Neck cooling scarf

dipbait

dipbait

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Feb 9, 2008
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I cant take the summer heat very well. Id like to know if those neck cooling scarves work. Now there are hats made from the same stuff. Any of you folks tried them?
 
Definitely worth the investment. Don't soak it for long or it'll get too heavy.

An ordinary bandanna works but has to be resoaked frequently. Those scarves stay wet for hours.
 
I have never used one(too bulky) but I carry a bandana in my pocket at all times and it works pretty well.
 
Can someone post a link to what you're all talking about?
I could definitely use something like this at a desert trip I'm going to in a month.
 
Been using them since they first came out. They work great.
REI sells them too.
I got one from Brigade Quartermasters years ago. Don't know if they still carry them or not.
 
If you know someone who can sew, you can have them make you one and size it to your liking. Just sew in a small pouch for the water-absorbing crystals/beads where you want them on your neck. Go sparingly! They really expand and can take up a lot of space, as well as get heavy. Try a few in a bowl to see how many to use.

My wife made some before specifically for this purpose that were more rectangular to go around the neck and less bandana-like.
 
You can also just wrap an ice cube in a bandana and tie it around your neck with the ice on the back of your neck. Its surprising how long one will last and how well it works. --KV
 
Back when I lived in Florida, I used one of these a few times. To answer the OP, they work because they're full of water absorbing crystals. You soak them in water so that the crystals pull in a lot, then they slowly release the water over an extended time. The water evaporates and cools you off.

Remember to hang it to dry when you're not using it... if you wad it up with the rest of the laundry, it will make a perfect breeding ground for mold and/or bacteria. :barf:
 
They work pretty good by just wetting and wearing them around your neck. Another trick I have learned is to get 2 of them and keep one in a cooler of ice. Keep swapping them out periodically. When you take one out of the cooler and put it around your neck you will actually get chill bumps! Very refreshing on those really hot days.
 
I have a lawn care business I run on my days off from the fire department. I spend 6 to 8 hours outdoors at a stretch, 3 to 4 days a week from March to October and I always wear a bandanna around my neck when I'm working (or hunting, camping or fishing) A couple of years ago a friend gave me a couple of these to try. He was selling them in his T-shirt shop and wanted to know if they worked.
First, yes they do absorb a lot of water and release it throughout the day. Second if you wet them and put them in the refrigerator or an ice chest they will work better at helping to keep cooler. Having said that I don't really like them. They are very heavy and bulky to me. Also out working I had no good way to re-soak them. We carry a water cooler while we work but they need to sit under the water for a while to soak it up.They get dirty and smelly after a while and you can't wash then with soap because of the water absorbing crystals inside them. I went back to wearing a bandanna and just wetting it regularly. I also use it to wet my face or wash my hands, which you can't do with the cooling scarf.
By the way I gave one to my dad and he loves it, so go figure! I guess each to his own, so try it you may like it.

Warren
 
A couple of years ago, I came across a gardening product - a vase that came with a small packed of "5 gm Hydrating Beads" with the instructions "Add to vase with water". Because I am always curious about technology, I tried it and was amazed to see these firm, gel-like beads (in blue, green and clear) become about a uniform medium grape size that kept flower stems "watered" for a long time ... and it seemed without the rot and need for refreshment that a water-filled vase might require. Honestly, they were still intact when the flowers were past done and all was disposed of as I learned from the person I gave the vase to ... and I do not know what the drying out process would have looked like or how they might have been re-hydrated.

I still have three packets of beads unopened. I sense that this may be the same technology as the hydrating scarves. Does anyone know the technology?

Old thread but I am still curious.
 
IIRC they're called polymers. They can also be used in gardening to hold water in the soil longer.--KV
 
yep, they are the same thing as whats in the gel bandanas. The color might bleed out of the beads, but I'm not sure. They do come in different sizes, with the vase ones generally being quite a bit larger than what you find in the manufactured bandanas, I'd suspect the smaller ones would have a better cooling effect due to the surface area ratio. We used to use buckets of the things when I worked conferences, so they can be had for cheap in bulk if you look around a bit.
 
I have a couple I use when working rece weekends on hot asphalt. Keep one around my neck, and two in the cooler soaking in ice water. The cold helps cool the blood going through the Coroted artery as it pumps through your body (or so I'm told). But a few recular handkerchiefs with work as well, and just keep rotating them in the ice.
 
Yup. I put in serious hours while metal detecting. Buffs and Hobo Hankies, which are basically a huge bandana. I've been dryer than a popcorn fart in the desert, so wetting a bandana is an option as I bring drinking water. Whatever is a priority. I like out sized bandanas because they are light and cover more skin surface, even though I swim in sunblock when out there. B.T.W., if you search the big river enough you can get 12 packs of Chinese knock off buff style head covers for 12-15 bucks. I probably have about 30 right now and I've given a lot away. All colors and designs under the rainbow. I peel them off like a sock starting to stink at days end. Machine wash but hang wet to dry
 
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