Handling HOT weather. Does any of y'all continue detecting in spite of the heat? How?

I dress in the lightest pants that I own. I usually put on a light cotton Tee shirt. Still, it can be quite uncomfortable. The woods are still open, but there is alot more ground debris (saplings, low growing muscadine vines, poison ivy, etc etc) The trees, and the understory, seem to be drawing all moisture out of the ground. Conditions are more difficult for detecting (especially the brass....and small gold dollars) it seems. (And there have been several gold dollars dug from this campsite over the last 25 to 30 yrs.) It is privately owned now and the owner is very selective about who hunts on him. It is my lucky benefit that he likes me and I like him and his wife and children. Anyway, I hate to let summer-time put a HALT on my detecting.
What do y'all do when it gets like this? Keep hunting.....or wait for late Winter. Is there some kind of special clothing that makes summertime outdoor sports not so difficult to endure? Thank you.....kevin.

Kevin, don't you know sweating is good for you

I'm lucky. I only have heat. Not humidity.

Drink lots of fluids, add a salt tablet if you need it and after a bit of acclimation your body will adjust to the tempeature change.

HH
Mike

I use a camel pack if I'm moving alot...if not I keep a lot of water sitting close...

heat is the type thing that for me I just get use to ..i stay outside all the time year round...I actually hate being in cold air conditioning makes me feel weird to go from a cold house or car to 95 degrees...

Also and this is huge...as you travel to your spot roll down the windows ..don't use AC...it's harder on your body when you start hunting...

always wear a hat when in open sun....when in shade keep an eye out for snakes...thats where they stay...Copper heads in hardwoods are hard to see....Guy here at work got bit last month....hand swollen so much had to cut it to release the pressure...big as a football..

not alot to say really just stay hydrated...if you stop sweating you have problems..

I've done it before...105 degrees 90 percent humidity next to a swamp....no water to drink..about 2 hours go by and I start getting cold chills...I'm dry as bone where 15 minutes earlier I was wet....started halucinating...couldn't figure out how to use my metal detector....couldn't figure out where my truck was and heart was pounding out of my chest..

SCARY!!!!!..

So stay hydrated and sometime after about upper 90s just don't be a fool like me and just stay home and research..

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/2015 07:20PM by Keith Southern.

"Hah...I don't have that problem of Xtreme heat here in the Northern Hemisphere...a hot day is 83F...

But, I think Keith's Top Tips of (a) wear a hat (b) hydrate are spot on.

When I visit the USA on my vacations I like to shop for "stuff" you can't get here such as those "Columbia" shirts that have a kind of mesh inside...absolutely great for wicking the moisture from the body.
Similar light pants is also a good idea.

I LUV detecting in warm weather...to me it's perfect as I hate being [ over dressed ] in winter..."

Des D

Under Armour Heat Gear brand shirts are better than cotton. Actually at WalMart right now, they have a different brand of shirt that is of the same material for much cheaper. Staying hydrated is very important. If you only start to drink when you are thirsty, you are already behind the 8 ball. Very important to replensh the salt content too if you sweat a lot. The sports drinks like Gatorade do this...but even better is a V8 drink.

When I worked heating and air, the summer months were brutal. Crawling up in addics and crawl spaces with it 95 degrees outside and probably 200 in the addic. Keep your core cool and your head cool too.

Copperheads suck. I walked right into a crapload of them one time. Killed 3 and that was to just clear my way to get back out. Not sure if I found a birthing spot or what. All were females with young ones with little yellow tails. I heard the leaves rustle and stopped and say one to my left...then my right...then the more I looked, the more I saw. The woods were literally crawling with them.

Thanks Guys!!!! Yeah. there are plenty of copperheads where I am hunting. I actually bought one of those Wal Mart under/armour shirts a couple of nights ago. It is white fabric inside and camo on the outside (at least I THINK that it is what you're talking about Daniel). I wore it one morning when it was still only 73 to 77 degrees (by the time I was through swinging). It seemed to work great. But I haven't given it the real test yet.
Copperheads........yes......I am VERY mindful about them when I hit a target that I am about to dig. I am SO used to jumping immediately down to one knee without a thought. if I get bitten......it will probably be because of carelessness/ excitedness about a good sounding tone........and my reactions to it. I will start sweeping all around the spot and dragging my digger through it. I simply cannot afford a hospital stay. Thanks guys.......great replies!!!!!
Oh yeah.......I am HVAC certified (since 1992) and have crawled through rock-wool insulation while being DRENCHED!!!!! Having to route gas-pipe through that crap on about 70 houses in the Govt housing projects. My boss got the contract.......I got the pleasant experience of crawling through the rock-wool.....pulling thermostat wire......running gas pipe......helping the sheet metal lay-out man tie-ing into the main ductwork.....etc etc....bad memories.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/2015 08:06PM by Kevin B.

Humidity over this way is what lays me up Kevin...between that, green up and the possibility of rattlers my relic hunting slows way down about now. Early morning yard / park hunts get me by till first cutting of some hay fields. Other than that, lots of water, a hat and white loose fit button up.

Early mornings, evenings and night hunts. I love a backlite feature...

Kenny
[www.youtube.com]

I've been out the past 3 mornings, Kevin. Started earlier every morning than the previous morning, and finished earlier, too. Heat and humidity are brutal here and it's going to get much worse before it gets better.
I don't have a hot relic spot in the woods, thank goodness. If I did, I think it would have to wait for cooler weather. Hunting in open fields or grassy areas is all I care to do right now. Not a fan of chiggers and ticks. Snakes don't bother me but I do keep an eye out for them. Not smart not to.
Ideally, being on site just after first light and getting in a (relatively) cooler 3 to 5 hours would be the smart thing. I just have a hard time getting up that early. Again, if it was a really hot site, relic wise, I think I could manage.

Sometimes you just gotta take stock of the situation and ask "am I having fun?" "Am I enjoying this?" If the answer is no, or you have to think a bit too hard before answering, maybe it's time to head to the house for a shower and a cold drink! Better times will be here sooner than you think.

Wayne

Pleasant Garden, NC
AT Max, Nokta Impact, MX Sport, Nokta FORS Relic, GPX 4800, Infinium, Racer, Deus, F75SE, Nautilus DMC II (order of acquisition, last to first)

Does an archeologist argue with a plow? A bureaucrat with a bulldozer?

Deus back phones help. I only do yards now and it has to be moist soil or I don't dig. I stay out of places that one can pick up ticks or get in poison. No relic is worth getting sick over. And I don't fancy the notion of putting toxic substances on me or my clothes. Actually the Summer is probably the time I do my least amount of dirt hunting.

When we get the 100 degrees 90 percent humidity days, I start at daylight and usually quit about 9:00 A.M.

I also use these, they help keep your neck/head cool as the water evaporates.

bandana

Stay hydrated....... Go water hunting...lol



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/2015 11:47PM by cadman.

Keeping your sodium,salt,level up is as important as water,hyponatremia= bad. Daniel suggested an excellent source,V8 juice--not lite just plain V8.

I'm with khouse -- night hunts! Night hunts are AWESOME after a hot summer day in Oklahoma when it's unbearable (at least for my native Pennsylvania blood) outside!

Steve

Frozen bottles of water. As they melt, you have an awesome cold drink. Bring several.

Discrimination is the root of all evil.

Dude, believe me, I know about working in the heat. Get some cotton , white terry towels, wet and put under your cap, so the back covers your neck, arab style. Of course drink alot, but try those nasty tasting cocunut waters...I cramp up bad on pretty much daily basis in the summer, and those help alot. And detecting should be fun bro...if its hot n miserable, do it during cool hours or at night. Btw, my hands cramping like a mofo, haha...been in low 100s lately, no shade on a roof.

Your head is the key part. Consider bandannas or handkerchiefs doused in cool/cold water periodically and place around the forehead and under head gear or over the top of the head. This is what I use when working in the heat. Get a sports bag and fill some water bottles. Freeze them and put in the bag with your bandannas and handkerchiefs. The water can be drank and also be used to wet the handkerchiefs/bandannas-- even use the water to rinse them out. Just remember one thing. If you wait to take a drink because you're thirsty, you have waited too late. Start early in hydrating your body. Your body will never keep up in extreme heat. It will give out or have its limits. But there are things you can do to extend the period you can subject your body to the extreme heat. And going back to back days may not be good either. Give your body a chance to recoup. Now with all this said, persons such as roofers. Their bodies are more acclimated to the heat because of the day in day out exposure. So start off with shorter periods and then try more extended periods. In doing so your body will acclimate to the heat. A couple of warning signs. Dizziness, lightheadness, failure to sweat, cold feeling, no urination over a long period, chills, disoriented. All or any of these are signs of too much exposure. Action needs to be taken to keep you from becoming a statistic of heat stroke/heat exhaustion.

And taking a cell phone if you have service in the area is a good idea. Also tell a friend/relative of where you are going and your expected return time. A snake bite kit is a good idea and could save your life. A whistle, small mirror, and a mini flashlight are good to take as well. These can be used to signal for help or at the very least make it easier to find you in the event of something dreadful happening. Cheers and safe hunting.

David

You want miserable gents, from the black belt of Alabama on across Macon Ga then up to Augusta Ga then to Columbia SC is the humidity belt of the nation. If you don't live in that 150 mile wide swath 250 miles long across there you ain't seen nothing. You can't take anything outside even right now without letting it warm up very slowly for the amount of condensation that will form on it. A spoon will condense over within a minute. Guns, detectors, electronics, even your cell phone. I just will water hunt until September or fish on the river here. What is good for me, I worked most of my career around equipment that was 800 1200 2000 degrees inside and it was hot on the exterior of the equipment even through the insulation. Now I work in a 35 crisp degrees.....................

Well, I don't hunt woods here in Indiana so ticks and poison ivy are not much problem but I do have to deal with the heat and humidity. One precaution I take is to try and stay out of the direct sun during the heat of the day and make sure I have plenty of water on hand. I don't carry it with me but I keep it in my car. I'm lucky I guess because I worked 43yrs in a glass factory and you leave there and get goosebumps when you hit the 90 degree air outside.lol I have a pretty good tolerance for heat but in really hot weather I keep the hunts short (usually between one and 2 hrs) and hunt mornings and evenings. Better to err on the side of caution cause heat exhaustion or heat stroke is not fun.

The yellow tail tips are a dead giveaway. That's the only snake I will go out of my way to kill.

Drink water.

Take breaks.

Exercise regularly and stay in shape.

Forgot about that bandana, Cadman. I used one of those on my last summer time hiking trip in the Grand Canyon. Felt weird to wear but it worked real good. It was 112 to 115 degrees on the trail, and down at the river it was 120+. The bandana worked good. That and a nice wide brimmed hat, and I kept wet t-shirts to change into. But again, no humidity to speak of.

I love summer time hiking trips. No tent or sleeping bag to carry. Hike from water source to water source. A couple of 2-liter coke bottles with a couple of extra empties to fill for the long stretches between water. I'm a weirdo though. I like to carry some bulk items, like oranges and apples, and a can or two of stewed tomatos or such. Weights the pack a little at the beginning but they sure taste good when you want em. Been known to haul a cantelope down there into the canyon and pull it out on day three for a mid day snack. Delicious!

Been trying to working out how I could have a nice cold popsicle on day two of a 4 dayer trip. HA!

HH
Mike

Lotsa Water, original V-8 Juice (carry the small cans), Big Hat, get in the shade if possible, know the warning signs. I also have used those bandanas with the cooling beads in them, they help.. ..don't want to short out the headphones though, lol.

I hunt with a few older guys who can go 6-8 hours in the summer swinging etracs. Their secret? Taking breaks. It sounds so simple, but plopping down on a log for a few every 45 mins or less can extend your hunt for hours and hours. You also tend to be not so drained when you get back home to knock out the list of things you promised the wife you'd do in exchange to hunt all day

Heat exhaustion vs Heat stroke. Keith you where on your way to heat stroke. How the heck did get out of there. A lot people who get where you were do not get back to normal without help. Yes very Scary!

Keith Southern Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I use a camel pack if I'm moving alot...if not I
> keep a lot of water sitting close...
>
> heat is the type thing that for me I just get use
> to ..i stay outside all the time year round...I
> actually hate being in cold air conditioning makes
> me feel weird to go from a cold house or car to 95
> degrees...
>
> Also and this is huge...as you travel to your spot
> roll down the windows ..don't use AC...it's harder
> on your body when you start hunting...
>
> always wear a hat when in open sun....when in
> shade keep an eye out for snakes...thats where
> they stay...Copper heads in hardwoods are hard to
> see....Guy here at work got bit last month....hand
> swollen so much had to cut it to release the
> pressure...big as a football..
>
> not alot to say really just stay hydrated...if you
> stop sweating you have problems..
>
> I've done it before...105 degrees 90 percent
> humidity next to a swamp....no water to
> drink..about 2 hours go by and I start getting
> cold chills...I'm dry as bone where 15 minutes
> earlier I was wet....started
> halucinating...couldn't figure out how to use my
> metal detector....couldn't figure out where my
> truck was and heart was pounding out of my
> chest..
>
> SCARY!!!!!..
>
> So stay hydrated and sometime after about upper
> 90s just don't be a fool like me and just stay
> home and research..
>
> Keith

Bryanna - Nebraska

Current - New to me but not new MXT Pro and T2 SE2 - Previous Minelab Sovereign GT, Minelab Safari, Whites DFX, Whites Eagle Spectrum
Smile its a good for you!

I've detected in the Nevada desert in the middle of the summer (July, August, September) with temps well above 100F. It's not optimal, but it's doable if you're careful. I have a camelpack type of thing too, and Ive found if you have one with a removable bladder, take it out and put it in the refrigerator overnight, not only will it keep the water cool, but it'll also cool your back. I've put ice cubes in mind as well, but don't freeze the bladder as it'll probably burst. Big hat helps. They have these "arctic" bandanas that are supposed to keep you cool if you wear them around your neck. I won one at a club hunt but have yet to try it. Probably will do so this September when desert detecting if it's warranted. I did have an incident once in the desert, it was July 5th, was super dehydrated from the previous nights festivities, and it was like 109F. I just remember thinking I hope I make it back to the car at one point

Light weight , light colored loose fitting cotton shirt and pants. Make sure you have long selves. Once you start sweating and everything is soaked it will help cool you down.

If your out in the open a good well ventilated wide brim light hat will be a god send. If in the woods a mesh cap works as well if not better. A wide brim hat in the woods can actually hold in some heat around your head.

Cameo clothing is dark and absorbs heat and should be avoided.

Wellington type boots are cooler than Lace-UPS.


As stated above drink plenty of water.

Hey Bryanna Ill go ahead and give you the full details...I have some free time right now..

I was down on the coast about 5 miles inland in the summer...It was about 17 years ago now I guess...

It was right outside Beaufort S.C. along HWY 17....great place to hunt by the way.. anywhere up and down 17 from Savanaah to Charleston and your in prime Confederate button country...

A guy had pulled a Slave tag out of the ruins of a Plantation ...He actually had dug the Tag back in the back next to a swampy area where the slave cabins had once stood....but where now in ruins...So the plan was to hunt the Iron debris for another slave tag hopefully...But it being the summer time and the location of the ruins it was just to snakey and overgrown that time of the year..

So to plan B...Right next to the wooded area was a this Crop field that had not been planted for a few years so it was starting to grow up...

So we pulled out to the edge fo the field and parked in the shade trees...then went exploring the field section...You could not see each other once we got moving...as you had to meander .. there was some open areas but just say 50x50 spots sort of like a maze but huge...I had forgotten my canteen that morning when I left the house at 4am for the 5 hour drive... and I was sort of nervous about not having one but thought Ill push through I have before..It will just be a couple to 3 hours anyway's on this spot beofre we move on....

Well I went one way my buddy the other and we seprerated......I lucked up after awhile and hit a Iron spot in a opening...and it was loaded up with the all metal signal on my nautilus going waw waw waw constantly...So I knew I had hit a habitation site and the high tones started to paint a picture... couple dozen of flat buttons,,,,probably 15 eagle coat buttons with lettered shields on some,,, dropped 3 ringers,,,,J-hook's,,sword scabbard,,ETC...yes it was a camp small by the iron range form center but it was still a camp and untouched....Even had some 1700's items intermingled...

So after about 2 hours of heavy digging and profuse sweating in the low country of South Carolina (HUMID AS IT GETS) is started to get dizzy and cold shakes at the same time...I also noticed that the wet clothes I had on were about dry and I was not sweating....It was weird cold chills the type that run up your spine but not really cold but still a chil if that makes sense......So Im still trying to concentrate on the relics as Im enjoying that immensely but I start to have problems concentrating on what im doing and within a couple of minutes Im really dizzy feeling and sick to my stomach and i cant figure out what im supposed to do with my detector...Weird...I knew what it was but did not Know how to put it to use...then it hit me...my heart started to pound .. I mean really hard...BAM>>BAM>>>BAM,,,,I think I got to get to the truck....but my enregy was gone and my mind was having trouble putting simple thoughts in order...

So Im close to the field growth that has popped up in the edges of the opening I was in....it was full of palmetto bushes....Now laugh if you want but Im in a open field...104 degrees 95% humidity about 1p.m....I just get down on the ground and crawl/roll under a palmetto bush for some shade...I think to myself I need to yell for >>>>>>>>>>>>>heck I cant remember his name.....So,,,,, and I dont know how but the guy I was going to yell for come walking by....he sees me and gets down on the ground and says are you O.K. I said canteen now...I took what was left in his canteen and poured it down my throat...then set there for a minute and got up..he said he had moved the truck earlier and it was believe it or not right on the other side of the brush...I make it to it we go to the store while he turns on the air on the way....at the store I feel slighty better and go in and get two of the 32 ounce gatorades...I drink one in one chug before I get to the cash register.....I drink the other more slowly out in the vehicle....We decide to stay out of the heat for a hour or so then we go and hunt a shady site on the coast...right off the beach digging relcis...it was nice witht he ocean breeze!!!


that night at about 3am I woke up with the worst leg cramps in both legs at the same time Ive ever experienced...BRUTAL PAIN...

next day I had plenty of water with me ....

So not fun physically but fun in finds..

those 2 days netted me 73 buttons....I had to pay for them though to get them..LOL!!

Moral of story ...your not invincible to the elements...

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/2015 01:20AM by Keith Southern.

I just bought a Camekback and it was the best investment I've made. I fill the bag about 2/3 full and freeze it the night before then top it off with water before leaving. It is the best way I've found to stay safe in 90 degree 90 percent humidity in south GA.

Glad you.made it Keith! My father in law (also a roofer) almost died from heat stroke...and Ive had close calls. Those leg cramps are what Ive talked about..I get them way too often, feels like electricity shooting from your nads to your knees, and the muscles all tense up. That cocunut water (I call it skunk water) is the only thing that works gor me.

For me it all depends on the humidity level.

If it's dry - no sweat
I wear long sleeved lightweight linen shirts and long pants and I stay out of the sun if possible or grudgingly wear a big hat,
although I would prefer someone holding a big shady umbrella. I am not a fan of hats as they make me hot-headed.
The wet bandana trick already mentioned does the trick for me ...

I drink a lot of electrolyte and take a lot of nice breaks. I would go towards sunrise when rocks/soil are radiating the least heat.
If it's really hot, wetting fabric will cool a lot ... if humidity is low.

When humidity is high there is next to no evaporative cooling ... sticky weather ... I hate it.
I go at night on beaches in this weather and take many more breaks. Can't jump into water at night to cool off though ... Jellyfish ... Mauve Stinger

We have Phlebotomus here in the med from about May to Nov. which are something like sand flies or no-see-ums which give you horrible itchy lumps.
They are so small that normal mosquito nets don't help. The bites are more annoying than the heat!?

I do not use DEET as this can harm/dissolve plastics (not good for my detector & cables), so after a lot searching and testing now use
20% Icaridine (Saltidine) which lasts about 8 hours on me, sweating like a dog in 90% humidity. 10% gives me about 4 hours.

To end this on something positive, there are no venomous snakes here !!!