https://rinsekit.com/ Here is something that we carry on our boat. It fills off your water hose and keeps it fairly cool. The wife and I try to get around early and leave by 11 or so. I have lost track of time and been late. We are both from West Texas. You learn to regulate and pace yourself out in the desert. Anyways. it doesn't take up much floor space and feels good with it is sprayed on you. I've been doing the fire/medic thing for many years, and yes cut your gatorade with water. Also, please, please, understand that alcohol dehydrates you. If you are gonna drink a cold beer chase it with a water!!!

The cooling towels are good. A plain hand towel soaked in the ice cooler and hung over your head will feel like your temp just dropped 20 degrees. There are also wide brimmed hats that have the gel in the top that soaks up water or one that has a big sweat band inside that soaks water. Get the hat wet and put it in a zip lock in the cooler. When the sun starts to feel hot, put the hat on. when it dries out, soak again in the cooler. Also, a regular spray bottle with tap water kept in the cooler and misted on your shirt will cool you down several degrees quickly.

I had the same experience as Hogon many years ago out in the Gulf after fighting a 30 lb ling. No wind at all; Gulf was like glass and it was hot. Luckily for me, my friend was a paramedic and put a towel in the ice chest and hung it over my head and poured ice water on my shirt. Cranked up and headed to the jetties about 23 miles away. My symptoms were gone in 5 minutes as soon as the boat got moving and felt wind on that wet shirt and towel.

Another thing I do now is always wear my long sleeve Arctic Cool Instant Cooling Shirt with UPF 50+ Sun Protection. I bought mine at Academy Sports. You have to pay close attention to the tag to make sure it has the cooling feature. I took it one time on a super hot day and soaked it in the lake, put it back on. I swear when I took off across the Lake headed back to the ramp it got pretty cool. Absolutely love that shirt

I've had it once back in the late 70's when I was working the oil field. I had been sandblasting all day and in those days you had an air fed hood but it didn't have any cooling mechanism. I bent down to grab a hose to move it and everything went sideways. I stopped what I was doing and got some water down but finished the day. When I got home that night I was nauseous and had a terrible headache. I spent the next 2 days in bed basically feeling like [censored]. That was at 18 years old, I'd hate to go through it now at 60. Good advice here if everyone will follow it.

I finally got a chance to get the pictures downloaded off my phone from the other day.

The first one is of Dad and I with the sun coming up behind us.

The next one is just with Dad.

I got a couple shots of Dad with some nice SLABS that he landed.

Then I got a picture of our Blown Hub that I found arriving back at the ramp.
We do a safety check before we ever leave the house and every time we stop en-route to the lake we always check.

This happened close to the lake and Emory luckily. Hootens Hardware got us fixed right up.

Then there is the view of the amazing sunrise I witnessed leaving Los Angeles the other day and I wanted to share it with the TFF.

Absolutely blessed to be able to lay my eyes on a view like that.

The last picture shows the outside temperature that my car was calling Tuesday the day of my Heat Exhaustion 109 degrees at 3:26pm. I had the Heat Exhaution symptoms at 10:30am.
Of course we all know it was not 109 degrees, but it sure felt like it.

HOGON, it sure looks like you and your Dad are having fun (except for the Hub).

What an awesome day, spending with family and catching fish. Love the view from your office window.

Good intel. Start at 4 AM get off by 10 for me. Even with T-Top too hot.Cold water is critical as stated above. Most of the other drinks that claim electrolyte replenish have too much sugar and actually do more harm than good.

As someone stated earlier , I am just not that mad at them anymore !!

Pickle juice has always worked for me. If I feel any any symptoms of heat exhaustion I drink a glass. It also helps with cramps from being dehydrated.

HOGON, glad you are ok.
I have read the entire thread & no one mentioned the obvious if you are out in a boat. Be sure your life vest is on and simply get in the water. The water temp is about 80-85 and your body temp will be about 100. The 15 degree difference should be enough to lower your temperature.

Im a guide and i had to take a woman in recently. Had an ambulance meet me at the dock. I used my wash down and misted her in the seat in front of the console so she would get the wind cooling as well.

Personally i wesr full sun coverage shirts from Fishhide. I keep the arms wet and the neck/face gaiter wet. Helps to keep me cool. Trying to not do those doubles when its 113 degrees.... its just too hot. We leave out early and get back early.

We have the sun shirts and neck gaiters as well.

Something to think about if you do decide to jump in is just like Don stated to wear your life jacket.
A gentleman jumped into I believe Lake Granbury last couple weeks and he did not have his life jacket on and he did not anchor his boat. It was windy and after he jumped in he could not swim fast enough to catch his boat. They found his body and his 3 year old Grand Daughter or Daughter was found adrift in the boat.

I just wanted to bring this subject to light because I obviously learned a lot about what I thought I knew and didn't know. Learn something new every day. I obviously learned Heat Exhaustion can happen even when you are hydrated which I had no idea.

On another note I bought a couple things that will be arriving this next week.

I had my cooling towels show up Friday.

I bought a couple of these for Dad and I to try.
They may work and they may not. I'm thinking they might actually do some good.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07VBQD96Y?ref=ppx_pt2_mob_b_prod_image

I also had Andy at ACC recommend getting a Cooling Vest. A cooling vest what's that? I started researching.
There are a plethora of them on the market and they all have different ways that they work and there are price ranges that can pretty much fit whatever budget you are willing to put into the vest.

Doing my research I found out that Surgeons wear them, SWAT guys, Firefighters, one of the reviewers on the vest I picked out to try was in Pest Control in Florida. He wrote up an extremely good review and he has been approached by UPS and FED EX guys working in the heat wanting to know where he got his vest. From what I gathered in reading the length of cooling is 3-4 hours and the vest I decided to try holds 3 Packs in Front and 3 in back and comes with 12 packs Total so you could keep the other 6 on ice and put them in when the first set wears out.

I figure that gives you 6-8 hours.

I can use the cooling vest for other things besides fishing so I did not mind sinking a little money into one of the higher end ones. If it works the way they describe it might be a game changer for fishing guides, guys in the oil field, etc.

The one I went with is the following:

The STA Cool Premium Industrial Vest.
Easily Adjustable to find the perfect fit.
Lightweight.
Holds 6 cooling packs and comes with an additional 6 cooling packs.
Durable.

https://stacoolvest.com/stacool-premium-industrial-vest/

I ordered one for Dad and one for me. They arrive later this week.

I'm sure to some it's overkill, but if it works then to me it's totally worth every penny.
It might make it where Fishing Guides could do doubles no problem. They could even get them for their clients to use.

It said there was a construction Foreman that bought the cooling vests for his entire roofing crew and their productivity went up by 30%.

They probably aren't for everyone, but I ordered a couple regardless.
The ones I ordered are on the higher end and the price reflects as such.
I viewed them as an investment and possibly a life saver in the Texas Heat.

Thanks for reading.

If you wear a cooling vest do not fail to wear a life jacket. If you fall in the water it will weigh you down....deep.