Keepin it Cool while geared up

[Josh Walrus]

Now i have a lot of random gear that i like to where for different looks when i play airsoft

i know of hydration packs and i will soon buy one, but all you guys with a crap load of gear like Hadoken, Jacko, Motown and others, I have seen pictures of you in the scorching sun playing your best with a bunch of hot gear on, do ya'll got any suggestions on how to keep cool while looking cool in hot weather?

G&G i was suprised to find, also has a mini fan for about $55 that can be placed on the inside of a mask for extra cooling

[Zorak]

Hydration remains the most important issue. Drinking can help lower your core temperature (though I certainly don't advise drinking ice cold water while exercising on a hot summer day) and decreases your risk of dehydration.

If you get a chance, open your LBE and your BDU shirt and let air circulate.

Acclimate your body to the heat. Your body has its own temperature regulation system, but it expects more of what it's been given. If you spend all your time in a nice 68 degree air-conditioned room, your body will assume it can efficiently dump body heat. You need to get outside and do some exercise in hot weather to let your body accustom itself to those conditions.

[Mite]

Tips

1) Synthetic base layer. Cotton is so yesterday. I know a synthetic tee shirt seems expensive for what is it, but it will wick moisture away from your body. I am currently working on this one myself...

2) You are already on this one, good hydration rig. Keeping fluids in your body will at least prevent heat stroke and other nasty heat related things that can happen to you. You are still going to sweat and be hot, but your body can take it as long as you keep drinking water and taking in calories and electrolytes.

3) The less of your body that is covered with 1000 denier cordura the better. This stuff doesn't breath and doesn't let a breeze pass through. I know some people are into ultra realism with the armor plates and everything, for them, (1) and (2) have to be sufficient. For me I am selecting gear that doesn't cover much of my body so that I can carry the load I need in combat and not get to hot. After much research I selected the Tactical Tailor MAV as my load bearing rig. It is low drag but will let me carry those few bare essentials that I want to have (like mags, ammo, snacks, a few tools, and water).

4) This one might be a bit touchy for some... If you have a bit of extra fat, try to loose it. The lower your body's surface area to volume ratio is the harder it is to reject heat from your body. Plus extra weight just makes your heart and lungs work harder when you are exerting yourself. This will help you in more than just airsoft.

Hope that helps.

Mite

[Jacko]

Listen to Mite and Zorak. They speak the truth. Also, to help:

Progressively add layers to your setup (And weight) and you'll find it easier and easier to get around. I wear the following:

1) Thin cotton/poly t-shirt.
2) BDU blouse, summer weight
3) G&P Replica body armor (Which is packed with foam and a size too small)
4) STRIKE Harness with back plate carrier.

Also, live in a house with no AC, that seems to help as well.

[Zorak]

The important part of the layers concept is that you ditch layers at will. If you're feeling overheated, shrug out of your LBE anytime you're waiting for a medic. If you're going to be down for a while, unbutton or remove your BDU shirt as well.

[Josh Walrus]

Im not fat, im 6 foot and quite slim actually, just to clear that up...

on another note... jacko, you say ADD weight and layers? Does that go along with what zorak said to kind of 'train' myself to bear the heat? or does that somehow work against absorbtion of sunlight that may radiate heat to my body by keeping layers between the clothing exposed to the sun, and the clothing actually close to my body?


im usually in the basement most of the time cuz thats where the computer is and noone around my house is my age (they are all little kids), and the basement is insulated, carpeted, and air conditioned, so that might be my problem

i brought this subject up because last summer i was wearing too much gear, lost balance somehow because of all of the heat, fell against the tree i was behind and got really dizzy, of course we stopped the game and i took off the majority of my clothes and drank a lot of water (luke warm, but none the less, water)

and in a nutshell, that experience sucked

EDIT: thanks for all the help guys, and keep the suggestions coming if you have any, I know this is a terrible annoyance for many of us that play airsoft in summer

[Jacko]

In my experience, adding layers definitely won't keep you cooler than not wearing a bunch of layers. That body armor of mine has caused me great entertainment when I've taken it off and watched steam rise off my chest on cooler days. However, if you normally run around with a lot of layers on, when you take them off (For when it's real hot), you'll be doing yourself a favor as your body will be used to the extra weight and heat.

When I played at Op: First Strike, I had my web belt (Which is a TT padded super belt and two drop leg add-ons), a t-shirt and my backpack on, which was carrying a heavy-duty wool blanket. I was using my G36K, not my M249, which is a weight difference of about 10 pounds, and man, I was flying during that game. Never once got tired, except for when I had to carry the 40lbs. bag of sunflower seeds for short sprints.

[Motown]

You also need to keep an eye out for certain meds that you may be taking. Some can add to the symptoms of Heat Exhaustion/Heat Stroke, or bring them about much more quickly.

Before getting into high heat and humitidy, I believe the rule of thumb is two weeks of building exercise before running (as well as other exertive activities) which should be utilized as a benchmark. Reiterating what Zorak mentioned, the more you train your body to acclimate itself with the heat, the better off you'll be. Running/Jogging at least once a week during the summer will not only help you stave off heat exhaustion, but also increase your level of personal fitness (which again, goes hand in hand with ones tolerance for the heat).

Heat doesn't bother me personally, though, I will usually run 3-5 miles per week in the summer time. One thing which must be stressed and vitally important among every other suggestion is this: If you feel yourself getting dizzy, nauseous, having a headache, pale, and so on, stop playing. Rest, cool yourself down, drink plenty of fluids, or in the case of heat stroke, get EMS attention immediately. Your health and well being is certainly more important than the level of machismo you may think you possess by playing through it.

[Josh Walrus]

as you may or may not know, my team and team STAC regularly skirmish in "The Barn" for CQB, and first of all, its hot OUTSIDE... then you get inside a wood barn filled with hay, then i wear either full camo, or i will wear my full body cotton Police force type one peice BDU, a balacalava, then I wear either my web vest, or my Hong Kong SDU IV vest, which is basically a stuffed bullet proof vest, with a neck protector, just so it can trap that dandy steamy breath everyone loves for their goggles, then i wear large waterproof steel-toe boots, "tactical gloves" other wise known as the Valley of Fire to my hands (gets very sweaty) and all other necessities like holsters, dropleg pouches, etc.

But it gets REAL hot... suprisingly though my Police BDU is insanely cool (as in not hot) to me, much less than my camo anyway

ill soon buy a hydration pack though... but as zorak said... why shouldnt one drink ice cold water WHILE running around on a hot summer day? i have some assumptions, but id like to know the real reason

EDIT: I dont take any meds, but what motown just said is very very truthful, and that never came to mind for me, people should really be careful if they are on medication

[Munin]

Drinking ice cold water when you're too hot is a quick way to get massive stomach cramps.

[Josh Walrus]

thank you, that will probably save me from a lot of pain at one point in my life now!

[Mite]

As a note, in my point (1). When I was talking about synthetics, this is the kind of things I was talking about:

www.lightfighter.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=34

The PolarMAX T-Shirt, Under Armour HEAT shirts, or Under Armour LOOSE shirt.

Those are all choices that are designed to wick moisture away from your body without insulating you to much (making you hotter). They are akin to all the synthetic long underwear for winter that both insulate AND wick moisture away.

Unfortunately, there aren't many manufacturers that are supplying the colors (olive drab, army brown) that are right for Milsim so prices are a bit high.

Mite

<edit>
Here is the Tactical Gear section of Under Armour's site:
www.underarmour.com/ua2/ua/gear.asp?dept%5Fid=37

[snocone]

I would know the best way to cool off, because I have played through contiunous heat when playing team tackle Football. All the gear you have to wear is strenuous, but I have found the best material (like Mite said) for keeping you chilled. Known by many athletes all around the world is "UnderArmour", the first original system (copied by NIKE), that wicks the sweat away from your body, and alows cooler, air to enter.

Or take a water bottle, and pour water all over your head. Simple as that.

Mite: I dont agree that you should be wearing a loose, under armour tee-shirt, thats what the Under Armour technology is all about, to cling to your body to wick away your perspiration. Having a loose UnderArmour shirt wount do anything, good. Trust me, I have a couple of them in my closet.

[Mite]

Snocone -

I absolutely agree that the "compression" style HEAT gear is the best. But the LOOSE gear is STILL better to wear than a standard cotton Tee. At least any parts of the shirt that ARE in contact with your skin will be wicking moisture away.

With a Tac vest or other gear on a lot of the chest area of the shirt will be pressed against the skin so that the fabric can work its magic. Any parts of the fabric that aren't in contact aren't really doing anything useful.

Mite

[destrukto]

heat tolerance is really based off of three things

1. temperatures your body is used to, recently I spent a week in Florida, the temperatures weren't extreme, but since I was used to the UP climate of a nice and warm 60F, being put into a climate 80-85F temperatures and really high humidity wasn't exactly a pleasant experience.

2. humidity - When the humidity gets up there, it can make things miserable really quick, the only thing you can really do is ventilate your gear during a break

3. gear - The gear you wear is probably one of the most important things to consider. I personally wear German Flecktarn as my summer uniform, I think it really is one of the best summer uniforms out there because it's breathable and comfortable even when wearing an LBE. Hydration gear cannot be stressed enough, it's right up there with your goggles in terms of importance, if you can't afford a camelbak you can always carry a canteen or two (they really aren't that expensive, only a couple dollars a canteen)

I myself am not a hot weather person, I'm more of a cold weather person, when the thermometer hits 80 I usually start to slow down because I could never handle heat that well. If you use appropriate gear for the weather, drink lots of liquids (NOT pop), and use common sense you should turn out OK on hot days