Spray Bottle? To counter heat? Valid?

[hawkbill666]

I have come across a couple of posts (other forums mostly) about people using spray bottles to help with the heat. They spray their head and necks and upper body occasionally.

Anyone do this? Does it have any merit on the weight/effort to payout front?

Just trying to find any edge I can in desert heat.

Thanks as always.

Scott

[Perry]

it definitely works, but it's not an efficient use of your water if you have a limited supply because some of it drips without evaporating. if you have an unlimited supply, such as running loops around your neighborhood, then spraying it will keep you cooler than just drinking it.

[zippetydude]

(For all you regulars who already know how I love my Misty-Mate, please skip this post.)

Hi Scott. I'm a wimp when it comes to heat. In general, I prefer 60's or below, and once when I did a run out in Calico it was 29 degrees at the start. Perfect. Once it's in the 70's, a 5k feels long and I almost get sick at the end. 80's, forget it. Well, that is, without my Misty Mate! I once did a long desert climb up about 8000' (sound familiar?) when it was 88 degrees at my starting time of 5:00 a.m. I had extra water cached along the trail, and used one of those little pump up sprayers the whole way. I was cool to cold the whole time. It works wonderfully. Like Perry said, the only catch is you'll need to have some water cached in advance to make it work reasonably well.

You won't need it now, though, as the weather is turning cool and delicious.

By the way, I know hip packs carry less, but backpacks overheat me before I even get to the picnic tables. Some of my friends on this board have kinda come around to the hip pack side over the years.

One last way around the heat is a trick I've learned from my daughters. They showed me how to take a couple of water bottles and lay them, half full, at an angle (so the mouth of the bottle is just above the level of the water) in the freezer and let them freeze solid. The next morning, fill them the rest of the way up with cold water just before leaving. As I head up the first hour or two, when it's the hottest, carrying the ice cold bottles cools my hands and makes me feel much cooler in general.

Ellen might have some ideas for you as well. She's a polar bear herself.

z

[HH8]

Actually, I carry less water overall when I use some of it to keep my hair and bandana damp, rather than using water only for drinking. I quess it must take some effort, thereby generating minor heat, to get the water from my gut to the surface of my skin.
However, dipping my bandana in my designated "cooling" nalgene gives me instant relief as I wipe down any bare skin, and provides longer term protection from heat when I use it to "go soak my head", or wear it wet around my neck.
Bottom line: 3 liters drinking water (for me) equals about one and a half liters drinking water plus 1/2 liter for external cooling.
Another plus is that external water does not have to be purified.

[hawkbill666]

Thanks so much, this is what I needed !

Yes, I agree, it hits 70s for me, and I just struggle, 80s and its over. Its frustrating as I used to tease people like me. Born and raised in Palm Springs I was immune to heat and even enjoyed it. As I aged some kind of rubber band broke and I cant handle it anymore.

Last year on skyline from 4000 feet to flatrock I was just numb and slow and played movies in my head of being frozen in an iceberg. Once we hit flatrock a breeze started and then trees ! (shade)

Mistymate, thats funny, just looked it up. But I am SO there.
Do you recommend one size over the other?

[zippetydude]

I use the MistyMate 20000 10 Classic Personal Mister because it clips to my belt and is so light I don't even notice it. I got it at Walmart on sale for about $8.00. It sure makes warm trips more fun.

See you out there on the trail.

z

[HikerLinda]

... here is what I do.... I soak a clean dish towel in water, fold it in half, place in large baggie and put in the freezer.

When preparing for my hike day.....usually the LYKKEN TRAIL, I take towel out of baggie and put around my neck or stuff it down/in the front of my shirt as I begin my hike.

Not very attractive, but I don't care as it is nice and cold and as it starts to melt, I am COOL!!!!!

Weather wimp, Hiker Linda

Massage Therapist