A couple of weeks ago it was HOT here in Seattle. I don’t mean hot like I just walked around the block and I kinda worked up a sweat. I mean HOT like I’m standing still in my living room with the fan blowing and I’m dripping wet. It hit 104 – just in case you hadn’t heard from every complaining Seattleite.
< – this is not me 🙂
Me? I was pretty much loving it once we figured out we could be guests in our own house and pull out the hide-a-bed in the basement, where it was easily 20 degrees cooler. The only problem is that I’m up sometimes 3 hours before Jon, which meant that I had to go find someplace to stay cool while he slumbered. But, it wasn’t as hard as I thought.
I simply stepped out on to our back patio at about 6:30 a.m. and set up my office. I could still get a great wireless connection and it was even cool enough to enjoy a cup of hot coffee. What made it all bearable – not only that morning but all week – was my Blu Bandoo neckband that I kept wet and hanging around my… neck, of course.
I discovered Blu Bandoo when I was at the Outdoor Retailer show a few weeks ago. I kinda knew about these products before but I got a demonstration at their booth and offered to test them. I hadn’t expected such Seattle heat and ended up being impressed with how well my neckband held its moisture.
The premise is simple enough. Each hat, headband, doo rag, etc. has little beads sewn into it. When you soak it in water, the beads fill up and expand with the water. It takes days for it to dry out but really only stays cool for a few hours before it needs to be re-soaked. What I found is that these work best in super hot weather. When it was in the high 90’s (and then over 100), I didn’t take it off all day. With temps in the 80’s, I didn’t seem to notice much benefit. I suspect if I used it while being more active, such as playing tennis, I would have noticed more benefit at this slightly lower temp.
You can purchase Blu Bandoo products on their site. Neckbands are just $5.95 and their hats range up to about $40.
Travel Well,
Beth
Related links:
WanderGear: Smart Girls Who Surf
WanderGear: SummerWear
WanderGear: Flip Video Camera
WanderGear: Tops from Moving Comfort
WanderGear: Summer Accessories
WanderGear: PJ’s from Cocoon
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