Summer fabrics to keep you cool

[fshrdan]

Hey, in the past I've used 100% cotton tees for uniforms, light in color with embroidered logo. This winter I've been wearing polypro undershirts under the tees, and sweat seems to wick very well.

I'm in a very hot/humid area and am not satisfied anymore with cotton. After the first lawn the shirt is completely soaked. Does anyone out there have any experience with more modern fabrics, like CoolMax, polypro, etc. I'm planning on getting a batch of new tees made, but would like to try some different fabric. Thanks.

[ohiolawnguy]

i dont have an answer for fabric types, but i recall seeing a vest type item for sale in the gemplers catalog. it holds refreezable gel packs to keep you cool. however at the price of around 200 dollars a vest including gel packs, i dont forsee them selling like crazy. the gel packs are only expected to last for four hours before the need to refreeze them.
www.gemplers.com (http://www.gemplers.com)

[mdb landscaping]

just go to sharper image and get a personal air cooler. its a device you wear on your neck, and you fill it with water, and it has a little cooler that makes you feel cold. it has two metal plates that touch your neck. it works good, but you look kinda silly with it on.

http://www.sharperimage.com/us/en/catalog/productview.jhtml?sku=SI731LG2

[Brandon Wymelenberg]

when i go back-packing i wear this polyester tank. i love it cause it wicks away the sweat and then dries fast too. i found them at a place called rei, www.rei.com, im nut sure about normal t-shirts but you might wanna give it a try.

[mowerman90]

Here in FL it seems I'm sweating all the time. I agree with you that the 100% cotton tees aren't the best for hot humid weather. Once they get soaked they just won't dry out. I've had much better luck with 50/50 blend tees. They get soaked just as fast, but seem to dry out 3 times quicker.

[GREENMANAGEMENT]

Hey, COLUMBIA makes a great fishing/guide shirt. I think it may be a cotton/nylon type blend. They are extremely lighweight and dry out very fast, I think you can find them at CABELA'S.com or you can try your local sporting good store. Good luck. :D

[SUNSHINE LAWN]

I have tried some synthetic clothing like swimming shorts but cotton gives me the best evaporative cooling but sure gets soaking wet in just about ten minutes. I have a box of laundered t-shirts in the truck and change them about three times a day.(i would change t-shirts every hour if i didn't mind doing laundry every day). I am interested to see what everyone else uses, maybe there are better fabrics for the heat.

[awm]

a good cotton t shirt holds body heat to well for me until i doo get it wet.a fairly loose fiting button up blend is fairly cool .
as a solo i get away with the minumum coverage muscle shirts.
in the summer i really cant be comfortable in anything else.
i can hear my daughter now. DAD U WILL GET CANCER.
she loves her dad i guess.
:) later now

[CS Lawns]

I agree with awn! Less is better
:blob3:

[Pacific Nursery]

We use the 50/50 blend, they seem to work the best. Cotton is heavier and takes longer to dry.

[65hoss]

Look into the lessons from the mexican population. During the summer many of these guys are wearing a long sleave shirt. I tried it some. It actually works well. Keeps your skin shaded from the sun. Makes you cooler if its loose fitting. These guys come from much farther south, so they should know something about heat.

[David Haggerty]

I used to wear T shirts too. Then I tried the "tropical" or "open weave" type of shirts. They are a lot cooler than T shirts or woven shirts.
They don't get sweat soaked and stick to you either. Most uniform companies can supply these, but they're a little pricy. usually around $20.
I pick up used uniform shirts at the flea market for a couple of bucks. Sure they say "Price chopper" and the like on them, but on their worse day they look better than a T shirt type of shirt.

I've gotten 100% cotton and 50% cotton/polyester shirts. They're both about equally cool, but the polyester blend holds up better.

These look like solid shirts, but when you pull them over your head, you can see right thru them. It's like looking thru a piece of screen. My shoulders pick up a little tan right thru the shirt! But it takes all summer.

If I get a little more image conscience I may order my own shirts with my logo on them. But for now I'm concentrating on neat, clean and comfortable.

Dave

[f350]

we use cotton/poly blends. this is a polo style shirt and they are great. the price is really good we pay like $18 something a shirt.

[fshrdan]

Thanks, guys. GM, my favorite shirt is a longsleeved ExOfficio fishing shirt. Unfortunately, they cost upwards of $60 each. So I think we need something much more economical. This is probably quite similar to Columbia, so I'll check into Columbia, since they're cheaper. Maybe I'll just try a 50/50 blend like some of you guy said. I guess it's sort of a judgement call. I'll probably wear a few this spring before I order a new batch.

65hoss, I know what you mean about long sleaves. My dad's an old farm type, and he swears by longsleeve chambray work shirts. He always dips his sleeves in water when he gets hot. As far as taking tips from the Mexicans, I don't know. Half of them wear black jeans in the middle of the summer and don't drink an ounce of water all day. I'd just be a body lying in the ditch if I did that. It must be something genetic, cause I just don't know how they do it.