Heat exhaustion

[N Florida Mike]

I’ve worked/ played outside all my life in Florida. I’ve had “ the bear “ on me a couple times. Before I was 30 I never hydrated on purpose- just drank some water when I got thirsty enough… Back then , the heat didn’t bother me at all. Now , at 62, I get dehydrated very quickly, so I drink a lot of water.

Someone posted that wearing a long sleeve shirt and long pants help  cool you off. It may work for you , but ANY kind of Long sleeved shirt makes me hot.

[the reel ess]

On 6/20/2023 at 10:24 AM, Jar11591 said:

If you think you’re drinking enough water, drink more. 

I dug up some boxwoods in the front yard this afternoon and drank at least 2 liters of water. Sweated most of it out/

1 minute ago, N Florida Mike said:

I’ve worked/ played outside all my life in Florida. I’ve had “ the bear “ on me a couple times. Before I was 30 I never hydrated on purpose- just drank some water when I got thirsty enough… Back then , the heat didn’t bother me at all. Now , at 62, I get dehydrated very quickly, so I drink a lot of water.

Someone posted that wearing a long sleeve shirt and long pants help  cool you off. It may work for you , but ANY kind of Long sleeved shirt makes me hot.

I was talking about that with the wife the other day. She said "Remember when you were a kid? You never thought about hydration. Now we get cramps when we aren't even dehydrated."

[Capt Steve]

20 minutes ago, N Florida Mike said:

I’ve worked/ played outside all my life in Florida. I’ve had “ the bear “ on me a couple times. Before I was 30 I never hydrated on purpose- just drank some water when I got thirsty enough… Back then , the heat didn’t bother me at all. Now , at 62, I get dehydrated very quickly, so I drink a lot of water.

Someone posted that wearing a long sleeve shirt and long pants help  cool you off. It may work for you , but ANY kind of Long sleeved shirt makes me hot.

Yes. Growing up in Florida usually meant to throwing melons or hay in the summer. We too called it getting “bear caught”. We joked a lot about Yogi being close by. 
when I was about 19 and farming I got sick / nauseated. After being sick for two days I went to the doc. He said heat exhaustion which can lead to heat stroke. They also warn that once you’ve had that it then it can occur more often. 
 

Im bad about not drinking enough water and usually my first sign is getting muscle cramps in my hands. 

[N Florida Mike]

I worked on a farm for 6 years. I don’t remember even taking a water jug. We drank sulphur water from a shallow well out of a spicket.

I once dug a 3-4 foot deep drainage ditch 300 feet in less than 8 hours with a mattock. Went fishing on the way home too. Woke up ready for work  with no pain or tiredness the next day…

I wouldn’t last 10 feet now !

[Captain Phil]

You have never experienced hot and humid until you fish a Florida fishing tournament in the heat of summer. It's ridiculous!  Our bass club had numerous close calls where anglers would pass out on the decks of their boats.  Luckily, we were close by and they didn't fall in the water.   After all those years, I can tell you a few things that will help.  Long pants and shirts are your best protection, but not just any material. What you want is light breathable material with air flow.   I buy mine from Bass Pro Shop. You should experiment until you find what works for you.  Fishing in jeans is out.  Cotton doesn't breath like these new synthetics. You also want some sun protection.  A good hat is a must. Not a baseball cap.  You want wide sun protection and some holes or mesh on the top. Forget about how it looks, it's not about fashion.  Obviously you want to drink a lot of water.  You can fish in the hottest conditions if you dress right.

[scaleface]

2 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

Forget about how it looks, it not about fashion.

I've been called Indiana Jones, Al Capone , the goofy guy on Two and a Half Men and Steve Irwin. Steve Irwin didnt even wear a hat .

[Capt Steve]

During the 23 years that I was a guide in the Gulf of Mexico, I’ve had five different customers pass out in the boat due to being overheated. All were women! They’re always so worried about having to use the bathroom that they don’t drink the night before or during the day.
That’s a bad look on a human beings face when their eyes are rolled back in their head, and their skin turns gray. I got used to lifting their legs up high and putting wet compresses around their neck and under their armpits, and they usually come to within a few seconds.

you are right Phil. People don’t realize how hot it is here during the middle of the summer.  Especially if they’re used to working indoors.

[geo g]

On 6/20/2023 at 11:42 PM, islandbass said:

Thanks for the reminder but temperature wise we been the opposite here. We’re hovering in the mid 50s at night and on Father’s Day, the day started at 48 degrees, 60% chance of rain but that’s a given here and played golf anyway. By about noon real cat and dog deluge and hail at the turn. Waited it out 40 minutes. Finished by 1:30. Overcast and blustery winds and rain. Went fishing anyway to end the day. Weather the conditions and went from senko to brush hog to baby brush hog to tiny brush hog (I thought I bought babies and didn’t even know there was a tiny version) and a 1/4 oz. bullet weight. Finally got a nice 2lb bass for my troubles. 
 

So please bring the 120 degree heat. The northwest needs it. Lol

 

Watch what you ask for, its not pretty!

[islandbass]

@geo g:  You’re right, I hear you and I was being a bit tongue in cheek and being full of sound and fury, but signifying nothing. Here in the pacific nw, we might see 100 degree weather once every 10-12 years. We already practically in July and spring coolness is still hanging by a thread, lol. 
 

My sister just visited and she lives in AZ. She asked me if it was hot and I told her yes, 70-75 degrees and she said that was jacket weather lol. 

[geo g]

6 hours ago, islandbass said:

@geo g:  You’re right, I hear you and I was being a bit tongue in cheek and being full of sound and fury, but signifying nothing. Here in the pacific nw, we might see 100 degree weather once every 10-12 years. We already practically in July and spring coolness is still hanging by a thread, lol. 
 

My sister just visited and she lives in AZ. She asked me if it was hot and I told her yes, 70-75 degrees and she said that was jacket weather lol. 

 

No problem, we all learn to adjust to what Mother Nature gives us!

[Bankc]

And it's not just the heat.  It's the humidity you need to pay attention to as well.  The more humid it is, the less your sweat will evaporate, which means the more heat your body will retain.  There's a formula for how much heat a person can survive, and it's as dependent on humidity, wind, and solar radiation as it is heat.  They call it the "wet bulb temperature" (different from Heat Index).  You can survive 115° temperatures at 30% humidity (in theory).  But 95° at 95% humidity will kill any human, even if you're resting in the shade and drinking gallons of water.  Fortunately, we almost never see these conditions on earth, but it's important because it points out that temperature alone isn't the only factor to consider. 

[TnRiver46]

7 hours ago, Bankc said:

And it's not just the heat.  It's the humidity you need to pay attention to as well.  The more humid it is, the less your sweat will evaporate, which means the more heat your body will retain.  There's a formula for how much heat a person can survive, and it's as dependent on humidity, wind, and solar radiation as it is heat.  They call it the "wet bulb temperature" (different from Heat Index).  You can survive 115° temperatures at 30% humidity (in theory).  But 95° at 95% humidity will kill any human, even if you're resting in the shade and drinking gallons of water.  Fortunately, we almost never see these conditions on earth, but it's important because it points out that temperature alone isn't the only factor to consider. 

I thought it was 95 degrees with 95% humidity in Georgia 7 months out of the year 

[VolFan]

It for dang sure is in Memphis in the summer!

[Woody B]

Until temperature get's to extremes (over 100F) what we "feel" is the dew point.  If the dew point is 60 or lower I feel OK.   From 60 to 70 starts to get sticky.   Above 70 is like being in a broiler.   

 

Here's a link to a map that's supposed to be the current dew points across the US.  

Dew point map

[Bankc]

On 6/29/2023 at 4:23 PM, TnRiver46 said:

I thought it was 95 degrees with 95% humidity in Georgia 7 months out of the year 

I'm sure it feels that way.  It feels like that here sometimes.  But 95% at 95° would be a heat index of 154°F!  I can't say as though I've ever experienced a heat index above 125.  And that was plenty for me.

[gim]

On 6/29/2023 at 4:54 PM, Woody B said:

If the dew point is 60 or lower I feel OK.   From 60 to 70 starts to get sticky.   Above 70 is like being in a broiler.   

The local news here always indicates the dew point in the summer time here during weather forecasts because it is the critical factor that determines how comfortable or uncomfortable it is outside. They label 60 and under as comfortable. 60-70 is sticky, just as you stated. Over 70 they label as tropical and 80 is oppressive. I’ve seen a dew point of 81 here more than once. Thats the highest it can get here at this latitude. It’s downright disgusting. You get swamp ass in minutes just walking around.

[livemusic]

We had bad weather a week ago, according to the utility, the worst in their history. Widespread power outages. They called in 2,800 linemen from other states. The populace was in dire straits without power for days and, obviously, the utility was under major pressure to fix it. A lineman, I think he was 37, died of heat stroke. Left behind a young family. From pics, appeared to be in "good shape" as far as that goes. I am sure death never crossed his mind when he went to work that day.