Managing in the heat

[Alwin]

How do you keep from getting heat exhaustion (or at least feeling unwell) when you're working over a fire all summer, and what do you do to recover from heat exhaustion when it does catch up with you?

[dablacksmith]

ya take it real easy have shade and fans if possable drink lots of WATER!!!!! ive had heat stroke a couple times then you stop and cool off any way you can ... go jump in a creek if theyres one around!but my best cooling move is to head north where it is cooler (i live in the phonex arizona valley) right now ime in idaho!

[Tim McCoy]

Like he said - shade - take breaks - lotsa water - cool clothe around the neck and pay attention to your body - trust it to let you know when it is in need of cooling off :mellow:

[monstermetal]

ya take it real easy have shade and fans if possable drink lots of WATER!!!!! ive had heat stroke a couple times then you stop and cool off any way you can ... go jump in a creek if theyres one around!but my best cooling move is to head north where it is cooler (i live in the phonex arizona valley) right now ime in idaho!

Where in Idaho Eric? You know your hammer is in Idaho?

[Frosty]

Keep hydrated and use water rather than gatoraid for the main course. There are pretty straightforward guidlines for when you're in danger of electrolyte imbalance and need salt. Electrolytes like Gatoraid aren't necessary except in extreme circumstances, say running a marathon in high temps.

I'm NOT saying electrolytes are a bad thing, they're just overused. Keeping a bottle or two of Gatoraid close is a good thing if you're doing a lot of sweating but water is what you really need. For example, drinking a litre of Gatoraid for every 4-6 litres of water will keep your blood in a healthy balance electrolyte wise. Of course a few ounces of potato chips for the same amount of water will do the trick too.

Of course the better thing to do than listen to me is do a little research on electrolyte imbalance. Then pay attention to what your body is doing when and take common sense precautions.

Heck, I've known too many guys who drank a few litres of Gatoraid before and after lunch on a hot day and for some reason they didn't hold up well in the heat and we're talking about Alaska's version of heat.

Frosty the Lucky.

[Thomas Dean]

The water you drink today is your hydration for tomorrow, in other words you need to hydrate 24 hrs BEFORE you start work at a hot forge. Heat related illnesses takes a long time for the body to recupe, in some cases up to a year. Plan ahead and hydrate today for your work tomorrow.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Another option is to work at night after the sun goes down, or early morning. Where I live it will still be 100-even after midnight. A typical summer day (for 3 solid months) here is 100-115 during the day, low of 85 around 3AM, then back up 100 by 9AM. I have seen humidity posted on the weather reports as low as 1%, at 113 degrees. A lot of tourists on The Strip (Las Vegas)don't realize just how much they are sweating due to our single digit humidity at times. The sweat evaporates as fast as you release it. What that usually means is a tourist face down on the concrete. You can usually spot a local by the water bottle that they always carry with them. Keep hydrated, if you feel thirsty you are not drinking enough.

Lately I will work around the property till I get too warm, then I come in to cruise the net some, snack, cool off, then head back out, unless it is one of those too hot to do anything days. The wind only makes it a convection oven here, so it can be an indoor day till the sun goes down.

It is 5:30AM and a pleasant 78 now, so I am getting ready to get some work done.

[HWooldridge]

It's been in the high 90's this week with 70% humidity so not as hot as the West but warm enough; I baled hay this week so went out and picked up 82 bales between 5 and 7pm last Thursday (then stacked them in the barn). Afterwards, I was so soaked in sweat that it looked like I had jumped in a pond while fully dressed - there were no dry spots to be found...

Although I drink plenty of water, my body tends to lose a lot of salt so I drink Gatorade quite a bit but I cut it with de-caf tea or lemonade. It's important to stay hydrated and not try to catch up after you've already lost the fluid so I find it best to drink before I go out then drink several ounces every 20-30 minutes rather than wait an hour and gulp down a large amount. There have been many days where I will consume gallons of fluid over the course of a day but never go in the house to the bathroom because it's all being exuded in sweat.

While working over a fire, it also helps to have a fan blowing in the general area - you may not want it aimed right at the forge because of smoke issues but being able to walk in and out of a breeze also helps keep your body temps down. If your skin starts to feel dry and you get dizzy or chilled, then you are approaching heat stroke and should quit immediately and go cool off (you may even need medical attention).

My #3 son was stationed in Iraq during the second Gulf war and he said they were ordered to drink a certain number of ounces every hour but soldiers still dropped from heat fatigue and many needed an IV to restore their balances. Don't let your body get to that stage because it may be too late.

[dablacksmith]

Where in Idaho Eric? You know your hammer is in Idaho?

ys doin show in weepe not gona be able to haul hammer till all my shows are over (so i empty out trailer of all the iron)

[Frank Turley]

I suffered from heat exhaustion when I was shoeing a horse in the hot summer sun. I felt weak and nauseous, so I sat under the shade of a tree. The lady customer came out and was concerned. She said, "I know just what you need, iced tea!" When she returned from the house with the tea, I took a drink and immediately vomited. From that experience, I would suggest not drinking much if anything, until you're somewhat recovered.

http://www.turleyforge.com Granddaddy of Blacksmith Schools

[infinityblacksmithing]

One thing I have not seen anyone say is to eat fruit throughout the day too. It helps me feel restored alot of the time.

Also, make a hammer rack on a skinny long table that can hold a big box fan. You can sit it to the side of you where your working on your anvil. Just far enough back that its not blowing on the anvil, causing your hot bar to cool to quickly. Seems to work for me.

[Sam Thompson]

I was once told that drivers etc. of steam loco's would chew dried runner beans (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runner_bean). Has anyone else heard of this?

[Frosty]

I've never heard of eating runner beans to avoid heat stroke but it'll probably work just fine keeping your blood sugar and saline content in range. What I have heard of from old days is eating pickles.

A sudden shot of iced anything isn't good if you're dehydrated. Being dehydrated doesn't mean your body temp is too high, you're too dry. If you're shakey dizzy a glass of lemonaide is a good fix just don't gulp it down, sip it over ten minutes or so. Lemonaide not only has water, it has sugar and salt to help your body balance it's electrolyte levels. Sipping will give your body time to keep it's balance where gulping can push it out of range too fast to recover.

My Father used to call it water poisoning, I think because it made more of an impression than trying to explain electrolyte imbalance to folk in distress. The main message was sip water and eat as an ongoing thing, not trying to consume quantities to catch up. If you're in catchup mode you're behind the curve and in dangerous territory.

Frosty the Lucky.

[son_of_bluegrass]

As has been mentioned, drink water before you start anything, Drink a little bit frequently. Don't over do the gatoraid style drinks (I go with fruit juice, lemonade and tea). You lose more water than anything so that should be most of what you drink. Eating fruit (especially those with a high water content) is good.
If you start feeling like you've overdone it, STOP WORKING, immediately. Find some place cool but not cold. Sip on cool or lukewarm water, if you try to drink something too cold your body won't like it. You likely will throw up, may pass out and from there thing just get worse. And if you've overdone it, it may be wise to seek medical attention and take a day or three off (or work indoors where it is cool.
Having air moving can help but remember that is helping the sweat evaporate. Yes it cools your body but you need to replace the water. Wearing a minimal amount of clothing can help but don't skimp on safety gear. Our bodies are designed to stay cool, but that doesn't work as well when wearing a lot of clothes.
If you can avoid working during the heat of the day that is a good idea.

Ron
who just yesterday dug some 3 bushels of potatoes in the evening after the temp dropped to the low 90's.

[thecelticforge]

Since water, rest, and air circulation have been covered, I have found that ice packs under the arms is an excellent way to help drop the core temp too.

[Tim McCoy]

Like BIGGUNDOCTER says, here in the Nevada desert it gets plenty hot from end of May thru end of September. Not unusual to have strings of days that never drop below 102 during the night. During the day it can easily reach 118 by 2PM. Normal humidity here hangs around 8-10% all year long. Sometimes near lotsa houses it will get up to 40% (watering yards and pool evaporation), but doesn't stay that way long. Most housing contractors are off the job site by 2PM if possible.

Wearing long sleeve loose fitting cotton shirts, a broad brimmed hat for the sun, steady water intake, frequent breaks, eating lightly (the fruit thing is excellent), and a workspace that allows for airflow (having an indirect fan is good) all add up to staying comfortable. It allows you to manage the heat stress you will experience. Usually if you feel thirsty, you have already started to dehydrate. Most of us who live in the desert start as early as we can and stop as early as we can. Doctors will tell you to NOT exercise outside in heat over 98 ... overworks your bodies ability to cool itself.

Think about the guys who live in the Sahara - most of them stay idle in the heat of the day, are completely covered with loose clothing (actually acts as a method of controlling loss of moisture by holding it near you and is a kind of a/c) and drink water and/or tea of some kind. No gator aide stuff there and they do find.

And, always pay attention to your body's signals. Discomfort and or pain ar your friends and will always tell you when to stop. I have had heat stroke (summer of '76) and it is a miserable experience and it does take a toll on you that is not recovered from quickly.

Worked at the forge today for just short of 2 hours - 96/97 outside and some wind - stopped when the sweat wouldn't stay on my body!

Tim

[Mainely,Bob]

We used to wrap a wet cloth around our neck and tie one around each wrist to help.
Usually,but not always,headache is the first sign of dehydration.
If you`ve had a heat injury then you are more likely to become one more easily again so don`t just go out and work in the heat again for the next few days.
One thing that hasn`t been mentioned is to not work alone in the heat.If you drop from heat stroke it becomes life threatening in minutes.Having someone there with you means you can watch each other and notice things like one of you has stopped sweating and something`s wrong.If you do a face plant having someone there can make the difference between life and death.

[Mark Emig]

The heat is a major P.I.A. for me. I live in the Hudson Valley-90 degrees today and probably 90% humidity plus an "air quality advisory" (never thought I'd see one of those living in the woods like I do). I am doing a bunch of production work now-got my 2 burner Chili forge running at 18 psi for 8-10 hours per day-roasts me right out. I just eat a good high protein breakfast, drink a gallon or 2 of water per day, light lunch and hope for the best. Yesterday I got cooked but good-was shot for a few hours after work. I liked the thing about no exercise at above 98 or so. Good luck to that one-my shop was 105 yesterday-seemed cool out at 88 degrees when I got done. You do need to pay attention though. Heat exhaustion/heat stroke is no joke. I definitely have hads a few bad days lately-too darn hot. When I am doing scrolls production wise I keep the forge at an arms length from where I stand at the air hammer-cooks the daylights out of me. I have 2 big fans running full speed also-only now I have really hot circulating air instead of still air. Sweated through 3 pairs of pants and 5 shirts yesterday. Oh well, we'll all be complaing about the cold soon enough.
Mark Emig

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

To keep cool I sometimes use one of those water gel neck wraps. My Mom made them from scrap cloth that she had. The filling is found in a good garden supply shop, it is a polymer that soaks up to 70 times its volume in water, and holds it for a long time. It is meant to be used in potting mix to conserve water. Put about 2 teaspoons in a cloth tube about 18-24" long, and sew shut. Soak in water, and watch it swell up. It will stay hydrated for days, and can be cooled in the refrigerator before using.

Another note is wearing hats. We lose around 80% of our body heat through out head, so a hat will help hold the heat in. If you are indoors it may be a good idea to lose the ball cap, and get your hair wet-if you still have hair that is

Eating fresh fruit, one of the few things I miss from California. We have FSO here - fruit shaped objects <_<

[Dragons lair]

How do you keep from getting heat exhaustion (or at least feeling unwell) when you're working over a fire all summer, and what do you do to recover from heat exhaustion when it does catch up with you?

Hey Alwin, I have a water cooler and a fridge in the shop.
Ken.

[Dragons lair]

Something else I learned back in the OLD CORPS. Parris island in the 60s. Before stress cards. SALT TABLETS.
105 on the grinder. Water don't help. If your t shirt is white(I wear black) ya need salt not water. This was in the day they ran ya till ya dropped. Sounds nasty but if your peeing yellow ya need SALT. Or a shop with AC
Ken.

[Sam Thompson]

How about moving to somewhere with a pleasanter climate?

[Francis Trez Cole]

I make my gatoraid weak so I drink all day. I have a fan set up so when I am waiting for metal to heat up I stand in the air stream. but being aware of your body is the most important and prehydroate. Room temp water is more effeciant for you body to process takes less energy cold liquids have to be heated hot liquids need to be cooled. I have been working in florida for 10 years and have many people go down from not preparing.

[FieryFurnace]

The heat doesn't bother me so long as I am shaded and can see the metal on the anvil. But then I'm ust a little shy of 18! LOL
Lots of water like everyone said!
One thing that us reenactors do out on the field is put ice in your hat. Just a couple of cubes. But you have to wear a sweat band or something to keep it from running all over your face or glasses if you wear em. It really helps alot though!

[territorialmillworks]

Yuma, AZ is the second hottest place in the US behind Death Valley. We know heat!! Here is an off-the-wall idea that works for me. I recently got an evaporative vest by Techniche, Intl and purchased from North American Pride for about $32. Here is how it works, soak in water for 3 minutes and wear. The inner Gortex type material keeps it from soaking into your shirt and the evaporative action cools for about two hours and then re-soak. Construction workers, motorcycles, fishermen wear them. They even make a gel-pack version for the military. As a disclaimer, the material is synthetic so it will melt from sparks but it is 3/8" quilted material and saturated with water so it won't go up in flames or stick to your skin. It works even better with a fan blowing across it.....