Part 7: Making Your Cooling Plan

July 12, 2022

Build an easy-to-implement custom cooling plan using cooling gear like the ThermApparel UnderCool Cooling Vest to mitigate your personal heat risk.

Over the past six blogs, we have shared a lot of information on many of the factors that can increase the risk of heat stress and heat-related illness. In this blog, we will present a framework to utilize all that information so you can build an easy-to-implement custom cooling plan using cooling gear like the ThermApparel UnderCool Cooling Vest to mitigate your personal heat risk. In the end, we will use two hypothetical people, Liz and Ed, as examples using this system.

Step 1: Consider your environment.

Start by doing this for where you live as this will be of most use to you. However, make sure to revisit this step if you are going on vacation or traveling. While temperature is a rough, easy measurement, it is not very effective. Other factors such as humidity, direct sun, other nearby heat sources, and air movement must be taken into account. For more detailed information on this read our blog entry: Environmental risk factors for heat-related illness.

The first thing to remember is when it is above 80°F, it becomes more difficult for your body to expel heat.

If it is over 80°F that’s your sign, it's time to pay attention. We can see this on the National Weather Service Heat Index Chart. The temperature is only half the equation to answer "How Hot Is It?". It doesn’t take much humidity to make the heat index dangerous.

Also, keep in mind the four color-coded areas of this chart. In each of these different scenarios, different techniques can be implemented in your cooling plan. And we break these up as follows:

Rather than having to use this chart and check the humidity constantly, we can create some rules of thumb based on the typical humidity in our location to estimate what the “feels like” temperature is.

Pay attention to your local weather; most weatherpersons are reporting the “feels like” temp. This will include humidity, solar radiation, airflow, and other heat sources in an easy-to-estimate way.

Find your location on the chart below:

Using the color-coded map determine the relative humidity for your location. For example, in Rochester, NY we are in the Orange area, so the relative humidity is between 66-75% in July. Using the heat index chart we can assume a 10-degree increase between the stated temperature and heat index temperature.

To simplify this conversion for everyone we have tabulated the chart below:

Based upon your location you can use these numbers to estimate the heat index. For instance, if you live in Phoenix, AZ relative humidity is in the 25-35% RH Range, so no change is needed to the stated temperature. However, if you live in New Orleans, LA the relative humidity is in the 76-80% RH Range, so 14 degrees need to be added to the temperature. The average high temperature in July in New Orleans is 92°F + 14°F (taking into account humidity) making the actual heat index temperature of 106°F! This means the normal temperature is already in the Danger Zone.

Now that we have a good understanding of estimating the heat index based on your location let’s look at the other three factors of the environment that affect your heat stress.

Solar Radiation:

Direct Sunlight is not included in either temperature or heat index calculations. It is important to know whether shade is available. If not, direct sun exposure can increase the temperature by 13°F. As we can usually transition from full sun to shaded areas regularly in our days, on a sunny day we recommend adding +10°F for easy math.

Other heat sources:

One heat source many of us don’t consider but that affects us all daily in buildings/asphalt/concrete. It’s well documented that cities are hotter than their surroundings due to the thermal mass of infrastructure. Add +2-5°F on average and up to +12°F hotter in the evenings. Other less common things to consider would be things like portable generators or cooking equipment in a food truck.

Airflow:

An increase in airflow reduces the risk of heat stress as it helps move air over our skin taking the heat away with it. It's important to note when air temperatures are above body temperature this effect is lost. So in temperatures over 100°F, there is no benefit to increased airflow. On windy days, under 100°F subtract 2°F. Another thing to consider is higher humidity air is heavier and this also impedes the flow of air. This is why you are more likely to get helpful cooling airflow in drier climates. 

Knowing all of this you can see how the stated outside temperature can increase rather quickly when you add in humidity, sun, other heat sources, and airflow.  Let’s use Rochester, NY as an example, and see what a typical summer day looks like:
 

This puts even this relatively cold city on the edge of the danger zone on an average summer day when you are exposed to full sun.

Use the NWS heat index risk assessment to determine your environmental risk.

These environmental risk factors are important to keep in mind when structuring your activities and choosing your cooling gear. As we will discuss later, different types of cooling gear help with different aspects of the environment and it’s important to make sure you are using gear that works in your specific environment.

Step 2:

Consider your personal risk factors. Let’s discuss how your risk level should be changed based on personal factors. The main factors here are age, physical fitness, any medical conditions, acclimatization, past heat-related illness, and medications. For more information on this please read our blog entry: Personal risk factors for heat-related illness. We have developed a point system to provide some general guidance on how you should be assessing your individual risk. Use this point system to modify your risk level.

Age:

The risk of heat-related illness rises as we get older and dramatically increases once we are over the age of 65. Add 1 point for every 10 years of age over 40, +2 additional points over 65.

Physical Fitness:

If you are in average physical condition consider yourself the baseline and there is no change in points. If you have excellent fitness subtract 1 point, if you have a below-average fitness level add 2 points.

Medical Conditions:

This one is tricky as all medical conditions affect us differently and even within the same disease like Multiple Sclerosis, the effects on our bodies can be very unique. In general add 2 points for any medical condition that affects your relationship with the heat (i.e. Diabetes, high or low blood pressure, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, etc. For conditions that can have severe and acute heat-related issues such as MS and POTS, add 5 points.) However, this is very dependent on your situation and comfort.

Acclimatization:

Acclimatization should happen naturally over the summer months provided you are not changing your routine. If there is an early heat wave in spring, you're traveling to a new climate, or begun doing more things outside than you previously had and have not allowed your body the two weeks to normalize, add 2 points.

History of heat-related illness:

Everyone's medical history is different and should be considered, but If you have suffered from heat-related illness in the past, add 5 points.

Medications:

Medications work on the body in different ways. For every medication that affects your body’s ability to expel heat, causes dehydration, or impairs sweating add 1 point.  A more detailed list of medications and their effect on your body is found here. This will help you determine the best cooling gear for you.

Add up all your points:

For every 5 points you have accrued, raise your risk level by one level.  For example, if the environment puts you in the extreme caution zone, and you accumulate 5 points based on your personal risk factors, consider yourself in the danger zone.

Your personal risk factor score should not change very regularly. Revisit it when a major change occurs and then just remember to update your risk assessment when you judge the weather.

Step 3: Structure your activities

If your climate and personal risk factors combined fall within the caution risk level, a majority of the risk can be alleviated through rigorously monitoring your hydration, activity level, and rest. For more detail on these please read our blog post: What I can control.

Proper hydration and rest are requirements for preventing heat-related illness regardless of the risk analysis.  

If your risk assessment increases beyond the caution level make sure to keep up with hydration and rest but add in further techniques to help your body cope with the extreme heat. It is important to consider your clothing choices and cooling gear to fight fatigue and risk in high-temperature environments. If your risk assessment advances to the extreme danger level, no amount of cooling gear will be sufficient to fully address the risks and you should seek emergency medical help immediately. Cooling gear should be used in conjunction with extra rest based on guidance in the blog post: What I can control.

Step 4: Consider your cooling gear.

Cooling gear like cooling towels, umbrellas, fans, and coolers of ice water can help mitigate the risks of extreme heat. However, the ThermApparel UnderCool Cooling Vest is the only product in the cooling toolbox list of products that can decrease your core temp or slow the rate at which it increases.  All cooling gear should be considered and used in combination anytime your heat risk level enters the caution zone and absolutely utilized when it enters the danger zone.

Cooling gear must be used properly and maintained with discipline, and the effects may only last 10 minutes, because if they are not recharged, chilled, or rewet they can actually give off heat. The ThermApparel UnderCool Cooling Vest can last from 1 -3 hours depending on which ThermApparel PCM Cooling Pack you are using, SlimCool Cooling Packs or ExtendedCool Cooling Packs.

ThermApparel Cooling Packs can also be recharged in a cooler of ice water in as little as 20-30 minutes. This is why we often suggest if you are going to be outside for more than two hours, get another set of cooling packs to keep in the ice chest so you are always covered. It is important to make sure the cooling gear you choose utilizes and compliments your personal needs, so it will work for you in the environment you are in. Revisit blog entry: Building out a cooling toolbox for detailed information on all available cooling gear.

The most common mistake people make with cooling gear is buying items that don’t help in their environment. People buy cooling towels because they are cheap and easy to take anywhere. However for most of the Eastern United States, during the brutal summer months, cooling towels are ineffective due to the high humidity of the environment. The ThermApparel UnderCool Cooling Vest was designed to work effectively in both humid and arid environments.

In high humidity areas, non-evaporative cooling vests with cooling packs are the only effective ways to keep your core temperature down over an extended period of time.

Another common mistake is not thinking deeply about the root causes of personal risk factors. For example, medications that reduce allergies can cause a reduction in sweating. For this situation, cooling towels can help as the evaporative cooling of the towel can augment your body’s natural sweating mechanism. Moreover, if you are on beta-blockers for high blood pressure, this will inhibit the heat from getting to your extremities, in this situation a cooling vest would be much more effective at keeping your core temperature stable.

Two examples of how this can be applied:

Meet Liz

Liz is 38 years old, diagnosed with MS when she was 25, lives in Boston, MA, and frequently takes her 3 kids to visit family in Tampa, Florida in the summer.

Because of her MS, she has made a conscious effort to be as physically active as possible and considers herself in good physical condition. She goes on regular jogs on a shaded trail by her home.

She has no history of major heat-related illness but does find she gets unusually fatigued in the heat compared to her friends. She attributes this to Uthoff’s syndrome, associated with her MS. Liz also has very bad allergies and takes medication for them regularly. 

Step 1: Let's start by plugging in the environmental factors:

Step 2: Now let's look at the personal risk factors:

Considering her age and physical condition, Liz is at low risk for heat-related illness. However, her personal experience, having an MS diagnosis, and allergy medications means that she should take some precautions. With MS it is important to make sure your core body temperature stays stable, to prevent debilitating fatigue and mobility issues. Moreover, her allergy medication impairs the ability of her body to sweat, which makes it harder for her body to naturally regulate its temperature. 

With the heat, she is experiencing and her personal risk factors we recommend she stay in the Extreme Caution Zone. This means she should be employing some cooling gear to help her body cope with the heat. Due to the humidity of the environment, we would recommend a cooling vest as the cooling effect from a cooling towel will be minimal and a cooling towel could be utilized to supplement the lack of sweating caused by allergy medications.

Meet Ed

Ed is 70 years old and lives in Phoenix, AZ. Although he doesn’t like to say it, according to his doctor he is slightly overweight.

He had knee surgery 3 years ago and is slowly regaining full mobility. He is very happy to be able to go out and play golf again after not being able to last summer.

He is currently on medication to lower his blood pressure.

Step 1: Let us start by plugging in the environmental factors:

Step 2: Now let us look at the personal risk factors:

Because of his age and physical condition, Ed is at high risk for heat-related issues. The fact that he has spent a lot of time indoors over the last year due to his mobility issues means that his body is also not accustomed to the heat and he should take extra precautions for the first 15 days he is out golfing. The ACE inhibitor he is on for his blood pressure also makes it difficult for his body to expel heat regardless of his sweating, and the two beers he has at the “19th hole” make him dehydrated.

Ed should consider himself in the Extreme Danger Zone. Because of this he should be utilizing multiple cooling gear options and taking many breaks. Because he lives in an arid climate, cooling towels should help excess body heat escape. However, the ACE inhibitors he is on for his blood pressure limit blood flow to his extremities. Using a cooling vest will help keep his core body temperature stable and reduce fatigue in the heart.

ThermApparel's Best Advice

Start your cooling plan before you get hot. Wear your ThermApparel UnderCool Cooling Vest  from the start and use all other cooling gear as often as possible. It is much easier and safer to keep yourself from overheating or experiencing heat stress than it is to try to lower your core temperature once you overheat.

ThermApparel's goal is to educate everyone about why there is no simple easy answer for everyone when it’s too hot to be outside safely! However, with good judgment and knowledge, safe decisions can be made. To be safe, do an “honest” risk assessment about yourself, the level of activity you are doing including the amount of time you will be outside, and the conditions of the environment. If you decide to go out in the heat, do it responsibly by using all the cooling tools together with a plan of when to start, and how often to refresh or recharge them. 

Please remember to start your cooling plan before you get hot. Wear your ThermApparel UnderCool Cooling Vest from the start and use all other cooling gear as often as possible. It is much easier to keep yourself from overheating or experiencing heat stress (that overwhelming fatigue) than it is to try to lower your core temperature once you overheat and much safer.

This means drinking water regularly before you are thirsty. Use a cooling vest from the beginning of your activity along with other tools like cooling towels, shade, fans, and a cooler. Set a timer to take breaks regularly with the place already prearranged. Remember the heat is stressing your heart. Be kind to it if you want it to last a lifetime.

It takes awareness, discipline, and pre-planning to do all these things, but the reward is safety and time participating in the things you love to do without having to be exhausted for days after, also the alternative can be life-threatening. Please keep in mind that when you feel that overwhelming tiredness after being outside the heat is now affecting your decision-making abilities just as alcohol can. Don’t let yourself get to that point and if you do please seek A/C, shade, or medical attention. 

By following a cooling plan and not taking unreasonable risks you can still enjoy all the events, hobbies, and special occasions safely and without being wiped out for days. So go forth with knowledge and enjoy the summer. 

Visit #HeatIQ Home

SHOP COOLING VESTS

**This website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on ThermApparel’s website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately. Neither ThermApparel nor its employees, nor any contributor to this website, makes any representations, express or implied, with respect to the information provided herein or to its use.

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.

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