How hot is too hot?

[36654]

When I was a kid many if not most towns had a town well with a tin cup hanging on the pump proper etiquette if more than one person their the one holding the pump handle filled the cup offered first drink to other person of course 2nd person got colder water

I live in a town named for the large spring that feeds the local stream. At one time we were the source for Dannon spring water, but now we're one of the sources for the Coca-Cola bottled water.

During the summer, we'll have various community fairs near the water works, were numerous food vendors will offer bottled water for sale. Ironically, the same stuff is available for free at the drinking fountains around the park.

 

[deilenberger]

Wearing mesh gear once the temperature exceeds 98.6F is counterproductive. And it's not that great even below that temperature. Having air hitting the body that is above body temperature will result in heating the body up. At those temperatures the evaporative cooling from sweat is likely to dehydrate you rather rapidly.

What works? I can only speak for myself (and I dislike cold and actually like a fair amount of heat - your temperature tolerance may be completely different..):

Going across the Mohave desert to Los Angeles in late May a few years ago, (and through Las Vegas and around Boulder Dam,) I found my Marsee evaporative cooling vest kept me comfortable, wearing it under my full Aerostich (the heavy kind, not the newer lighter kind.) I opened the 'stich vents and they provided enough airflow that the vest worked very well as a cooler. Hottest temperature I rode in was probably leaving Las Vegas around noon (I overslept) - somewhere around 110F. As long as I was moving I was quite comfortable.

Coming back the other way from northern California I found the same thing - crossing Nevada and Utah on the "Loneliest Road" (great road! Loved it!) aka Rt50 when temps were around 90-95F I used the Marsee - then crossing Colorado and into Grand Junction CO for the night. The next day I needed my heated gear as I came across the Rockies. Then back to the Marsee for the flat states like Kansas (bugs!)

The only time the Marsee has not worked well is around the eastern seaboard and the southeast US where you have humidity with the heat. I don't see that being a problem with Salt Lake City.

 

[royaltyl]

I agree with Don. Wife and I rode across CA's central valley last summer. Cooling vests under our open vented stich suits made 106F bearable. And, they stayed effective for a couple of hours. High heat-high humidity is darn near unsolvable on a motorcycle; just drink and drink and dry oneself off from time too time.

Maybe not unsolvable. An iced water circulating system-vest would work.

 

[PGlaves]

I too agree with Don. My skin temperature tends to be about 94 degrees. Ambient temperatures warmer than that make it just hot air blowing on the body. Mesh gear at these temperatures for any length of time is a dehydration disaster waiting to happen. I wear a cool vest under my slightly vented Roadcrafter jacket, and wet down my LD Comfort long sleeve shirt in these conditions. I do wear mesh pants.

I do have a mesh jacket I will wear for purely local rides but don't even take it when travelling.

 

[henzilla]

We both have a few mesh jackets and pants...the jackets see use for day rides dependent on forecast .

Traveling has us using vented jackets that sometimes see a wet vest or a heated liner, sometimes in the same day.
Recall passing thru Las Vegas as well at 105, then needing my heated liner a few hours later near Brice Canyon. We have carried two different jackets before, but found that wasn't really needed and took up a lot of space.

Some desert crossing still caused our wet vest to turn to a dry layer within twenty miles at times...taking a bottle of refilled for free at the last stop water out of the tankbag and poured down the neck made it stretch a little further. Part of enjoying the benefits of NOT being in a cage is dealing with it

As mentioned, a mesh causes too fast evaporative cooling and will eventually cause most some issues in certain situations...some serious if not recognized in time. A vented Cordura or similar jacket may seem hot to most, but it slows the evaporative process down and once rolling becomes a non issue for most.

I think I posted here last year about conditioning yourself to heat. Hard to be in controlled conditions all week long then expect to be anywhere near comfortable or safe in high heat conditions on the weekends or crossing the country in summertime.
Drink before you are thirsty, avoid caffeine if possible (I still struggle with this because I enjoy coffee during the day) and work yourself up to hotter environments. Having grown up and working as a power lineman in Houston,TX 99% typical summer humidity taught me lessons early, moving to CENTEX and less humidity still was a struggle in summer if taken lightly.

 

[daboo]

So, Steve and company...I'd like to get your opinion if you don't mind.

I'm taking a trip from Seattle to Utah in the first week of June for 14 days. Most of the trip will be visiting Bryce Canyon, Moab, Arches and a couple other national parks.

So between a mesh jacket and an Olympia AST2 (three-quarter vented jacket), which would you take? Or would you haul both around? I will have a cooling vest with me.

It sounds like you're saying to bring the AST2 and cooling vest.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[PGlaves]

It sounds like you're saying to bring the AST2 and cooling vest.

Thanks,
Chris

That is exactly what I would do.

 

[henzilla]

I would go with your Olympia as well. My last run thru those same areas in earlyJune had me using a heated liner in Bryce and the wet vest going down the Grand Staircase and into Moab with a BMW vented jacket.

Had worn a Vanson mesh near Moab one year and was close to dehydration , I knew better, but wasn't thinking I was cooler.My wet vest dried out immediately at speed.

 

[daboo]

I should mention that I also wear a HiT Air Bag vest. That cuts down on some ventilation.

Chris

 

[179212]

To hot

If your shorts stick to your backside it's to hot or your food was not so hot

 

[henzilla]

I should mention that I also wear a HiT Air Bag vest. That cuts down on some ventilation.

Chris

That's one of my questions for the wearers of these new options. I haven't read a lot about them, but envision a non breathing layer.
A trade off at some point...heat induced stress for air bag peace of mind in certain conditions.

 

[daboo]

It's not just a non-breathing layer, but depending on where the jacket vents are, the air bag vest can cover those.

Still, after having it deploy twice I am sold on wearing it all the time. Nothing serious, but before I could hit the ground it was blown up.

Chris