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Working in this heat! Any tips?

Started by Pete J, August 02, 2004, 05:50:58 PM

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Pete J

The heat usually doesn't get to me but today it did. I worked as hard as ever but I just felt like crap. Besides drinking plenty of water and staying out of the sun, it was tough. How do you guys handle it?


Jeff

 I feel like elcrappo too after this weekend. I am getting so I CANNOT work in the sun. Hot is not bad if there is cloud cover for me, but that sun does me in in just minutes. I was glad to be back in my semi-sorta-air conditioned cab this morning. Talking about cooler weather for us in a day or two. I'll send it on your way if its any good. :)
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Ed_K

 In the service they gave us salt tablets. My way to handle it, is to work from daylight to noon or a little after and quit till after supper  ;D. Don't get much done tho  :(.
Ed K

dail_h

   I drink lots 'n lots of water,at least a gallon a day,get miserable and grouchy but have to keep going anyway
World Champion Wildcat Sorter,1999 2002 2004 2005
      Volume Discount At ER
Singing The Song Of Circle Again

Fla._Deadheader

  I feel the heat more than Ed, so, when it gets too bad, we ease off or quit for the rest of the day.

  We do NOT use salt in our diet. I am looking for salt tablets. The Dr. says it does NOT help. It worked in SE Asia ::) ;) ;D
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

etat

Lots and lots of salt.  Dangerous to run your body out of salt and quit sweating.  If you ever get to where it seems you can't get enough to drink, or if what you are drinking isn't doing you any good, you're probably getting low on salt. Lots and lots of liquid.  Nothing tooo cold, or too much at one time.  Better to drink a little bit OFTEN, than to wait and glup too much down at once.  No alcohol.  This is very important. A good breakfast, and maybe a early morning snack.  No big dinner or food that sits heavy on your stomach, it'll do you in if you have to work all day. Light colored clothes will help just a little bit.  As said when possible much better to start early and quit when it gets too hot.  

Fla, your doctor is NUTS!  It IS possible to sweat the salt out of your system.  I don't have salt tablets but do keep the little packages of salt for when needed.  One thing about salt is that if your body is low on it when you take or eat some it gets in and effects your system almost instantly.
Old Age and Treachery will outperform Youth and Inexperence. The thing is, getting older is starting to be painful.

ScottAR

Gatoride... Believe the ads or not it really does help... I like orange best.  Take a cup or two and some regular water to wash the aftertaste down...  I have two big cooler jugs like one would find on a construction site. One gatoride and one water.  On break, (which is often) I usually drink until I have to er..uh...  go.  Probably not efficent use of liquid but I'm scared of dehydrating and I have plenty.  

Avoid all soft drinks, even at night during the work week.  Iced tea is pretty good instead.    
Scott
"There is much that I need to do, even more that I want to do, and even less that I can do."
[Magicman]

james

if its hot and humid out take a hot shower not a cold one before going out to work i know it sounds crazy but a hot shower will open the pores so you sweat properly a cold one will close them and keep you from sweating properyl for the first while it can cause heat stroke whitch can kill
also iv found a teaspoon or sfo of lemon juice added to a gallon of water will make it quench your thirst better :)

rbarshaw

A big wide brimed straw hat to keep the sun off, agood one will be loosely woven to allow air through. A big fan to keep the air moving to evaporate the sweat, keeps you cool. Drink more water than you can stand. Stop often and stand/sit in front of the fan.
Been doing so much with so little for so long I can now do anything with nothing, except help from y'all!
By the way rbarshaw is short for Robert Barshaw.
My Second Mill Is Shopbuilt 64HP,37" wheels, still a work in progress.

Old_Town

It was 98 degrees with about 80 percent humidity today here in the Dallas area. When it gets this hot we do the following:

drink plenty of cool water
wear wide brimmed straw hats
wear light colored cotton garments.

and most important:

use "ice towels" (bath towels kept in ice chest) to wrap around your neck and and head. This will cause rapid cooling of the body and it will allow you to put in a full day. My doctor told me years ago that the average diet contains enough salt to make salt tablets unneeded.

Good Luck,
T

RMay

HYDRATION
Studies conducted on wildland firefighters indicate that fire suppression activities generate about 7.5 kilocalories of heat each minute worked, or 450 kilocalories for each hour. Additional heat (about 180 kilocalories per hour) comes from the environment and the fire. The total heat load amounts to 580 kilocalories per hour (400 + 180 = 580). Complete evaporation of 1 liter of sweat removes 580 kilocalories of heat. In order to maintain a healthy body temperature, the firefighter needs to evaporate about 1 liter (slightly more than 1 quart) of sweat during each hour of work.
  
 Maintaining body fluids is essential for sweating. You must hydrate before, during, and after work.
  
 Before work you should take extra fluids to prepare for the heat. Drink 1 or 2 cups of water, juice, or a sport drink before work. Avoid excess caffeine; it hastens fluid loss in the urine.
  
 While working drink at least 1 quart of fluid per hour. Drink as much as you can during the lunch break. Water is your greatest need during work in the heat.  
  
 Providing a portion of fluid replacement with a carbohydrate/electrolyte sport beverage will help you retain fluids and maintain energy and electrolyte levels.  
  
 After work it is important to continue drinking to replace fluid losses. Thirst always underestimates fluid needs, so you should drink more than you think you need.
  
 Rehydration is enhanced when fluids contain sodium and potassium, or when foods with these electrolytes are consumed along with the fluid.  
  
 Unacclimatized workers lose more salt in the heat so they need to pay particular attention to salt replacement. Don't overdo salt intake; too much salt impairs temperature regulation. Excessive salt can cause stomach distress, fatigue, and other problems.
  
 Make potassium-rich foods like bananas and citrus fruits a regular part of your diet, and drink lots of lemonade, orange juice, or tomato juice.  
  
 Limit the amount of caffeine drinks such as coffee and colas because caffeine increases fluid loss. Avoid alcoholic drinks. They also cause dehydration.  
  
 You can assess your hydration by observing the volume, color, and concentration of your urine. Low volumes of dark, concentrated urine, or painful urination indicate a serious need for rehydration. Other signs of dehydration include a rapid heart rate, weakness, excessive fatigue, and dizziness.  
  
 Rapid loss of several pounds of body weight is a certain sign of dehydration. Rehydrate before returning to work; continuing to work in a dehydrated state can lead to serious consequences, including heat stroke, muscle breakdown, and kidney failure.
  
    
References:
Standards for Fire and Aviation Operations, BLM, www.fire.blm.gov/Standards/redbook.htm  
RMay in Okolona Arkansas  Sawing since 2001 with a 2012 Wood-Miser LT40HDSD35-RA  with Command Control and Accuset .

Rocky_J

I'm impressed that the first three posts on this thread are from people that don't hardly have a summer! Down here we have 2 seasons, summer and January.  :D July through September are the worst. I've lived and worked in it all my life and can't really add to the suggestions listed above. The big thing is to take it seriously and THINK about how to move your work into the shade if at all possible. If not, work early and bust out what you need to do before 1 or 2pm. Those extra 3 hours between 2 and 5 can ruin your ability to get up and work another 6-7 hours the next day.

BTW, I'm taking more drastic measures to get out of the heat. I'm heading north in a couple weeks to work for a week with a guy in Colorado. Not for the money, but more like a working vacation. Drive a little, work a little, fish a little, eat a little and laugh a little.  
8) 8)

Dianne

You need to drink alot and take in some salt, but the thing that cool me down in the heat is taking a little cool water and pouring it over the top of my head and the back of my neck. This help your body temp. drop alittle. You can use a cloth dripped in cold water also.

Timberwerks

For me it's Gatorade and lot's of water. I also try to take a lunch break and come inside and watch a little Columbo on tv.

Dale

Kevin_H.

We try to start early and quit early, We keep a cooler of bottled water with some towels thrown in to cool off when we need to.

I worked way too long today trying to get a job done before we leave for the piggy shindig...
Got my WM lt40g24, Setworks and debarker in oct. '97, been sawing part time ever since, Moving logs with a bobcat.

Furby

I was up stripping the roof today. We were just shy of 90, and the heat index hit 98 just before the storms moved in. I stayed up there trying to get as much done while I had some wind from the incoming storms. I gave up when the rain and lighting was right on top of me. Actually I figured swinging a 2 1/2' steel prybar on a roof top in a lightning storm maybe wasn't such a good idea.  :-/ ::)

I can handle the cold, but heat does me in REAL fast!!!!!!
My suggestion for "Working in this heat", is NOT TO!!!!!! ;) ;)

Ianab

Maybe you could move to the Southern hemisphere for 6 months a year ?  :D

This was my desktop and outside temp this morning, I know it's not COLD by many of your standards, but we dont do central heating here.

Back to the topic, we do have a summer, and it can get pretty hot. Best thing I have found is to mix fruit juice and water 50/50, fill up a chilly bin with bottles of that and some ice pads to keep it cool. Even drinking a litre of that an hour I still find myself dehydrating running the mill or pruning trees on a hot afternoon.

Ian

Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

slowzuki

To those who think you don't need salt, many of our haying crew used to refuse the gatorade or salted punch, guess which ones ended up in convulsions on the ground or passed out before the day was up.

Your brain doesn't function well with low electrolytes.

Roxie

Check the labels on your clothes and make certain that you are wearing COTTON.  The blends don't breathe the way that real cotton does.  Also, avoid air conditioning.  My house is set at 78 degrees and I never use the air conditioner in the trucks.  Your body needs to acclimate to heat and humidity. Going back and forth from cool to heat will knock the stuffing out of you faster than anything.  I also recommend salt, more fluids than you think you need,  a hat, and a wet bandana across the back of your neck.  
Say when

Bro. Noble

What a bunch of sissies you yankees are ;)

You ought ta hafta work out in the hot hayfield all day long when the humidity is high and it's about 100 degrees.

You just gotta be tough and try not to think about the heat.  I turn the tractor radio up and sing along with it to distract myself-------and hope the AC don't quit :D :D :D
milking and logging and sawing and milking

MemphisLogger

Y'all come down here to the Delta and I'll show you how to deal with heat  ;D

Seriously, the best thing for heat is mint tea.  :)

One of those cheapo pop-up canopies from Harbor Freight is nice to have strategically located at the head of the mill so the sawyer and off bearer can stand in some shade while the saw works in the sun.  ;)

If'n ya ever get reeaal bad (or hafta work off the libations of the evening prior) Pedialite will fix ya right up (pedialite is baby rehydration solution).  8)  
Scott Banbury, Urban logger since 2002--Custom Woodworker since 1990. Running a Woodmizer LT-30, a flock of Huskies and a herd of Toy 4x4s Midtown Logging and Lumber Company at www.scottbanbury.com

rebocardo

Being in GA, I try to drink a lot of fluids, including sweet tea, eat salty stuff, wear a sweatband, and try to be almost fully clothed except for the lower arms. I think the white hard hat really helps on keeping your head cool in the hot sun.

What I try to do is ditch the chaps as soon as I stop cutting instead of moving wood around with them on because they can really over heat you in the sun.

I guess it does not get that hot for me since I still only have one working window in my non A/C 1971 truck :-D

ksu_chainsaw

Lessons learned by our battery in the extreme Iraqui heat:

1.  Drink at least 1 liter of water per hour.

2.  If u dont have to go at least every hour, you arent drinking enough.

3.  Gatoraide is good, but dont drink only that, or you will cramp up and get sick- there is such a thing as too much electrolytes.

4.  Put extra salt on everything you eat- thats enough to make sure that you drink enough water to not get that sick.

5.  Wear a wicking t-shirt under your uniform blouse.  It wicks the sweat away from the skin, so when a little breeze comes through, it feels almost cold.

And the most important thing that we found out:
     Medics have a hard time finding veins on someone when they are dehydrated.  This means that you better keep hydrated before you look like someone was playing pin the tail on the donkey with your arm.
In the six months that we have been dealing with the heat here, I have used up over 30 500mL iv bags to hydrate other soldiers, and our battery gets in at least 2 boxes a week.  Some of the soldiers dont need the iv's as much as others, but we have been erring on the side of caution.

Hope it cools down for all of you soon

Charles

etat

 8)Bro. Nobel, I can't quit laughing, seems you've hit on the perfect solution!!!! 8) 8)
Old Age and Treachery will outperform Youth and Inexperence. The thing is, getting older is starting to be painful.

Lenny_M

YANKEES.SISSIES?????
 That war ended years and years ago.
  
 You guys still upset that the north won that one??

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