones. Raw Unflavored goes into anything, including the thermos of tea at the hut, and it seasons noticeably.
Can I use it in a hydration bladder?
Yes. Every serving has 0g sugar, so there is nothing sticky left in the tube. Rinse it the way you would after plain water.
Buying for a group?
Request a sample case for your crew
Coaches, gym and studio owners, safety managers, and crews: request a free case of samples for your whole group. If it's a fit, we ship it to you.
Hosting a race, run club, hot yoga class, or sauna day? Samples for events.
Thin air. Pack the salt.
Watermelon in 30 sealed sticks, 800mg sodium each, six grams in the pocket.
Shop Watermelon packetsSources
- Luks et al. (2024), Wilderness Medical Society clinical practice guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of acute altitude illness, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine
- Maughan and Leiper (1995), sodium intake and post-exercise rehydration in man, European Journal of Applied Physiology
Cited for general background only. Follow your own clinician's guidance for your sodium and fluid targets.
High Altitude
Shop Watermelon packetsHow we compare
How Saltivate compares
Pick the format you shop, then see how Saltivate stacks up against the brands that sell it too.
Compare what matters for sweat recovery: sodium per serving, zero sugar, and paying direct with your HSA/FSA card with no letter of medical necessity.
| Saltivate | BPN Electrolytes | Buoy | Carnivore | Cure | Dr. Berg's Electrolyte Powder | DripDrop | DryWater | Gatorade | Gatorlyte | GHOST Hydration | Good Intentions | HRDWRK | Hydrate Pro | HydroMATE | Just Ingredients Electrolytes | Liquid I.V. | LMNT | Magna | Nectar Hydration | NormaLyte | Nuun Sport | Pedialyte | Prime Hydration+ Sticks | Promix Electrolyte Drink Mix | Propel | Re-Lyte | SALTT | Santa Cruz Paleo | Skratch | Thorne Daily Electrolytes | Trevi | Ultima | Vitassium | Waterboy Workout | Nothing found with these criteria | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serving size | 1 stick (6g) | 1 scoop (5.6g) | 1.5 mL (1 squeeze) | 1 scoop (~3g) | 1 scoop (8.3g) | 1 scoop (6g) | 1 stick (10g) | 1 stick (11g) | 1 powder stick (35g) | 1 stick (34.9g) | 1 scoop (9g) | 1 scoop (2.69g) | 1 scoop (3g) | 1 scoop (4.93g) | 1 stick (5.4g) | 1 scoop (5.7g) | 1 scoop | 1 stick (6g) | 1 stick (5 to 6.5g) | 1 packet (3.4g) | 1 stick (10.5g) | 1 tablet (5g) | 1 packet (8.5g) | 1 stick (9.8g) | 1 scoop (5.18g) | 1 stick (3g) | 1 scoop (7g) | 1 stick (6.6g) | 1 scoop (5.42g) | 1 packet (22g) | 1 packet | 1 stick (4.8g) | 1 stick/scoop | 2 chews | 1 stick (6.6g) | — |
| Sodium | 800mg (from salt) | 500mg (from himalayan pink salt, citrate) | 50mg | 500mg (from citrate) | 240mg (from salt) | 40mg (from pink himalayan salt) | 330mg (from citrate, salt) | 380mg (from citrate, pink sea salt) | 230mg (from salt, citrate) | 490mg (from salt) | 150mg (from citrate, himalayan pink salt) | 200mg (from salt) | 650mg (from citrate, bicarbonate, chloride) | 1000mg (from salt) | 250mg (from salt) | 100mg (from salt) | 510mg (from salt, citrate) | 1000mg (from salt) | 300mg (from salt) | 100mg (from himalayan pink salt) | 851mg (from citrate, salt) | 300mg (from bicarbonate) | 260mg (from salt, citrate) | 40mg (from sea salt) | 1000mg (from salt (himalayan pink)) | 260mg (from salt, citrate) | 810mg (from salt) | 968mg (from chloride (solarsea salts)) | 800mg (from salt) | 400mg (from citrate) | 480mg (from salt) | 230mg (from pink himalayan salt) | 55mg (from salt) | 125mg (from salt) | 1000mg (from pink himalayan salt) | — |
| Potassium | 240mg (from citrate) | 200mg (from chloride) | 10mg | 300mg (from citrate, bicarbonate) | 310mg (from coconut water) | 1000mg (from citrate) | 185mg (from citrate) | 1000mg (from citrate) | 70mg (from phosphate) | 350mg (from phosphate) | 375mg (from citrate) | 200mg (from chloride) | 300mg (from bicarbonate) | 200mg (from chloride) | 200mg (from chloride) | 300mg (from citrate) | 390mg (from citrate) | 200mg (from chloride) | 150mg (from citrate) | 250mg (from citrate) | 393mg (from chloride) | 150mg (from bicarbonate) | 180mg (from citrate) | 700mg (from dipotassium phosphate, coconut water) | 200mg (from chloride) | 80mg (from phosphate) | 400mg (from citrate) | 408mg (from chloride) | 300mg (from chloride) | 49mg (from citrate) | 99mg (from citrate) | 250mg (from phosphate, citrate) | 250mg (from phosphate) | 25mg (from citrate) | 400mg (from citrate) | — |
| Magnesium | 60mg (from malate) | 25mg (from bisglycinate chelate) | 0mg | 40mg (from oxide, citrate) | 0mg | 120mg (from citrate) | 39mg (from citrate) | 40mg (from citrate) | 0mg | 105mg (from oxide) | 83mg (from citrate) | 42mg (from malate) | 150mg (from glycinate, citrate) | 60mg (from glycinate) | 15mg (from oxide) | 50mg (from citrate) | 0mg | 60mg (from malate) | 210mg (from malate, gluconate, glycinate) | 50mg (from citrate) | 0mg | 25mg (from oxide) | 0mg | 124mg (from citrate) | 60mg (from malate) | 0mg | 50mg (from glycinate, malate) | 178mg (from chloride (solarsea salts)) | 60mg (from glycinate) | 48mg (from carbonate) | 40mg (from malate) | 100mg (from citrate) | 100mg (from citrate) | 0mg | 50mg (from citrate) | — |
| Sugar | 0g | 0g | 0g | 0g | 0g | 0g | 7g | 0g | 32g | 10g | 0g | 0g | 0g | 0g | 2.5g | 0g | 11g | 0g | 0g | 0g | 7g | 1g | 6g | 2g | 0g | 0g | 0g | 0g | 0g | 19g | 0g | 0g | 0g | 0g | 0g | — |
| Sweetener | Reb M (not from stevia) | Stevia (steviol glycosides) | None | Stevia | Stevia, monk fruit | Stevia | Sugar, sucralose | Stevia, monk fruit | Sugar, dextrose | Sugar | Sucralose | Stevia | Sucralose, natural stevia | Stevia | Sugar, sucralose | Stevia, monk fruit | Cane sugar, dextrose, stevia | Stevia | Stevia | Stevia | Sucralose | Stevia | Dextrose, sucralose, Ace-K | Sucralose, acesulfame potassium | Monk fruit (lightly sweetened versions) | Sucralose, ace-K | Stevia | Stevia (RebD and RebM) | Organic stevia | Cane sugar, dextrose | Reb M (from stevia) | Sucralose, stevia | Stevia | Stevia | Organic stevia | — |
| Artificial ingredients | None | — | — | — | — | — | Sucralose | — | Artificial flavors, dyes (Yellow 5, Red 40) | None | Sucralose, Artificial flavors, dyes (Red 40, Blue 1) | — | Sucralose, Artificial flavors | — | Sucralose, Artificial flavors | — | — | — | — | — | Sucralose, Artificial flavors | — | Sucralose, Ace-K, Artificial flavors, dyes (Red 40, Blue 1) | Sucralose, Acesulfame | — | Sucralose, Ace-K | — | — | — | — | — | Sucralose | — | — | — | — |
| Pay with HSA/FSA card | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | — |
| Made in | USA | Unknown | — | USA | USA | USA | USA | USA | USA | USA | USA | Unknown | Unknown | USA | USA | USA | USA | USA | USA | USA | India | USA | USA | Unknown | USA | USA | USA | USA | USA | USA | USA | USA | USA | USA | USA | — |
| Servings per unit | 30 sticks | 50 (jar) | 120 servings (3 bottles) | 90 (jar) | 28 (jar) | 50 (jar) | 32 sticks | 12 sticks | 30 sticks | 18 sticks | 40 (jar) | 100 (jar) | 100 (jar) | 45 (jar) | 30 sticks | 30 (jar) | 30 (jar) | 30 sticks | 28 sticks | 30 sticks | 30 sticks | 10 tablets | 8 packets | 6 sticks | 30 (jar) | 40 sticks | 60 (jar) | 30 sticks | 30 (tub) | 20 servings | 30 (box) | 45 (jar) | 20 sticks | 50 (100 ct) | 36 sticks | — |
| Price per serving | $1.33 | $0.90 | $0.33 | $0.46 | $1.37 | $0.97 | $1.12 | $2.42 | $0.90 | $1.33 | $0.82 | $0.22 | $0.30 | $0.78 | $1.20 | $0.83 | $1.39 | $1.50 | $1.96 | $1.47 | $1.33 | $0.75 | $1.25 | $2.33 | $1.40 | $0.75 | $0.77 | $1.20 | $1.00 | $1.20 | $1.33 | $0.78 | $1.05 | $0.50 | $1.81 | — |
| Price per 1,000mg key electrolytes i | $1.20 | $1.24 | $5.50 | $0.54 | $2.49 | $0.83 | $2.02 | $1.70 | $3.00 | $1.40 | $1.34 | $0.49 | $0.27 | $0.61 | $2.58 | $1.84 | $1.54 | $1.19 | $2.96 | $3.67 | $1.06 | $1.57 | $2.84 | $2.69 | $1.11 | $2.20 | $0.61 | $0.77 | $0.86 | $2.41 | $2.14 | $1.34 | $2.59 | $3.33 | $1.24 | — |
| Ways to save more | Buy 3 Get 1 -25%HSA/FSA -30% | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | Varies by brand | — |
Per serving, from each brand's published label. Values can vary by flavor and change over time.
