I want a personal cooling device, but most of the ones on the market rely on low humidity to work (neck coolers, head bandanas, evaporation fans, etc). I live in an environment where when it is hot it is also likely humid, so these devices not only don’t work all they seem to do is increase the rate at which I sweat.
So I’d want something that cools by conduction rather than evaporation, since humidity is also high and evaporation doesn’t work well.
I found a product called black ice which is basically a neck brace with an ice pack in it that claims it stays cold for 1.5 hours. I have tried using store bought ice packs on my neck, and they tend to stop being cold within 30 minutes or so, plus they are usually too cold at first (so I need extra layers between the ice and my neck, which wastes some of the energy absorbing ability of the ice. The black ice item claims to maintain a constant 57F temperature for 90 minutes). So something that doesn’t get so cold it hurts and that can stay cold longer would be desirable.
But the neck cooler with 2 cooling packs is about $50. So I figure there is some cheaper alternative somewhere to look into. Has anyone found anything? I’d spend the $50, but if there is something that does the same thing for $20 I’d rather get that.
Before I spent 50 bucks on something, I would try freezing a bag of rice or grain, maybe freeze multiple bags of rice and keep a pillowcase handy for rolling them up and putting on the back of your neck.
I personally enjoy using those pain remover sticks with a ton of menthol in them. Of course, that only works if you’re not actually overheating and just feel hot.
That was going to be my suggestion. The rice is not wet, so you don’t have to worry about humidity and freezing it makes it cold, but not too cold. My rice pack tends to warm about to room temperature after about 30 minutes. Smells nice and rice-y, though!
Little eccentric but I use a DIY version of a water cooling system I read about in some military article for soldiers in Iraq (can’t remember if it was in use or just some neat new thing. They had stainless steel thin membrane globes for their hands and feet and other areas. Very cool looking.
I have it connected in a loop to a backpack with a container of ice / water duct taped shut. (If it works it can’t be stupid.) The loop hangs under my clothing, and is a godsend for long hot hiking. I’ve seen rich-people-marketed devices online but ridiculously overpriced.