Does anyone know the science behind covering up in hot weather? It seems anti-intuitive to me. There may be something to it since you always see desert nomads covered up.
I’m in central FL, so most of my hikes are hot weather. I tried covering up more with a Railriders Echo-mesh shirt, put felt the long sleeves and tan color kept me warmer.
Another idea – a wet cotton shirt and/or shorts. Since cotton holds the water, when a breeze blows, you feel a cooling effect. But it does get sticky after a bit and can be uncomfortable in camp.
Keep your water out of the sun for a cooler drink and shower.
Washing off with a wet bandanna in the shade is a nice treat. With wet skin, a breeze can bring a wonderful chill. It’s a great feeling after a few hours in the hot sun.
A space blanket covered umbrella is very helpful. I covered the top of my Golite umbrella with space blanket fabric and it really helps block the heat. I’d love to use the MontBell umbrella (it’s much lighter), but it folds up in a way that makes applying the mylar difficult.
Someone should make a umbrella that just uses space blanket-like material for the cover. I saw something from Golite like this, but it was made of silver fabric instead – seems like it would to much of a compromise.
Light colored/pack clothing makes a larger difference then I anticipated. Even colored socks are noticeably hotter than white.
Thinking cool thoughts and mental preparation for the heat is very helpful too. You can even chill yourself by “thinking” cool.
Chris
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