Re: [RC] Hydration thread: Dressing for the heat - Mary Ann Spencer
You have made a VERY important point. A few
yrs ago, I met someone who went to the first Iraq war. They changed the
suits from the heavier cotton to a lighter weight blend that had polyester in
it. They preferred the all cotton heavier ones because it absorbed the
sweat and the wet helped to cool. The synthetic fabric held in the heat
and not the wetness.
Since moving to TX over twenty yrs ago, I no longer
wear much that is synthetic. Love the cotton and silk. AND now silk
is AFFORDABLE. Ebay usually has some good buys on it.
We ALL need to be more aware of how much sun our
skin gets. We all need to get to know our skin to check for
'changes'. I know some who never were sun worshippers and got skin
cancer. Just one more thing to be aware of. mas
Subject: [RC] Hydration thread: Dressing
for the heat
I do not remember seeing a post regarding tips for avoiding heat
exhaustion and dealing with onset of the summer riding conditions in which
clothing was mentioned. Here's my two cents.
Due to a skin disorder called vitiligo in which my skin pigmentation is
steadily decreasing, I must cover as much of my skin as possible to avoid
direct sun contact (when one has no pigment to protect from the sun's rays,
direct exposure results in dangerous intake of UVA and blistering of skin and
fairly serious heat exhaustion). Initially I thought this a terrible
injustice since I must ride in the Texas heat, but over time I have found
the exact opposite to be true. I wear 100% cotton
loose-fitting long sleeve shirts with collars (and a bandana that covers
the front part of my neck). Columbia makes a fabulous fishing shirt that
is UVA treated and has mesh inserts in the front and back yoke as well as in
the arm pit area (least expensive price to date is Academy Sports). The
result is movement of air across the body when one is actively moving (think
fly fishing movements and you get my drift). I set camp this weekend to
ride Saturday evening in the midst of near record-breaking heat (second
hottest May weekend on record in the Dallas/Fort Worth area--temperature
neared 100). Although the heat did indeed feel like a furnace blast, the
effect of wearing loose-fitting long sleeved clothing kept me fairly
comfortable from the cooling effect of perspiration within the
clothing--rather than excessive dehydration from lack of clothing
protection.
And of course I followed the usual procedures that work and have already
been mentioned in this thread--preloading on liquids, sipping from my Camelbak
frequently (not allowing myself to ever feel thirsty), and eating light
foods (not allowing my stomach to get empty). Because I also have
migraines, I follow the common sense prescription: don't get too tired,
too hot, too hungry, or too thirsty--i.e., don't abuse your body.
And think about this--The Arabs managed to breed a horse able to
withstand their harsh climate. And how did they dress themselves?
Not in shorts and tank tops (religion aside please) but in flowing, loose
long-sleeved garments. They also kept their heads covered. The
result is constant cooling of the body by perspiration. So now I see
vitiligo as a blessing--by proactive measures of clothing protection
with a lot of help from SPF 50 lotion on those areas of my face and neck that
are very difficult to keep covered, it is helping me avoid excessive sun
exposure and most likely early skin cancer--and I'm staying fairly
comfortable, considering that our Texas summers often offer their
own version of desert heat conditions.
Perhaps others may find this helpful. I did have two experiences
with heat exhaustion/heat stroke years ago prior to the pronounced spread of
the vitiligo (and I was wearing typical summer hot-weather clothing--sleeves
shirt/shorts). Following the clothing protection routine has been
successful to date in avoiding repeat problems with heat collapse.
