I got you back. Worked and working under the Texas sun for years now. Have developed literally a whole system of clothing, behavior, equipment to stay productive and NOT be dead at the end of the day. Think carrying a 25 ft ladder on all kinds of terrain, full tool belt on, working normally inches away from hot brick walls, A/C units blowing hot air up at me not uncommon.

Shirts in particular – nothing comes close to Sport Tek. Get the long sleeve kind. Keeps you the coolest possible AND if you wear 2 a the same time it is ultra hot in case you need to warm up in winter. Also it does not stain easily from oils and food. Paint etc – of course.

It is best to have the Sport Tek shirt tightly fitting on your skin. Do not think that baggy is better – that is not how they are designed to work. Still work but tight fit really makes you feel cool and dry.

If the weather is humid Sport Tek will get soaked and not work very well. By that time you’d be dead if you wore a cotton tee, though – it soaks 100% wet in the first 3 minutes and is like wearing a plastic bag. Best is to carry a bunch of Sport Tek shirts in your truck and change often. They do not wrinkle. Folding them is impossible because of the sleek feeling fabric. Throw them in your truck and always have a spare on hand. Thank me later.

I’ve tried many “cooling” shirts and none work. Sport Tek is the only one that does. They come in all kinds of exciting colors so you can easily affirm your sexual orientation/frustration in an obvious way. I personally love the neon green – makes me happy for some reason, not kidding.

White is best for color. But no matter long sleeves or not the Texas sun gives you a tan through the shirt. That’s how we roll, not kidding.

Other tricks to stay cool:

1. HAT.
Must have a hat. Breathable. White. Sombrero like is best but soft so it does not bump on shit and fall off your head all the time.

2. COMPRESSION SOCKS
Knee high compression socks. That is a big one. It basically helps your veins at the lowest part of your body. Meaning that your heart now has to move the blood in a shorter circuit – not really working all the way up from your feet. Compare wearing knee high compression socks to not wearing – the difference at the end of the day is HUGE.

3. LOW HEART RATE
NEVER get excited. Meaning no heart rate up and down. That is also huge. Never get mad. Never get in a hurry. Makes a big difference.

4. HYDRATION
Gatorade can go back in its manufacturer’s ass. It is fucking worthless. Same with Powerade. I’ve found and mixed the original Gatorade hydration mix. It is absolutely horrible to drink because of the tons of Potassium. Hydration is about proper ratios of Mg, Ca and K. Yes, like a properly run planted tank.😀

Same with straight drinking water – DO NOT try to hydrate with water alone. You can not drink enough. There are no electrolytes in it.
MUST have electrolytes the right way. In the right ratios.

Best way to get a load of water in you – hold a Mexican Coca Cola (not the piss in a can) and a bottle of water. Sip from one then from the other. The sugar and acid in the Coke will allow you to gulp both the Coke and all the water. Can’t do that with one or the other alone every 45 minutes. The sugar will give you a little high, the caffeine will give you a little high. The sugar helps the water to be absorbed. Try it and see.

Best hydration drink – Coconut Water. But make sure it has no added sugar – most of them do. Must drink water along with it.
Also very, very good – Emergen-C – a powdered salt mix with lots of vit. C. Works like a champ. Different flavors. Well worth the money.

5. Cooling vest.
This is a vest with aquarium air tubing running all over it. It fits tight on your torso. A small pump circulates water. A backpack with ice and a little water is the source of super cold water. Need to change the ice every 30 min. Takes about 1 lb of ice every time for a 250 lbs man in 100F heat.

With that shit you can run like the Energizer bunny all day. Vest is meant for the Army. One single problem – your head is not cooled off. At night it will pulsate like a glow in the dark blob. They sell water cooled hoods, shorts, pants. You can go all out but I have not tried how practical all that is.

6. Cooling the ears.
For some reason keeping your ears cool goes a very, very long way. Best way to do that is to splash water every so often. May end up with water in the ear because of throwing water at your ears standing up or half bent so do it carefully.

7. Light food
Every single dumbass contractor knows that a big hamburger lunch with the shit french fries kills the productivity in the afternoon. Eat very light but nutritious – meaning rice, clean protein, and some sugar. NEVER a big meal.

8. Overall comfort.
Anything that strains your motions or makes you move awkwardly and fucked up is overheating you without you realizing. Blue jeans can go in their mother’s ass too – they were made for poor ass miners and cowboys. Not for contractors. Impede blood flow in the waist, groin, and knees. Can’t think of anything worse to wear in the heat unless you are riding a fucking horse in the prickly bushes in 1840.

9. No underwear.
Yes, you heard me right. Most underwear impedes blood flow on your dick and groin. And/or it keeps the heat in the area that easily gets overheated. Stick a hose blowing air in your pants and you will feel an immediate relief from the cooling effect – any kind blowing that area feels good I guess, haha. The opposite happens with jeans + underwear. Baggy basketball shorts made of meshy material are the best but maybe your employer does not get aroused by them so you don’t have that option.

10. Be aware of blowing hot air.
Super easy to get overheated if you stand in the stream of hot air blowing from a fan or A/C or something. Equivalent of drying yourself in a meat dryer. Feels good – then a few minutes later you can literally collapse.