Dealing with the heat

[Bill Little]

Since there has been a thread running on "Heat", I thought I would remind everyone what needs to be done if you are out in the heat a lot.

Having had a heat stroke during football practice my freshman year in college, I have to be extra careful now, especially since I am "older".  Having coached HS football for over 30 years, I had to make sure none of the players "fell out" due to the heat.

Doctors say plain old water is probably the best thing to hydrate with during activity.  Sports drinks take time to actually "digest".  These can be used before and after activity, especially.  The worst thing that can happen while drinking ice water during the heat is "throwing up", which really doesn't happen that much.   It is vitally important to stay hydrated while out in the heat.  Drink water (or a sports drink) even if you do not feel like doing it.  Once you become dehydrated, it is already dangerous.  And the older we are, the worse it is.

BIG Bear
RNMM/AMM

[Jim Kraft]

I have found that I do not take the heat near as well as I did even 5 years ago. We had a club fun fly today and it got up to around 97 with high humidity and little wind. I drank lots of water, but I still felt the heat a lot. We had a shower come through and that cooled things a little and I loaded up my plane and headed for home and the cool air conditioner. I worked outside almost all my life and now I am a wimp. Better wimp than heat stroke.

[john e. holliday]

Almost done with the clean up the old elm tree did.   I do take a lot of breaks and lots of liquid.   Cool water with a little squeeze of lemon in it helps a lot.   Neighbors think I am  lazy sitting on a folding chair while feeding limbs to the chipper or cutting the bigger pieces with the electric chain saw.

[Paul Taylor]

I don't like fighting the sun so I've been going out around 6:30pm and fly till dark.

Get about 3-4 flights.

[Steve Helmick]

Speaking of the sun...a Dr. friend told me that it's easy to get a chill after a day of sun outside. A sunburn brings mucho blood to the skin, to aid healing the burn, and radiates a lot of heat from your body, potentially giving hypothermia on a cool summer afternoon. Sounds weird, but you've probably experienced it. I know I have. Be prepared to put on a sweatshirt and long pants if that's what it takes.  Steve

[GregArdill]

Hey guys be careful in the sun.

Skin cancers are an avoidable risk when in the outdoors.
http://www.cancer.org.au/about-cancer/types-of-cancer/skin-cancer.html

Heat is a sneak, it'll get you when you think you're OK.

Always wear a hat outdoors, preferably one with a brim all around, but at least a cap. Keep hydrated (yes water). And any excess heat you can send to us in Sydney. It's a cold as a witches whotnot!

G