Staying Cool...

[Capt Gabriela Fullpepper]

Well I recommend  getting one of http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835128015 these installed into your fair garb. Carried in a small pouch, concealed by clothing!

WOW just what I was looking for... IF I were a Cylone or Borg or maybe Darth Vader LOL or even just a female Cybernetic unit 

To funny Bahlien that's a good one. And yes Water, Water and yet more water. If your urine is yellow, you need to drink more water.

[mehan]

Yes, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate... but also....

I bought the blue ice "layers" that are very small (think 1/2 single popsicle- sized).  They are in a sheet that can be cut to the size you want. A line of them goes in the bodice, under the girls and though there may be condensation, there isn't actual melting - and they do re-freeze, in a small hotel room freezer.

Cut singly they fit really well in the bodice chiller and last longer than actual ice. 

[Blushing]

I do have a bodice chiller ... I love it!  I also occasionally get the sleeves of my wench garb wet.  One year I drenched my bloomers, too!

Hydration is very important ... I try to start of days with a vitamin water like Revive that has potassium (but Gatorades and such work too).  It helps keep everything balanced, since too much water can hurt as well.

I'm just glad that most days it's a dry heat in Colorado.  It's not all that bad ...

[Zoë]

And an additional side-note to hydration: make sure you are drinking water or gatorade (equivalent), not soda.  That just ups your sugar and then you crash later on.  You want to stay hydrated with water or electrolytes, not pure sugar.  It won't do a damn thing for you.

[Aislynn]

I drink a lot.

Also, every once in awhile, I duck into the privies and run cold water over the inside of my wrists. It's a bleeding miracle.

Umm...mostly drinking lots of lemonade and water.

Oh, and pretending to get really mad and shaking my skirts at people...creates a nice breeze.

Ice down the bodice on occasion.

Blessings of holy water from the Brother.

Washing the peasant generally gets me a bit damp - and the peasant soaked. And if there is no peasant to wash, I wash myself. Nice cold water and lots of soap.

Fanning myself with programs as I'm handing them out.
Fanning myself with my pompoms.
Fanning myself with my belt.
Fanning myself with someone else's belt....

All that...and lots of water.

I get water dumped on me frequently. Thanks Tanda.

Other than inner and outer hydration, I like shade.

[Tanda]

to stay cool, I usually strike a heroic pose.  then everyone who walks by says.  "ooh, cool."

I'm so going to try that!

ok, you can't really stay cool. it's gonna be hot. let that be a mindset, and it helps.

I keep reminding myself that I am not wearing velvet and I am not wearing a unicorn head. I feel cooler immediately.

never ever stand in the full sun for any length of time.

Dang. That's the one I keep forgetting. Standing in full sun, screaming at people probably doesn't help me stay cool....but maybe by shouting, I can get the warm air out and cool air in...it sorta worked for the Gnome from Nome. (kisses to anyone that gets that  )

[Count Adolfo]

As someone who does primarily FL Faires, where it's really hot, and in armour sometimes at that, I know well the cardinal rule...
stay hydrated


I probably drink a gallon of water a day at Faire when in the armour, and not much booze.
But I know some people drink Gatorade... some water...
the best is pickle juice

now, before you scoff or laugh, look it up.  it's not great tasting but it's high in electrolytes and really does a great job of keeping you on your feet.  I've never 'fallen out' at Faire.
So the next time you see them selling that last pickle... don't hesitate to get the juice from them.
It may save your day!

[Hey- Arent You?]

Yes, Good point! electrolytes! very important!  Ice tea, lemonaid, sports drinks... you can even get electorlyte tablets (ask the professor)  electrolytes help the hydration actually reach the cells of your body, and replace those that you sweat out. w/o those, all the water in the world won't help.  sugars should be natural (like from fruit)... not from soda.   

another vital note:  because of the way the body processes fluid, it is not possible to drink enough on a festival day to replace what you loose on a festival day. start water loading on thursday. drink all you can stand untill you gotta pee when you even see water.  continue this untill tuesday. you can take a break on wednesday.  if you wait till saturday morning to start , it may already be too late.

~Adam

[Zoë]

now, before you scoff or laugh, look it up.  it's not great tasting but it's high in electrolytes and really does a great job of keeping you on your feet.  I've never 'fallen out' at Faire.
So the next time you see them selling that last pickle... don't hesitate to get the juice from them.
It may save your day!

Another little known fact about pickle juice, it helps cure hiccups!  I am totally serious.  Try it sometime. 

[Count Adolfo]

oh... one other thing on this topic that slipped my mind to post last night is this:

KNOW YOUR LIMITS

the moment you START feeling overheated or woozy, sit down.  rest.  get water, gatorade, pickle juice... whatever you have.  DO NOT drink alcohol at this point.

A lot of what I've seen happen at Faire was avoidable if the party had paid attention to the warning signs... but they figured they could 'tough it out' and pushed themselves harder than they should have.
You can salvage the day if you rest, get re-hydrated and not over-exert yourself.  It's too late to salvage it when you're lying flat on your back gasping "water..."

[Nixie]

I learned something this year, you can get pickle juice whenever, so you don't have to wait till they sell the last one, just ask for some juice.

[Adriana Rose]

yup the pickle guys are always hppy to fork over some juice!

I figured this out this weekend, put some ice above your knees on the inner thigh and it help cool down too, there is a major artory that is right there!

[Zoë]

I discovered it's actually quite helpful for me to put ice inside my hat, like, in the tri-corner pockets on top.  It keeps the band around my head cool, and when it starts to melt it drips down into my hair and on my shoulders, so it's like a nice little refresher every once in a while. 

[Demetrius]

I make Nixie run the counter and I go sit in the walk-in...


Zoe, I thought you kept your hamster in there- (no I'm not going to stop hamster discussion).

[Zoë]

Yeah, I do.  She did get a little chilly and wet this weekend, but she tells me she'll be fine.  I put an extra hamster blanket in her cage so she could warm up.