Beating the Summer Heat

[BogeyNoMore]

Anyone ever tried a fishing shirt, with the open slat in the back?

I can totally see that... ain't no shade out in open water.

 

[rd.bittle]

Anyone ever tried a fishing shirt, with the open slat in the back?

This is what a lot of guys wear, around here. We should know hot/humid. Lol

 

[sidewinder22]

Your advice, except for this one, is solid.

Once cotton gets wet - and for people like me it will be soaked within 15 minutes of starting a round this time of year - it's absolutely miserable, and heavy to wear. There's tons of dri-fit material to choose from out there, most of the ones I buy are quite soft and keep me much cooler than cotton (Russel athletic brand from walmart...don't have to spend a ton of money for good dri-fit clothes)

Agree with everything Vick said.

Dave's spot on with all of it, but...

In weather that's particularly hot or humid, nothing holds sweat like cotton. I've had regular cotton tee shirts that felt like I'd gone swimming.

There are a bunch of wicking, quick drying materials that are more comfortable when I sweat like a pig. The thing for me is they have to be loose fitting - probably even oversized. I just can't be comfortable with anything remotely snug fitting in sweatbox conditions.

That said, it ain't like Dave's locale makes him a foreigner to heat & humidity. If he's more comfortable in cotton, win for him. Maybe he doesn't sweat as much as I do.

Personal preference is... well... personal.

Cotton also chafes my skin something fierce. :gross:

 

[joecoin]

Cotton also chafes my skin something fierce. :gross:

Try some baby powder. :gross:

 

[joecoin]

Must be nice to live somewhere that mosquitos won't kill you if you aren't covered up.

My belly scares 'em away.

 

[dysmike]

Cotton works here in the summer, as long as it's not the monsoon. Mostly because at 20º humidity, it's a wearable evaporative cooler.

 

[Broken Shoulder]

Anyone ever tried a fishing shirt, with the open slat in the back?

Yeah. The ones I have don't breathe quite as well as I'd hoped, but I still use them occasionally. I like the option to cover up from the sun since I hate sunblock.

 

[DarkAce1978]

Yes!! I whole heartedly agree with he awesome which is a "cooling towel." I've a few of my own, in a couple sizes for the course, at home, at work, or at home at work.
When it's really hot and dry, one does need to find a source of water for the towel because once it's dry, it no worky no more. I'll bring along my personal mister sometimes as well. They aren't as effective in high humidity (it works via evaporation of the water) but is still one of the best choices for cooling off. Plus it helps protect yo' neck from the evil bulb in the sky.

In a disc golf survival situation, if your towel gets dry you can always piss on it to restore its water content and the ability to cool.

 

[zgmc]

I received a cooling t-shirt for fathers day. I have not had a chance to wear it for dg yet.. Same concept as the towels. I will find out if it works eventually.

 

[Tripper]

I fill the water bladder of my H2O bag with ice and water and although I should be drinking that liter and a half, I did use a bit of it to keep my cooling towel soaked with ice cold water.

 

[Dr.Smooth]

To be frank the heat and humidity sucks. In the 90's here in the lower Midwest. And to be honest even with my best gear and attitude I am doing other things that keep me inside.

So, I'm hoping it gets back down in to the low 80s soon!

 

[Chaz58]

To be frank the heat and humidity sucks. In the 90's here in the lower Midwest. And to be honest even with my best gear and attitude I am doing other things that keep me inside.

So, I'm hoping it gets back down in to the low 80s soon!

Very true about the heat/humidity all summer long now around here. Used to be called the dog days of August when I was younger but now it's the dog days of summer. Every day we have had a 90+ degree temp or higher the dewpoints have been as high as 78 - 80. That's freakin' rain forest humidity almost! When it gets to be like that or that convection oven heat of Arizona nothing is gonna keep you really cool and I prefer to not go out and stay in the AC.

 

[Tripper]

Dri-fits feel awful to me because they don't breathe. I'd much rather have a cotton shirt soaked in sweat. That's not necessarily a bad thing and why desert people wear turbans because keeping sweat against the skin gives a full cooling effect and reduces your water loss. As a historical side note, the Spanish conquistadors felt the same way. When they came to the New World they abandoned their woolen tunics (wool is an excellent wicking material like Dri-fits) and adopted these newfangled cotton tunics (especially cotton armor) the natives were wearing b/c the wool was making them itchy and miserable in the jungle (which is exactly how I feel in dri-fits). Plus Dri-fits smell awful.

I am with you Dave. I do not like the way Dri-Fit feels against my skin.

I know Vic is correct as well. Technologically, synthetics perform much better in both hot and cold conditions.

I do know that when I was out at UNC DGC Monday with a 106 heat index my soaked cotton shirt felt great when the breeze kicked up.

 

[Tripper]

The best shirt in high heat and humidity is no shirt at all.

I don't even consider it a day of disc golf if I don't see shirtless guy.

 

[rd.bittle]

Best way, this morning was to hit the course at 6:15. Super humid, but didn't get over 85, before we finished.

We had a Workaholics Anonymous meeting. Then finished in time to go to work after the round. Lol

 

[travisov]

I grew up in Texas. When we played in the summer, we played "shade golf".

Shade golf calls for all players not throwing to stand in a shaded area. It also led to placement throws...we would try to have our drives land in shaded areas.

The other component was to take a break every 3 holes. We were in central texas so the courses had a lot of elevation. After hiking up and downhill, its good to take a rest.

All said, it's important to play slow and hydrate. Your body can tolerate heat, but high temps lead to bad decision making...and we all know what that means on the course!

 

[Inverted]

I play in Florida, year round, nearly everyday. Yeah its hot.

Hydrate. Drink before you get to the course. Bring a few bottles for the round. Have a cooler with ice and drinks in your vehicle for when you finish the round.

Performance / athletic clothing is the only way to go. Cotton gets soaked instantly, and chafes like a wet rope. Find the lightest weight wicking dri-fit type material you can. They DO breathe and wick moisture away so it can evaporate, if the heat and humidity allows. There are some cheap brands i like (Champion) and some more expensive ones. Pay attention to your shorts. They should be dri-fit too. Heavy cargo shorts hold more heat.

Also, wear a super lightweight sunshade hat. Sunglasses too. Bring an umbrella if you like, but I'd rather travel lighter. I dont like sunscreen because it works by converting UV to heat, which makes me feel hotter. I'd rather cover up the most exposed / vulnerable areas, and have a tan for the rest.

Lighten up the load in your bag, if your carrying. Just the essentials. Zuca carts, etc. excel in the heat because they free up the load, and make carrying an umbrella and liquids so easy.

Build up your heat tolerance. Try to play often, you will get used to it.

Listen to your body. If you think the heat is getting to you...it is. Get somewhere cool, and drink cool water asap.

As for playing, bring towels to dry your hands. Be patient. Straight down the fairway is the shortest distance to the hole. Play for pars and get the bonus birdies. It's less stressful on your body.

Hot humid air is less dense, so discs will slightly stable up on you. Adjust accordingly.

Mornings and evenings are best!

 

[Disc Golf Chuck]

Here in Phoenix, Arizona during the summer months, we just hydrate and play quickly. I've played in 117 degrees before. Today is supposed to be a high of 114 and a LOW of 93. It is very dry, but it is scorching hot. But playing in this heat is doable if you are smart and can finish your round in a reasonable amount of time. But the best part of living here is that we can play year round disc golf even if it's hot for six months of the year. We say that there are two types of weather in Phoenix...hot and very hot.

 

[DavidSauls]

All this---well, almost all of it---with the additional caution: be careful.

I've experienced heat exhaustion twice, and rescued a DGCR member from it once. Here's the thing about overheating: once you realize it's happening, it's too late to help yourself. Hope that you have someone with you who recognizes it, and can help. Take all the advice about hydrating, and the rest, and don't push it. Trust me.

Unless you're really well acclimated to it, consider playing late in the day, when the shadows are longer and thus there's more shade. Or early in the morning, though where I am, mornings may have cooler temperatures but the humidity is outrageous, and I find them a bigger problem than late afternoon, when some of the humidity has boiled off.

Oh, and a vote for cotton over dri-fit, when the humidity is high. I can't stand the feel of dri-fits when it's too humid for the sweat to evaporate.

 

[PMantle]

Oh, and a vote for cotton over dri-fit, when the humidity is high. I can't stand the feel of dri-fits when it's too humid for the sweat to evaporate.

Never tried this. Seems like it would be so, so hot.