Shopping Cart [ 0 ] July 1, 2018
play cool. stay cool.
Here comes the sun, And I say it’s all right……. doo doo. I am not sure how to spell that last part… I hope we are all familiar with a little group called the Beatles feel free to hum along with me. It’s July and maybe we wish the sun wasn’t coming so much. WOW has it been hot. Not just in upstate NY but all over the world. It's so hot that a loaf of bread was walking home from the store and by the time it made it, it was TOAST. I think that takes the cake for the worst heat joke.
At ThermApparel we know that the heat is no joke or song and dance. ThermApparel was started after hearing a story from a person living with MS, Rick, a former marathon runner now in his mid-fifties It was a beautiful 80ºF spring afternoon. He saw the postman drive by delivering the mail and he started down his driveway, a few feet from the mailbox he said he got that little tingle and fell, he was stranded on the hot asphalt. Luckily, he had his phone and called 911. Five minutes later he was back in his house, 30 minutes after that he was walking around good as new. I am sure many of you out there have similar stories (by the way we would like to hear yours so we can learn and see if we can help)
Now I Can. amazing stories from customers
Now. I. Can. Three simple words. Now I Can came about at through the power of stories. Soon after UnderCool sprang on the market we started receiving the most incredible stories from our customers.
People were now able to do things that they couldn't do without their UnderCool. A common theme quickly emerged, these stories all stared "Because of my UnderCool NOW I CAN" go to, graduation, ride a horse, the beach, drive around in a convertible and on and on. These stories are why we get up in the morning, they are our inspiration that drives ThermApparel. Please tell us your now you can story.
share your Now I Can moment
THIS AMAZING COWGIRL IS WEARING AN UNDERCOOL!!
** notice how you can't tell she has it on?!! **
"I have MS but it doesn't have me. Thanks to my ThermApparel cool vest, I am also able to battle the hot summer days with my boy, doing what I love. Rein/ cowhorse and cutting!!!" - Tanya Janssen
making it better
In the USA July is the hottest month of the year and boasts the highest average temps. This year, July looks to have above average temps for about 90% of the USA. So, we can skip the “heat can kill” talk I think we are all past that.
The human body regulates its temperature through four basic methods:
1) The body keeps itself warm though metabolic heat. When we convert food to energy it creates heat. We have all been somewhere like a concert that wasn’t too warm at the start but as more and more people show up it did get hot! All of those people jumping around converting food to energy, created a lot of heat.
2) Radiation heat is the sun or like the radiator in an old house. This heats or cools by just being close to us, no contact needed. It travels through light and/or particles in the air. So, if you want to stay cool, the shade will help prevent that radiative heat.
3) Evaporation the one we are all most familiar with; you get hot you sweat, which wets your skin, air blows on your skin, cooling your skin which through blood flow cools your core temp. This is by far the most effective method and those of you who can’t sweat know how hard it can be to stay cool without it.
This is also one reason why our PCM vest works so well at cooling your core body temperature. Our internal bodies like to be at 98.6ºF. Our blood vessels expand to bring colder temperatures to our insides, they also contract when it is too cold. Ice packs will cool down the surface of your body but because they are so cold your body will actually constrict its blood vessels to prevent that cold from getting to your core.
4) Condensation or panting is a common way to dissipate heat among the whole animal kingdom. Unfortunately, this is the most ineffective way of trying to cool or heat yourself. Besides horses and humans, many mammals have very few sweat glands and so this is their only way of cooling. It’s why dogs like to run fast for a short time and then stop and let their long tongues hang out.
Interesting side note (at least to one of our co-founders) It is thought that early humans hunted through what is called persistence hunting. Being much slower than our prey, early humans relied on their ability to sweat to catch up to and catch other panting animals. So be careful with your four-legged friends this month.
tips & tricks
So now we have all the big fancy science words for things you already know. Let's talk about things that help work with the body. We have all heard that wearing loose clothing is helpful. Not only are they more comfortable but they increase airflow. More air = more cooling from sweating. This is one of the reasons the UnderCool has the minimum amount of fabric and mesh side panels to leave space for air and sweat. Air + sweat(water) = very cool
Heat edema, rashes, cramps, exhaustion, syncope, and stroke can all be avoided by being your own CEO. I know I need a boss when it comes to taking care of myself, ask yourself these six questions.
1. Who? Me! The buck stops here (Is it best for my health will there be others there to help me?
2. What? What are we doing? (What tools could help me? Can we do something like swimming, the best way ever to cool off)
3. When? When are we doing it? (Could we do it early in the morning or late in the evening?)
4. Where? Is there a better place that is cooler? (Library? Museum? Shaded picnic area?)
5. Why? Because life is better when we participate. (It’s going to be fun.)
6. How? What is the best way to do this?
All these little things add up to less fatigue and lower core temperatures. Heat stroke can occur if your core temperature reaches 103ºF. Let’s not let that happen when a quarter or half a degree can make a big difference. It’s time to pull out all the stops, drink water, pour water on yourself wear your UnderCool.
I recently did not follow my own advice and paid the price. I went to a wedding with a tight undershirt on a dress shirt tie and coat. Lots of sweat but no air flow, by the end of the day I wasn’t feeling so good. I had nausea and headaches for 3 days while my body cooled down and rehydrated. Totally my own doing. I know most of you know your limits but please don’t do what I did and ignore the signs. Headaches, nausea, rashes cramps, and cognitive problems are all VERY serious signs of danger. If you experience any of these please seek immediate medical help. Don’t let it sneak up on you or others.
play cool. stay cool. be cool.
Kurtis + Brad + Julia
ThermApparel is a small business making big waves in the heat sensitivity world by designing the first lightweight, comfortable and invisible cooling vest, UnderCool. Check us out online, on our blog, or on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Please let us know if you have any other questions or ideas in the comments below, we will follow up. You can always reach us via:
Live Chat - www.thermapparel.com | Email - contact.us@thermapparel.net | Phone - 855-232-7233 | Address: ThermApparel LLC. 40 Franklin St. 4th Floor, Rochester, NY 14620
#chronicillness #spoonie #spoonielife #nowican #ms #mswarrior #lupus #fibro #thermapparel #undercool #coolingvest #themoreyouknow #benefitsofacoolingvest #tipsandtricks #coolingpack #coolingpacks
