Replies

1. 
   jhazel3 | May 05, 2004 06:23am | #1

   Ihave a  bandana that you soak in water and tie around your neck and as it evaporate it cools you off. It is full of beads that asorb water and swell up it works for me

   Regards Jim III

2. 
   butch | May 05, 2004 01:39pm | #2

   I use a cool vest that stays at 55deg. for about an hour and a half, recharges in 15

   minutes

1. 
   jonblakemore | May 05, 2004 11:48pm | #5

   Butch,

   What company made it, how much, and do you have a link?

   I was searching last night and saw these vests. How well would you say they work? If you could ascribe a perceived temp. drop at 90° in the sun what would it be? 

   Jon Blakemore

1. 
   butch | May 06, 2004 12:47am | #7

   I'll give you the info off the vest

                                  Thermo-Tec

                                    Made by

                                  Thermo-Tec,inc.

                                for E.D. Bullard Company

                                 1898 Safety Way 

                                Cynthiana,Key 41031

                                 1-800-227-0403

   I bought this locally at a medical supply store(memphis)I'll have to look the name

   up, as I can't remeber it. If anybody is interested  I'll get it for you.

   I paid aprrox. 200.00 for the vest and the extra inserts. I think the vest w/One pair

   of inserts was 120.00 and the extra insert was 75.00  It  takes 15 minutes to

   recharge in ice water and last aprox. 2 hrs.  They advertised as lasting up to

   4hrs.Your mileage may vary.

   "How well would you say they work?"

   Personally I think It works great.  It's about the size of a bullet proof vest but

   by the time you get a pouch on with suspenders it can be a little cumbersome, but

   not overly so. The only other drawback is you have to take  it off too change the

   inserts which isn't bad as it gives you a break.

   "If you could ascribe a perceived temp. drop at 90° in the sun what would it be?"

   This is a very subjective question, and really hard for me to answer. I still wear long

   sleeve shirt w/a wet towel under my hat.  Will you still sweat, absolutley, but for me

   it makes things more tolerable, less miserable and less miserable is good.

   I guess the real answer to your question is, Would I buy it again? yes, I would as I

   have a deep aversion  for heat. I've started  a couple of thread on  this same topic

   and it didn't generate any interest at all(do a search on "cool vests).  Maybe it was

   me, I dunno.

1. 
   joeh | May 06, 2004 12:57am | #8

   https://www.glaciertek.com/store/catalogFS.htm

1. 
   butch | May 06, 2004 01:17am | #9

   The difference in those and the one I got is the temperture that they stay at, the 

   one you listed is 59 deg. and the one I got is supposed to be 54 or 55, not much

   difference but every little bit helps.

2. 
   joeh | May 06, 2004 04:05am | #10

   Butch, That came from this --> http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=43013.10

   I never got around to buying one, but I'm heading back to it soon. Prolly oughta get one this time.

   Roof time & Summer time........

   Joe H

3. 
   Sphere | May 05, 2004 03:23pm | #3

   worst roof in my life was about 15 yrs. ago..55 SQ of cedar shakes on a gambrel roof with six dormers..

   S.E. PA. early may (like now) it was on average 98 degrees by 1:00 pm..

   I could not keep help for more than two days..If ya touched the flashing or valley metal , ya got burnt. Lay a framing sq. down and pick it up, blisters..

   I tried everything imaginable...the only way to finish that roof was to get up there right at sun up..work till "stupid Hot" , go home..come back at dinner time and work until "can't see"..

   A very memorable job to say the least..

   I often work long days (from can't see, to can't see) but those days required a siesta..

   back to your quest...lots of gatorade, wet towels draped over yer head and neck, old couch cushions for kneeling on, and a ready garden hose with a mister nozzle..caution the first squirt of the hose is HOT..LOL.

   View Image

   Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

   Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

1. 
   SamT | May 05, 2004 05:15pm | #4

   Snug fitting, white, cotton, long sleeve, thermal shirts.

   I was team leader on a 400 square, new EG metal roof. We were doing prep work before the roofers showed, I was welding screw tabs to the equipment bases.

   Air temp in the shade was 110 degrees.

   I was very susceptable to heat exhaustion from a previous bout, so I was the "canary." As soon as I felt the least dizzy, stupid, or shortness of breath, I called a shade break for the crew. Just long enough to drink some water and smoke a cigarette, then back to work.

   My crew was the only one that did not have a heat related incident that summer.

   The long johns shirt will reflect a lot of sun and because of its open weave, will hold a lot of sweat and evaporate it easily, cooling you everrytime yoou move or there is the slightest breeze.

   Heat problems start with feeling a bit slow mentally. If you don't cool down at that point, you're soon too stupid to realize that you should cool off. A vicious spiral.

               Be Cool

                               Andy                              I mean SamT. SamT. SamT

   Arguing with a Breaktimer is like mud-wrestling a pig -- Sooner or later you find out the pig loves it. Andy Engel

4. 
   NickNukeEm | May 06, 2004 12:35am | #6

   The power plant had a full cool suit for emergency work (don't ask what kind.)  Tubes snaked up and down throughout the suit.  We had to test the thing once a quarter.  It's pump was powered by a 9.6 stick battery.  It worked great; the suit that is. 

   The bad news is, I don't know where they got it, but since it was for a nuclear application, I'm betting it wasn't cheap.  But there has to be similar suits out there without the required pedigree.

   I never met a tool I didn't like!