Staying cool in the heat

silenthunterstudios

silenthunterstudios

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What are some tips on staying cool in the heat? The first person to respond with "stay in the AC" gets a Gibbs head slap. I took a short hike yesterday, and was surprised at how cool my buff rag kept me, with a little bit of water on it. Had a light Columbia boonie hat too. I stayed hydrated also. Loose clothing.

It helped that I was on a small peninsula, right on the Chesapeake bay...
 
Stay well hydrated and carry enough water so that one still has half of one's supply or more for the return trip. Dipping my cap in water helps keep one's head cooler through evaporation, this works really well on sunny days on canoe trips. Walk and travel barefoot, or wear swamp slippers, the foot acts like a radiator, and boots/shoes don't help in hot weather.

I travel barefoot allot and as such my feet are like leather.
 
silenthunterstudios said:
I took a short hike yesterday, and was surprised at how cool my buff rag kept me, with a little bit of water on it.
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I always recommend this. Pour water in your hat and put it back on. Take a bandanna and soak it and wash your forehead, temples, and the back of your neck. The wet buff does most of this automatically.
 
Soaking headwear, wet bandanna on neck.
I like to stick feet in the water too.

Drink alot, loose clothing, take breaks in shade. Umbrella even.
 
I switch over to all cotton clothing when it's uncomfortably hot.
A wet bandana on my head or neck.
A wet shirt on my back.
I might put up a tarp for shade.
And drink many nalgenes of water per day.
 
I like linen shirts when it's hot and I use a linen Boonie type hat. I've yet to find anything better for me. Also there are those boy scout looking scarves, in a kinda sausage shape, that are filled with crystals that hold water and release it over a long period of time to aid cooling. If I remember correctly Sasha [on here] has a jacket with that stuff built in. Well you can buy those crystals by weight in three different grits. If you're handy with a sewing machine they can be wound into hats, wristbands, .etc. I tend to wear a lot of light brown [despite the senior citizens “sea of beige” connotations] and light grey, and keep it loose.
 
I use a Chilly Pad.
It's basically a chamois that retains water and stays cool.
Great for those humid day-hikes.
 
In our army we were issued what we called a sweat rag. It was a cotton netting that would absorb water. Wet and lay it loosely over you, and it's amazingly cool. If there's any breeze at all, hang it over your hat so it's held off your skin, and it cools and humidifies the air. The holes in the netting are fairly spacious, so it's easy to see through (also helped camouflage the human shape)
 
Light loose clothing. Keep my head covered. Get the bulk of the work or mileage done before the heat of the day. More breaks. Drink water, especially the night before and after.
 
SHS... because of this post, I went and bought a buff today. I think I am gonna really like this thing.
 
What can I say best bet is to stay at home with A/C on....................

I use cool bandana around the neck and its a life saver in the heat. Long sleeve shirt cotton , works great. When ever you start the day drink lots of water before you leave the house. Always carry more water then you think you would need. make more stops on the hikes to let your self cool off. If its around 100 + I go on shorter hikes and give my self extra time to take it easy. As long as you drink enough and dont over do it, Know when to stop and cool off. There is no problem with the heat.
please make sure you carry lots of water for the dog. I also carry a spray bottle and spray the dogs head and neck aginst the hair to get it to the skin. On very hot days I make sure the dogs head and neck are always wet. Also when dogs pant (sp) realy hard they cant drink so make sure they cool off enough before you have them drink more. Im getting ready for the summer hikes here already.
For the ones who rides motorcycles there is a cool vest that has the same crystals that absorb water and it works great on rides in the 95 + degs
 
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Mongo said:
SHS... because of this post, I went and bought a buff today. I think I am gonna really like this thing.
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After using mine cutting grass Saturday, hiking on Sunday and working in the garden yesterday (not the best idea in this weather, my skull felt like it was splitting wide open), I might get another Buff. Mongo, I'm glad you like yours.
 
I don't touch cotton any more in Florida heat and humidity....a kilocalorie of heat (food calorie) is consumed for every 2 grams (2 milliliters) of water your body evaporates.....I get better evaporation with nylon (DuPont supplex fabric if possible)so use nylon exclusively for pistol and 3 gun matches....long sleeved cape back flats fishing shirts... Dorfman Pacific open weave wide brimmed hat, Wide World Sportsman's nylon Boca Grande shorts, poly wicking socks...absorbent gel neck band or Shemagh...watch color of urine output to check water intake
 
Buff works great also while kayak fishing. I use one to cover my face and a good hat to cover my ears and neck and large sun glasses. When you do get a buff make sure you get one with the UV protection (diffrent material). Sun burns and cancer are right up there.
 
Growing up in Alabama when no one had air conditioning, I learned how to handle the heat. Many good suggestions already made. Some other techniques I have used most of my adult life are:

- Keep your meals light in both composition and quantity when you are going to be involved in exertion in extreme heat and humidity.

- Avoid periods of extreme exertion in the heat if possible. Slow and steady will accomplish more because you will be able to last much longer. Trust this old 200 + pounds per day cotton picker on this one.

- Something I have learned since I became an air-conditioned city slicker in my middle and old age. You can make summer go much easier by purposefully acclimating yourself in controlled conditions. Go out for short walks in the mid-day and gradually increase them to an hour or more, before you put it on the line further away from your safety nets. Get hot and sweaty, get accustomed to it.

I played high school football, with late August practices in Alabama heat and humidity, back when coaches would practice you for hours with only one small sip of water because the common belief was that water would make you cramp up. In the locker room while we were suiting up for these practices, the coaches would come around with a huge glass jar of salt tablets and make each one of us swallow a handful. We should have been dropping like flies, but no one did, simply because we were an un-air conditioned generation of farm-working country boys who were accustomed to the heat. today I wouldn't last a half-hour.
 
I always figured take the lesson from the people who live in very hot humid places. There's a reason the Vietcong wore cotton PJ's and sandals. In the heat, I avoid synthetic fibers like the plague, and keep my head covered. Wet a bandana and put it around my neck to cool those carotid arteries. I haunt Salvation Army stores for well worn oversize cotton shirts that lets any light breeze through. Get them big and loose.

Our in the canoe I'll have a large straw hat to protect my head.

Drink lots of water and avoid heavy meals and alcohol. Those cold beers are the really bad for you in the heat.
 
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jackknife said:
I always figured take the lesson form the people who live in very hot humid places. There's a reason the Vietcong wore cotton PJ's and sandals. In the heat, I avoid synthetic fibers like the plague, and keep my head covered. Wet a bandana and put it around my neck to cool those carotid arteries. I haunt Salvation Army stores for well worn oversize cotton shirts that lets any light breeze through. Get them big and loose. Our in the canoe I'll have a large straw hat to protect my head. Drink lots of water and avoid heavy meals and alcohol. Those cold beers are the really bad for you in the heat.
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Whilst I'm with the thrust of what you're saying I don't like this bit; “I always figured take the lesson form the people who live in very hot humid places. There's a reason the Vietcong wore cotton PJ's and sandals”. The same kind of reasoning is often used to support certain types of knives, and it completely overlooks the nature of poor people and / or availability. However, with most of the common synthetics I tend to agree with you but I do wonder – for instance I've wondered several times about soccer shirts. Personally I'd rather be hot than look like a Chav. But hell, that little racket surely has enough money to invest in R&D, and they fleece Chavettes out of enough money when they clothe their rainbow in them. Mebe there is something good about them in terms of performance?
 
baldtaco-II said:
Whilst I'm with the thrust of what you're saying I don't like this bit; “I always figured take the lesson form the people who live in very hot humid places. There's a reason the Vietcong wore cotton PJ's and sandals”. The same kind of reasoning is often used to support certain types of knives, and it completely overlooks the nature of poor people and / or availability. However, with most of the common synthetics I tend to agree with you but I do wonder – for instance I've wondered several times about soccer shirts. Personally I'd rather be hot than look like a Chav. But hell, that little racket surely has enough money to invest in R&D, and they fleece Chavettes out of enough money when they clothe their rainbow in them. Mebe there is something good about them in terms of performance?
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Naa, it's all about looks.

I've found there's very little common sense in some sports and vehicle cults when it comes to dress for the weather. I used to be big into the motorcycle thing. Mostly BMW boxer twins. One time years ago, we had a ride with a bunch of us down to the Flying Circus in Bealton Virginia. Typical mid Atlantic summer day, high 90's and high humidity. Wore faded khaki dockers and lightweight oversize cotton shirt under the ridng jacket. Had a floppy boonie hat in the saddle bag. Get there, and there were all these Harley guys dressed in black leather, looking very uncomfortable. Hot sun on open bleachers to watch the air show with old biplanes. Finally, one of the bikers keels over out cold from heat stroke. Didn't take off the black leather chaps, black leather vest over black Harley shirt, sitting in the sun frying like a big fat egg.

It was all about style. I've found some sports teams are very similar.

Carl.
 
In the summer, I don't dry my hair when I get out of the shower.. helps keep my head cool when I step outside (similar to the wet bandana/hat concept)
water evaporates faster than salt water (sweat) and its the exchange of heat that cools us down
 
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