Whenever I have been camping or even on a long days hunt you never know what the weather might bring you. There are days in October in Iowa that it could be 30 degrees one day and 80 degrees the next. This makes it difficult for preparing for a hunt. Whenever I pack my equipment I always pack for the best of weather and the worst. Staying cool when out camping in any area is very important to make your trip successful. If you don’t stay cool and become over heated there are many health problems that can go wrong that can put you in a life threatening situations. The number one rule is to always have fresh, clean water. Having water when you are in an area that you are uncertain about will be your best friend. If your water is not properly cleaned, this can make you sick and cause even bigger problems. Drinking water is a cooling system for your body. There are other ways that you can help your body stay cool when in the outdoors.

• When sleeping in a sleeping bag and you become to hot, unzip your sleeping bag first and put it over you like a blanket. After that if you get to warm, slip the sleeping bag off of you before you take off any clothing. This will help keep your vapor off your body in and prevent you from becoming over heated. It will also help your sleeping bag from getting wet, also.
• If you are on a hike, it is better to walk early in the morning and take a long break and have a big meal in the afternoon. Start walking again after that and for your meal once you stop have a smaller meal. Switching around super and dinner will help you with managing your energy levels.
• If you are feeling over heated when walking, take a towel or piece of clothing and drench it in water and tie it around your head. This blocks the sun from your head and also hits many arteries to cool your blood that circulates through your body.
• Always be wearing a hat. Protecting yourself from the sun is a must because it drains your body of energy faster than if you were protected. Wearing clothing to protect yourself from the sun is always better then wearing sun block. Sun block can alter how the body cools itself by making you not be able to sweat. Sweating is crucial when you are hot because it is the body’s way of releasing heat and is the cooling system.

Staying cool is just as important as staying warm when it is cold. Stay warm or cool and always be prepared for anything.