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  1. #1
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
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    Default Hiking in the heat

    hiking in and camping in the heat is my least favorite time out. When it gets above 90' and humid and just sitting around your sweating yeah not fun. I know nowadays they have all kinds of cooling methods like $40 underwear, cooling shirts, shorts etc... they have fans,and even really small ac units you can put in your tent. When I've been in the heat I've used cooling towels and $40 underwear and car camping I'll use a battery operated fan. What's y'all's keeping cool methods?

  2. #2
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    cyber hiking works pretty well.

  3. #3
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    I do not overnight hike in the summer unless a rare cold front passes through. I do day hike, knowing I can grab a shower in an AC'ed environment afterwards. I will car camp on occasion at higher elevations where at least it's cooler. Call me a wimp. Guess I'm getting old.

  4. #4

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    Hike in the early morning and early evening. Take the afternoon off - preferably at a pond or stream.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  5. #5
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Slo-go'en View Post
    Hike in the early morning and early evening. Take the afternoon off - preferably at a pond or stream.
    Probably the best and most preferred plan. But how about methods of trying to stay cool like when lying there in your tent or hammock . Or while hiking like umbrella, hat, long-sleeved or short sleeved etc...
    Last edited by JNI64; 07-10-2020 at 15:50.

  6. #6
    Registered User LittleRock's Avatar
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    Yeah, I do day hikes in the summer but avoid backpacking for that very reason. I can hike faster without a pack and get 10-12 miles in before noon, then head home for lunch and an afternoon in the A/C.

    I had a 90+ degree day in southern PA on my last section hike in October. Luckily, I was able to plan ahead and hike more miles the previous 2 days so I could have a shorter day in the heat. I knocked out my 10 miles early and spent most of the afternoon in the A/C at the AT museum at Pine Grove Furnace. Too bad the store was closed or I could've had ice cream too. :-)
    Last edited by LittleRock; 07-10-2020 at 16:22.
    It's all good in the woods.

  7. #7
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
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    There certainly is alot more ways to stay warm in the cold than there is ways to stay cool in the heat. You can use your own body and do exercises to stay warm. But over heating and heat stroke can be a huge concern. I seen a pretty cool (pun intended ) device the other day it goes around your neck plastic thing claims to be ac i know it sounds silly but if light weight and right there keeping the arteries in neck cool there by circulating cool blood.

  8. #8
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    Back in 2011 during my AT Thru-Hike I remember some 100°+ days. One day I was commenting on my 10+ mile and someone else said it was over 100°, that's why we didn't accomplished any big miles. Another day we approached Mount of Atonement Monastery and I found a cold shower, I dropped my pack and crawled in clothes and all and enjoyed the shower. Yes, that was a great hike even as the temperatures climbed.

  9. #9

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    I did an overnighter on the Ocmulgee River Trail the weekend of the 4th.I normally get good results out of my Artic Cool shirt but it was so humid and there was NO breeze so the evaporative feature of the clothing was a moot point.However,once we made camp the decision was made when we went to get water to just jump in the river.THAT WORKED!

  10. #10
    Registered User Slugg's Avatar
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    In the thralls of a southeastern US summer, I lay on top of my quilt and use my liner as a blanket. Generally find that pretty comfortable even when the lows are in the mid 70s. I tend to go to bed pretty late when it’s blazing out as well to give the outside temperate and my body time to cool down a bit. I will say it’s my least favorite time to backpack, but I still enjoy it.
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  11. #11

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    I am always astonished at how much the heat and humidity affects my physicality and the expectation that I have for myself. It’s a lesson in humility and requires a significant amount of flexibility when trip planning.

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by Slo-go'en View Post
    Hike in the early morning and early evening. Take the afternoon off - preferably at a pond or stream.
    Many times, I’ve planned to hike in the morning and evening but I have a difficult time making myself stop during midday. I’d rather make slow progress than no progress.
    Last edited by Traffic Jam; 07-10-2020 at 21:36.

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by Traffic Jam View Post
    Many times, I’ve planned to hike in the morning and evening but I have a difficult time making myself stop during midday. I’d rather make slow progress than no progress.
    I'll have to admit, that's what usually happens to me too. Slow down to a crawl in the afternoon.

    I bought a cheap, 1 pound hammock thinking I'd use it to hang out during the heat of the day. The idea being it would be off the ground and in the shade. Problem was, after an hour or so of having nothing to do I get bored and end up packing up and moving on anyway. But I think if I were going on an extended summer hike, I'd bring it along.

    Looks like some record breaking and persistent heat and insane heat indexes are on tap for the next two weeks across most of the country. Another reason to stay home for a while
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  14. #14
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    When I need to get through a summer heat wave on a long trip, my strategy is to support my body's cooling system. Support the perspiration with water and salt. If you fall short of either of those, you're in trouble. On those warm nights, I pitch my shelter for maximum exposure to any breeze there is, and keep the quilt ready to throw over me if I cool down enough.
    "Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning

  15. #15
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
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    I remember years ago I was hiking the snp summer time hot as hell and thunderstorms rolled in which quickly turned to hail big hail. I used to carry a small tarp in my side pocket of my pack i pulled it out and covered up with it i mean big hail coming down hard and fast. About that time 2 fellows come running down the hill in kilts lol, from the uk they asked if they could duck under my tarp with me for a minute. It was a funny moment on trail after that they went there way i went mine and I got the pleasure of eating ice chunks off the ground for a while.

  16. #16
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Traffic Jam View Post
    Many times, I’ve planned to hike in the morning and evening but I have a difficult time making myself stop during midday. I’d rather make slow progress than no progress.
    I'm the same way I can't just lay there in that heat. Those days by the time I get to camp I'm zombie hiking.

  17. #17

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    To the point, when I used to camp in hot weather I typically found a way to wash or just get wet and let evaporation do its thing while I try to sleep.

    As I have gotten older I find myself becoming less tolerant of heat and its related miseries. When temperatures reach into the high 80s and beyond along with dew points climbing well into the 70s, evaporative cooling is non-existent and camping becomes equally as unpleasant as climbing steep grades in 90-degree weather. For those reasons I find fall/winter to be my preferred backpacking season.

    Summer has become my off-season and I will stop backpacking in mid June through Labor Day to avoid most of the summer heat and uncomfortable nights. Some exceptions exist of course, for example if I get a chance to hike a bit of the PCT or north Cascades that are only accessible in late summer or north Cascades, but as a general rule I move to summer time day hiking to stay in shape.

  18. #18

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    At my age, I'm out of the house for 15 minutes and already can twist the sweat out of my shirt. So I'm just waiting for breezy days.

  19. #19
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by anrope View Post
    At my age, I'm out of the house for 15 minutes and already can twist the sweat out of my shirt. So I'm just waiting for breezy days.
    I have a brother in Clearwater right above you a few miles. I went to visit one time in the summer whew I couldn't last 15 minutes outside absolutely miserable, and they neglected to tell about the fireants i went out barefooted and boy did they tear me up!

  20. #20
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    Patagonia is looking pretty nice this week...
    Plaid is fast! Ticks suck, literally... It’s ok, bologna hoses off…
    Follow my hiking adventures: https://www.youtube.com/user/KrizAkoni
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