Killer heat.

Randy Gartner

Randy Gartner

Junior
Jan 12, 2011
465
18
18
72
Pennsylvania
randygartnersound.com
I'm dreading today's job. Here in Pa they are expecting it to be 95 with high humidity. I was sweating just hooking up the trailer and checking the air pressure in the tires. I've got my new Mikita 13" fan, a cooler full of ice and a towel i can soak in cold water.How many of you will be dealing with the same thing today?
 
That's a normal summers day in much of middle America. Work at a slower pace, drink water AND an electrolyte beverage. You need both. Utilize shade for your breaks. Have extra help at the gig.

Remember to eat. When you get hot your body doesn't know it needs calories and you're likely to not eat enough.

Take a change of clothing. You'll appreciate dry shorts and shirt for the drive home.

Good luck, Randy. Let us know how you do.
 
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Tim McCulloch said:
Work at a slower pace, drink water AND an electrolyte beverage. You need both. Utilize shade for your breaks. Have extra help at the gig.

Remember to eat. When you get hot your body doesn't know it needs calories and you're likely to not eat enough.

Take a change of clothing. You'll appreciate dry shorts and shirt for the drive home.
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This.

I'll also add that lightweight wool hiking socks tend to be more comfortable than the equivalent cotton socks in those conditions, and that you'll be more comfortable if you let your body acclimate to the heat (don't sit in air conditioning during breaks, and don't go overboard with the ice water and cold towel). Also, wide-brimmed hats can help provide localized shade.

On the hydration side of things, I like mixing a sports drink (Gatorade/Powerade) 1:1 with water (electrolytes, hydration, some sugar), and keeping the beverage cool, but not ice cold.
 
All good advice. I'm a big fan of wide brim straw hats for outdoor shows even when it's not brutally hot. Not having the sun on your face all day makes a very big difference. One other thing, if you're a smoker, don't. Did a large outdoor festival in Nashville a few years ago. First load in day was 101, succeeding days not much better. The local crew of 20-30 somethings where chain smoking and barely able to function. 60 year old sound head and his older minions who don't smoke were plowing thru, sweaty but getting things done. Don't subtract from your capacity in that kind of heat.
 
I am in South Western CT, just outside NYC. They canceled events tonight (I wasn’t supposed to be doing that one) and tomorrow afternoon due to the heat and humidity. Tonight was supposed to be an outdoor movie and there was a thunderstorm so that wouldn’t have worked anyway. It’s funny because looking at the sky it looked nice at 6pm but poured later. Tomorrow was supposed to be a concert. The city called them both off. We had a Wednesday night concert this week get postponed (due to the weather) till Thursday night. We got about 40 minutes into the show before they called it due to the lightning.
 
Lots of water/sports drinks, work slower, don't be afraid to take break. Make sure your crew keeps an eye on each other and knows the signs of heat exhaustion/stoke, many times the person suffering doesn't realize what happening, If it going to be extremely hot, I will bite the bullet and bring an extra man or two. I also transport my stuff in a trailer and once it is empty I have been known to set up a portable room air conditioner in it either off of shore power or a genie. There have been a few times that I have set my amps and processing in the cooled trailer as well. Heat stroke is no fun, I only had to get once to learn that.
Doug
 
Tim McCulloch said:
That's a normal summers day in much of middle America. Work at a slower pace, drink water AND an electrolyte beverage. You need both. Utilize shade for your breaks. Have extra help at the gig.

Remember to eat. When you get hot your body doesn't know it needs calories and you're likely to not eat enough.

Take a change of clothing. You'll appreciate dry shorts and shirt for the drive home.

Good luck, Randy. Let us know how you do.
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I love how Tim always speaks from such good experience, even with the last little bits about dry clothes - something I wished for last night at 2am.
 
Randy Gartner said:
I'm dreading today's job. Here in Pa they are expecting it to be 95 with high humidity. I was sweating just hooking up the trailer and checking the air pressure in the tires. I've got my new Mikita 13" fan, a cooler full of ice and a towel i can soak in cold water.How many of you will be dealing with the same thing today?
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Randy,

My first exposures to working in pro audio were in central Florida during college. I doubt I ever did a gig below 90F and 90% humidity in those days. Suggestions:

-Liberal dusting of baby powder or anti-monkey butt powder in the AM and before load out
-Full change of clothes (per Tim)
-Synthetic socks (per Rob)
-Sunscreen
-Diluted Gatorade
-Towel. I used cotton back then, should have been synthetic
-Synthetic work gloves. I used cycling gloves back then
-Croakies
-Anti-fog spray. I'm blind without my glasses.
-Goofy hiking/fishing hat like this one (https://www.rei.com/product/894435/sunday-afternoons-ultra-adventure-hat)
 
It actually wasn't too bad. The job was an 1-1/2 away and at a higher elevation which helped a little. Then it was over cast so the sun wasn't baking us. There is a large covered pavilion where I set up FOH and it's a big covered stage too. I did take a cooler full of ice, extra clothes, water, gator aid and a beer for the end of the night.So the day wasn't too bad. By the time we loaded out, the small breeze from earlier dissipated and the humidity came back. This has been an unusually hot,humid summer. More 90 degree days than I remember for years. The next few days look about the same.
 
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