fake snow

[Lady Christina de Pond]

ok found this stuff on clearance after christmas and I've played with it a little anyone attempted to use it to keep coool at fest?

[Sitara]

Sounds a bit dangerous to me as those things usually have warnings on them saying not to spray on skin due to the likelihood of getting frostbite.  You are not even supposed to spray air in a can on your skin as it is too cold.

[Randal]

I bet she's not talking about the spray can full of "snow" that you use for decorating windows and such, but a new fake snow that you add water to that then expands to several times it's original size and makes nice fluffy piles of "snow". I think it's just a finely ground version of the crystals that are already being used to make "Neck Coolers", like this, http://www.instructables.com/id/Sew-Very-Useful-Neck-Cooler/

Randal

[Lady Christina de Pond]

it's not the spray can stuff it's add water and it expands

[Master James]

I've used that for GS camps but never to stay cool at faire.  I doubt it would work for that.  What I use to stay cool at faire is this:  http://www.50degree.com/custom/index.cfm?ID=37974  I put it in the top of my had with velcro and its like having your own personal air conditioner.  Even on the hottest days, we had a heat index of 120 one day, it lasted for almost an hour.  On normally hot days like 90 or so, it last 2-3 hours and then you recharge it in ice water for 10 minutes and go again!  Trick is, this must be up off your skin or it will last WAY less time.

[Sir William Marcus]

What I use to stay cool at faire is this:  http://www.50degree.com/custom/index.cfm?ID=37974  I put it in the top of my had with velcro and its like having your own personal air conditioner. 

Thanks for that tip Master James. I may have to give that a try this summer in a couple of heated scenarios

[Adriana Rose]

I know that those are made out of the stuff that makes diapers absorb....

[Syrilla]

From a costumes point of view, be careful with some of the loose items, like the snow. The chemical make can leave bad stains, esp. when mixed with sweat.  Also, some people develop an reaction to them. 

[Lady Christina de Pond]

well my idea was to wrap them in something I really didn't like the idea of placing them directly on my skin since i didn't know if they would cause a reaction

[Master James]

I know that those are made out of the stuff that makes diapers absorb....

If you are referring to the hat coolers, they are not the same thing.  They are completely sealed in plastic and the chemicals in them just keep a constant 50 degrees regardless of the outside temp once they've been charged up.  If you are referring to the fake snow, I guess it depends on which version you get.  If you get the stuff that Hollywood uses when it needs snow, its not that either.  Its a plastic that absorbs the water and actually gets cool as it releases the water slowly.  Its really neat and looks exactly like snow and sort of feels like it too.  Now if its some other version of fake snow, I have no idea what it is made of.  This is the stuff I'm talking about and have used before: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/product/1262

[gypsylakat]

uhmmm the faq for the link you gave to the insta snow stuff... says it's made of the same baby diaper stuff

Insta-Snow® is actually derived from the superabsorbent polymer found in baby diapers.

[Master James]

OK my bad!     I didn't read the whole thing when we got it just that it was what we needed.  That is the stuff we used though and it works and looks just like snow.  It even gets cold but I still wouldn't use it for cooling myself off in garb.

[Adriana Rose]

thats all good and all but I think i will stick to my sandwich baggie filled with ice down my bodice.....