Mesh Jacket will keep you cooler and less sun burnt. also drink lots of water. It is easy to not realize how much sweat out. also leg cramps suck!

 

I tried that mesh jacket stuff, but I didn't think it cooled well. Yea leg cramps really suck!

 

I've spent some 12 hr consecutive days in triple digit heat indices. A few items have been covered, here's what I do.

- Eat breakfast, leave at daylight, minimum breaks until the real heat sets in, then break every hour to 1.5 hrs.
- ATGATT, the gear keeps the sun off you, you hit on it.
- I wear a camel pack (water) filled with ice, fill it everytime you stop, top off with water. I keep the mouth piece inside my full face helmet, you get use to it. After a few, times, you'll never travel in the heat without it.
- There are cooling vest (friends have worn them, not me) to wear under your mesh jacket, filled with cold water, it seaps into your torso keeping you cool, damp, and hydrated, throw it in ice chest outside stores when you stop. It works.
- Off the road by 5p, in the pool and sauna, eat a good dinner, do it all over the next day. I've rideen 5-6K in 10 days twice, on the slab, in the summer heat of the southeast and Texas.
- Take your jacket and helmet inside the AC when you stop to cool them down.
- Know your limits.


[URL=http://s258.photobucket.com/user/cwthompson7002/media/imagejpg1-1.jpg.html][/URL

 

I wear one of those moto cross long sleeve shirts in the summer its white and has little holes all over it works good.

 

Long sleeve in summer? Forget that, you guys can have that.

 

In Iraq we used Under Armor Shirts and under wear before the Army banned its use do flammability concerns. They worked pretty good to help keep us cool. Long sleeves and layers help to keep you cool, and as you mentioned, stay hydrated. The Army did come out with "combat shirts". Those worked well under our body armor. Here is what they were:
http://www.militaryuniformsupply.com...aBBxoC-r3w_wcB

 

Most of my riding is done in South Florida, high temps and high humidity. When I first noticed overheating it was in my butt, monkey butt as it's sometimes referred as. LD Comfort moisture wicking underwear is what I tried and I was impressed because it worked. Now I use them when ever I ride and no more monkey butt.


Next was my feet, I'd come home from a ride and walk on the tile floors and I could see a moisture foot print where I stepped. The light went on in my noggin, moisture wicking socks. I was in Petersons Harley in Miami one day, saw them hanging on the rack and decided to buy a pair. Sure enough they worked too, no more foot prints and my feet were comfortable in the heat.


Now, with the moisture wicking socks & underwear I was noticeably cooler and not nearly as warm. The combination worked, and I wasn't overheating nearly as much.


While digging in the closet one day I came across a tee-shirt that was given out as a freebee for volunteering in a cross country race. I never worn it because of the weird advertising on it. I looked a little closer and it turned out to be moisture wicking. I put my vainness aside, slipped into it, put on my socks and underwear and went for a ride. What a difference! I was out in direct 85 degree sunlight and felt ok, nice really. I wasn't overheating at all. The socks, underwear, and shirt combo works for me. Now, when I ride in the summer heat, I'm not uncomfortable because of the heat/moisture. When I go on longer rides is when I notice it the most, I'm not nearly as exhausted when I stop for gas or arrive at my destination.


This doesn't replace the need for staying hydrated, you still need to do that. I read that drinking alcohol dehydrates you as opposed to hydrating yourself. The alcohol in the drink works against you even though there's plenty of moisture in whatever drink your drinking. So, especially in the summer I most often drink water or Iced Tea with my beer or mixed drinks as a chaser. That seems to help a bit. There's no scientific evidence that I have that it works, but that's what I do.

 

Riding here in the south lots of hot days, but I also have run the Muhavi at 130 degrees. Cover up..sweating in a long sleeve actually COOLS you..the bare skin of a tank or Tee actually dehydrates you very quickly.

I also use one of the stupid neck wraps that have beads..soak em in water they expand but give several hours of comfort. Every time I stop I get some Ice water and resoak..its amazing how much helped.

for 100+ wear full finger gloves and bandana over face too. At 117 my nail beds actually started burning outside Quartzite , CA when turning up 95 along the Colorado river.

When I finally stopped in Needles Iw as going to camp but the low that night was slated for 99 Haha..so another 25 miles to Laughlin NV and an air conditioned room.

 

Long sleeves are cooler than short sleeves.

I wear an all mesh, armored jacket. Love it.

Then, you need to add a cooling vest. You soak it in water for a minute or two, then put it under the mesh jacket. Instant swamp cooler. The faster you go the cooler it gets. It takes a couple hours to dry out, then stop and wet it again. You need to stop regularly anyway.

http://www.harley-davidson.com/store/hydration-vest

Being exhausted from too many hours in the heat is impairment, just as much as being under the influence. You'll get sloppy, then you'll get hurt. Stop when you need to. Cool off when you stop. Don't push it too hard.