How DO you Keep your Cool in the suit?

[Uratz]

Having seen the countless pics of Predator Fans suiting for the movie here has raised a simple Question

How do you guys keep your Cool while wearing your suit?

So far: Taking the mask off, take breaks and proper hydration.

Post your Solutions and Ideas here

While shooting PM's back and fourth with Guan Thwei, he has suggested an ingenious solution (I hope you don't mind me sharing- its just too good to keep to ourselves).


Here's the PM in its original form (after he'd told me about people dying in Florida and Arizona cuz of intense summer heat in cars, etc.)

Dude

Dude that's friggin crazy [about the deaths] The heat factor is also making me design a dual fan system. The fans are 1 inch wide (2.5cm) and powered by 3 AA batteries. I'm gonna post it like next week after I get to work on it. It sad people don't take the heat seriously. My wife got heat stroke the other day just from walking for like 15 minutes in the heat.
Take care dude. Drink more Gatorade.
Best
Mike

I plan on using some ice packs in different sizes and placing them in different sections of my muscle suit where the muscles are like chest, abs, legs, ect. here are some pics to show you what I'm going for.
CHEST

 

[predator666]

Mask off drink 2litres water... pour bottle water over head and put mask on...
Oh if its raining outside stand out in the rain

 

[DBOYSLADE]

Cooling off I would not be the biggest issue. NOW! .... Getting to the bathroom is another story.

 

[Uratz]

Cooling off I would not be the biggest issue. NOW! .... Getting to the bathroom is another story.

Corner with no one looking - flip up cod piece - pee into water bottle (or empty Gatorade bottle for u manly types )

 

[Guan Thwei]

While shooting PM's back and fourth with Guan Thwei, he has suggested an ingenious solution (I hope you don't mind me sharing- its just too good to keep to ourselves).

Not at all man the idea came to me based on the shape of certain ice packs and how they very in size I thought it would be perfect to replace foam with ice packs when it comes to placing them in spots in the suit where it counts the most.
I hope that this does help others especially for those attending the SDCC and Dragon Con this year.
NO MORE POURING SWEAT OUT OF YOUR BOOTS!!

 

[Uratz]

Not at all man the idea came to me based on the shape of certain ice packs and how they very in size I thought it would be perfect to replace ice packs with foam when it comes to placing them in spots in the suit where it counts the most.
I hope that this does help others especially for those attending the SDCC and Dragon Con this year.
NO MORE POURING SWEAT OUT OF YOUR BOOTS!!

Are the ICe Packs heavy like weights? Whats in them? Do you have to freeze them before using and they melt?

 

[Guan Thwei]

Are the ICe Packs heavy like weights?
The heaviest out of the pictures would probably be this one because of it covering your entire width of your shoulders, but it would not be that bad I'm sure.

Whats in them?
That varies on the brand of Ice Pack you purchase they will vary in cold retaining compounds.

Do you have to freeze them before using and they melt?
How long you would be in your suit will determine how long you would either refigerate or freeze. I do recommend wearing one of these to keep you from getting Hypothermia if you decide to freeze the ice packs and plan on wearing them for long periods of time.

I had also forgot to mention that there is an ice pack for your head as well when you are wearing your masks.

 

[Uratz]

Good Pointers. Maybe we have to make a Still Suit like in Dune to recirculate sweat and filter it into drinkable water. The water bladders will keep us cool as well

Stillsuit
Fremen wearing stillsuits, from Dune (1984)

A stillsuit is a fictional body suit in Frank Herbert's Dune universe, first introduced in the 1965 novel Dune[6] and appearing in every subsequent novel in the series. Stillsuits are worn by the native Fremen of the desert planet Arrakis to maintain their body moisture in the harsh environment.[6] The Science of Dune (2008) analyzes Herbert's stillsuit and its feasibility in the real world as described.[1][2][3]
[edit] Description

As described in Dune, a stillsuit is a "body-enclosing garment" of Fremen design which performs the "functions of heat dissipation and filtering bodily wastes," as well as retaining and reclaiming moisture.[15] As the planetologist Liet-Kynes is assisting Duke Leto Atreides with the fitting of his stillsuit, he explains it in this manner:

It's basically a micro-sandwich — a high-efficiency filter and heat-exchange system. The skin-contact layer's porous. Perspiration passes through it, having cooled the body ... near-normal evaporation process. The next two layers . . . include heat exchange filaments and salt precipitators. Salt's reclaimed. Motions of the body, especially breathing and some osmotic action provide the pumping force. Reclaimed water circulates to catchpockets from which you draw it through this tube in the clip at your neck... Urine and feces are processed in the thigh pads. In the open desert, you wear this filter across your face, this tube in the nostrils with these plugs to ensure a tight fit. Breathe in through the mouth filter, out through the nose tube. With a Fremen suit in good working order, you won't lose more than a thimbleful of moisture a day..."[6]

 

[Guan Thwei]

Good Pointers. Maybe we have to make a Still Suit like in Dune to recirculate sweat and filter it into drinkable water. The water bladders will keep us cool as well

I will just stick to the water fountains Mike thanks

 

[Kithunter]

over the years i've tried a few methods

from creating my own "cool suit" inside to placing CPU fans inside the bio helmet

now there are many options ...i'm gonna date myself a bit by saying back in the day all that was out there were cool vests but those only lasted 45 minutes and we spend a good 4-6 hours in our suits at any given moment. not sure if those new packs will keep you cooled down for that long.

one low budget method i came up with was something you can pick up at any surplus store or salvation army

a camo shirt with upper and lower pockets

cut the sleeves off and insert ice packs into the pockets...

that should help in a big way to keep the inner top section of the suit cooled..

if the packs start to warm up you can always get some baggies and fill them with ice to hold you over


just my .02


AM

 

[Guan Thwei]

Sounds like an idea to me I also know that everyone takes to temperature differently some may very well stay cool for hours or they will start to get warm quicker. I'm sure the ice packs will help, but it will be personal preference on how cold they need to be under the suit to be comfortable.

 

[Bovine13]

I have two CPU fans in my bio. Ciculates the air a bit. Elder-one took two fans from those inflatable Sumo costumes and put them in the back of his skin. That looked like it worked very well. He may elborate more on that.

 

[Guan Thwei]

I have two CPU fans in my bio. Ciculates the air a bit. Elder-one took two fans from those inflatable Sumo costumes and put them in the back of his skin. That looked like it worked very well. He may elborate more on that.

I would like to hear what he has done and how he feels using them for his skin.

 

[Kithunter]

also so ur not swimming in your own fluids

cut holes in the tips of your hands and feet,... it lets the sweat out so your not having to drain every 10 minutes.


AM

 

[Guan Thwei]

also so ur not swimming in your own fluids cut holes in the tips of your hands and feet,... it lets the sweat out so your not having to drain every 10 minutes.
AM

That makes sense

 

[DBOYSLADE]

try using a Camel Pack.

When I ride into work with my leathers on ... I freeze the water in the camel pack overnight. So when its hot like its been the ice melts during the ride. I place it under my jacket so its against my back ... but over my shirt. Plus Bonus ... once its melted you can drink the cold water.

 

[Guan Thwei]

try using a Camel Pack.

When I ride into work with my leathers on ... I freeze the water in the camel pack overnight. So when its hot like its been the ice melts during the ride. I place it under my jacket so its against my back ... but over my shirt. Plus Bonus ... once its melted you can drink the cold water.

That sounds interesting what size is it and can you get different sizes?

 

[DBOYSLADE]

That sounds interesting what size is it and can you get different sizes?

here is mine (in red). They do come in different sizes.

different image of someone wearing one.

 

[Guan Thwei]

here is mine (in red). They do come in different sizes.

different image of someone wearing one.

ok I got you now

 

[DBOYSLADE]

ok I got you now

do a mod and place one in your Med pack to get water from.