Staying Cool...

[Adriana Rose]

So we are in for a toasty summer!

My question is what do you do to stay cool?

I have heard some ladies that wear the court gowns have pockets under their gowns that they put cold packs in.

I fill a zip lock bag with ice and stuff it down my bodice!

[Saber]

http://www.medievalproductions.com/special/index.html

Bodice chillers 

Being male, its a lot easier for me to wear less clothing... as long as the pink-bits are covered, theres not much else to worry about... but all of my garb is fairly light cloth and natural fibers that breathe like nothing else...  Also, I wear a headwrap that I can take off and soak in cool water from time to time

[Capt Gabriela Fullpepper]

Shade, my fan, my parasol, LOTS of liquid, Iced beverages in my chalice as it seems to conduct cold extremely well. Beyond that... That's it. I guess some have to treat it like the time of the American Civil War where southern girls feinted from the heat and corsets. being so tight and just take it easy. A corset sure doesn't help.

Toki and I did go to our car about 2 and stripped down to light clothing for about an hour. Being in court I don't see how that could be done.

As for a bag full of ice, i'd be afraid of it melting and then leaking all over making my dress look bad. Pockets with ice packs could be nice, but once again I'd be afraid of leakage.

[Saber]

As for a bag full of ice, i'd be afraid of it melting and then leaking all over making my dress look bad. Pockets with ice packs could be nice, but once again I'd be afraid of leakage.

actually, if you used smaller ice packs and wrapped them in a bit of cloth (dry cloth wrapped around the ice pack and then the whole thing frozen)  the cloth would absorb most of the "sweat"

[Lady Christina de Pond]

since my gown isn't cut low enough to show off a bodice chiller i opted for another option. i found a scarf that you put in cold water and it would  stay cold for a long time. Ofcourse it's funny that i didn't need any cooling device this year.

[Francisco Paula]

I find a good dip in the water wheel area keeps me cool, but you know us peasant men can do things like that and get away with it.

Sir Garath

[Tanda]

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.

[Saber]

Fanning myself with someone else's belt....

**runs to buy a bigger belt**

[Francisco Paula]

Now will a nice wide sash work for a fan, cause I....Francisco Paula have one that may be used for a lady in need. 

[Hey- Arent You?]

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

ow ow ow... stop throwing things....

ok, you can't really stay cool. it's gonna be hot. let that be a mindset, and it helps.
many people use peperment oil on wrists and neck.... feels cool i'm told.  never tried it.
Find a breeze, and stand there a while.  standing near the water wheel or bards bed fountain does help.
"shade hop"-  do not walk strieght down the lane, move from shade spot to shade spot, even if it means walking back and forth across the lane.  never ever stand in the full sun for any length of time. stand in the shade under trees... in the breeze there- not in shops with no air moving. get to shows early and find a shady spot.
eat/drink alot of cold things.... more water less ale.
when you take a break, loose as many layers as possible.
wear a hat, you may sweat more but it's portable shade. same goes for open (not closed) capes and cloaks.
and.... lastly and most important... go to first aid.  they have a cold air pusher, and are happy to let you stand in front of it for a while, provided no crisis is going on.  and they would much rather have you come in for a break, then to become the crisis.

if all else fails, go stand by Sean Daniels, he's pretty damn cool.


ow ow ow ow... again with the throwing.....

quitit

[Francisco Paula]

Wait wait wait.......Sean Danials is cool....all the woman say he is hot....so what is it, is he cool or is he hot........................<dives for cover>.....................Blushing save me.

[Merlot]

^  both!   

I am in love with the Coolth Spray that Kamala makes.  It cools ye down and smells really good as well.

[Zoë]

I am in luck in the sense that I am "inside" for most of the day and we have shade for the entire day.  I also have a freezer in the back.  If it gets really hot I put my hat in the freezer for a few minutes and it cools down my head.  If the freezer gets empty when we run low on ice, I have been known to actually sit inside the freezer.  Thankfully I really never get out of my booth until later on in the day when the heat is not so bad, so being outside is never something I have to think about ahead of time. 

Also, hydration hydration hydration.  A piece of ice down the corset is never a bad idea either.   

[Capt Gabriela Fullpepper]

Hydration is a key with anything in the Colorado outdoors. I have learned many lessons being a native but really learned them last year, and again this past weekend.

Alcohol and food in high heat don't mix... for me and Toki that is. Last year we both drank a beer then ate some cheese bread. OMG I thought we were going to die. It wasn't until we both started downing large amounts or lemonade, ice tea and water we started to feel better.

Last weekend we had a wedding reception to go to. Even though we had tons of shade we ate our fill of food then each of us a drink. me a wine cooler, Toki a Hard Lemonade. Again we both about died from the alcohol and food and settled down after drinking iced tea.

It may not affect everyone, but my advice, drink only water, lemonade or water. Even to much pop is hard on you in the heat.

DRINK TONS OF WATER!

[Bahlien]

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!


I jest. Drinking lots of water is the natural cooling system of the body. Regardless of how many layers you may or may not be wearing.
Unfortunately, looking cool comes at the cost of staying cool. So shade is a good thing. For any of you who can pry yourselves away from attention, there is a misting station both in front of fair and hidden in the back. No you don't have to get your nice garb wet, take your head wear off a moment, let it gather some mist and then carry on. It helps.