Comments on: Personal cooling

Question: Personal cooling

Scoops — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 11:42:09 -0800

I'm going to Orlando in August. I know its going to be hot.... does this thing (http://www.sharperimage.com/us/en/catalog/product/sku__SI758SL2) really work?

By: exogenous

exogenous — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 11:44:21 -0800

Generally, evaporative cooling doesn't help in a high humidity environment such as Florida.

By: Faint of Butt

Faint of Butt — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 11:57:19 -0800

I have one here in Baltimore, which is also notoriously humid, although not as much as Florida. I still haven't quite decided whether it actually does anything or not.

By: hoborg

hoborg — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 12:54:41 -0800

I'm sure it works, but I'm not sure you're going to like the result. You'd be better off finding a portable dehumidifier, which I would link to if I thought they existed.

By: necessitas

necessitas — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 13:15:07 -0800

I got one for my mother when she lived in florida. It didn't do anything to help with the heat at all.

By: gillyflower

gillyflower — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 13:52:51 -0800

Nope. I got one for my mom, but not only does she hate having a big plastic thingy parked on her neck, it doesn't actually work. How Sharper Image gets away with selling stuff like this, I'll never know.

You're probably better off with something like this, a neck cooler wrap with gel crystals inside, that soak up water and then evaporate slowly, and can be placed in the fridge/freezer for additional cooling. (Don't worry if you hate eBay; keep looking through the search results and there are actual companies that make/sell these, though I think for the purpose, handmade/no-brand is probably sufficient.)

By: oaf

oaf — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 13:59:00 -0800

I'm from Florida. I really don't think that will help you at all. Stay hydrated, wear shorts, and stay indoors.

By: wsg

wsg — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 16:18:27 -0800

I have found a simple hand fan to be helpful.

By: mullacc

mullacc — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 16:39:52 -0800

Are you going to be driving? If so, leave your windows slightly cracked and put up a sunshade when you park--there's nothing worse than being hot and then climbing into the oven that is your car.

Are you going to Disney World or doing something that requires you to spend long stretches outdoors? If so, plan to break up the day--go see a movie after lunch rather than walking around during the hottest part of the day. And swimming pools (or showers) are your friend--after spending the afternoon in the heat, go right to the hotel swimming pool as soon as you return.

I wouldn't wear anything like the thing you linked to or the neck wrapper--they just seem uncomfortable. I can imagine these things giving you a cold, wet neck and leaving you hot everywhere else. And if it's humid, you don't want anything to get you wetter than you already are. Bring extra shirts and socks so you can change out of sweaty clothes halfway through the day.

As oaf said, stay hydrated. That's the most important thing. Also, please wear sunscreen--there is nothing worse than getting a sunburn.