Heat Rash | Working in Wet / Tight Fitting Clothes

Also, the central air in the house needs to be replaced so there was a good week or so where it much warmer and more humid in the house, like 80+ degrees. Got some window units as a temporary solution but other than the 2 days of working in the rain wearing the long sleeve shirt + a rain coat this is the only other thing that has changed.
 
Years ago we were doing a LOT of backcounty skiing way way up there and we started to buy the "newest" polypropylene/ synthetic undies. Because on the up you're spending 10 - 14 hr days on end usually soaking wet in sweat with everything stuck to you (and trying to stay warm in the process) we found all sorts of rashes/ scratchies starting where we hadn't had them before. Long tours are a different ballgame than daytripping.
Out of this come some suggestions maybe - never cotton, but maybe try scrap the pure poly stuff too and get merino blends (doesn't work for everyone but it did for me). Dress in layers of course to try and thermoregulate a bit. I found in the end the only synthetic I could wear with any degree of sucess was Patagonia's Capilene stuff - there's different weights. But newest tech baselayers are probably bamboo-rayon or merino-rayon blends. $$$ though. Fresh baselayer every day or two if you can manage it. In the huts in europe, some guys wore fishnet layers next to skin for moisture management (these looked well - weird but they swore by them). And the other weird thing was, as we changed to front load washers at home, double rinsing underclothing layers helped as did turning socks inside out to wash - the new washers try and minimize the amount of water they use (the environment you know - Miele and some euro brands have taken this to the extreme now in my opinion) and they just didn't seem to rinse out as much of the soap. Speaking of which, we tried using down soap or baby soap on underlayers in the washer which helped with the rashes and itching too a bit for some. Hope it helps. Cheers.
 
Last edited:
I am certainly not a medical doctor, but what you are describing sounds to me like a fungal or yeast infection. Ideal conditions: warm, wet, dark for long periods. I would try an over-the-counter anti-fungal cream first, and I expect that will take care of it. You may need to give those socks more than the usual washing to keep from reinfecting your ankles.
 
It may actually be poison ivy / oak or sumac. As it developed it has all those characteristics and I’ve had it multiple times before. The job we worked last week I suspect there was stuff in there somewhere…
 
Last edited:
Wet clothes are a killer if wet for a long duration. Throw in some sawdust twigs grime etc and you will chafe badly.
The trick in the PNW which is more cool, humid, wet is wool, and wearing wet clothes little as possible. This is very challenging when it’s wet for weeks on end and one is tempted to hang works clothes up and wear them slightly damp the next day.
I’ve had it so bad that it looks and feels like a rash, and or my skin softened due to the wet clothing it abraded and kinda scabbed up. Best to let it air out and dry up as much as possible. Bringing an extra shirt or two to swap out helps, and even changing into a clean pair of clothes in the bed of the chip truck does wonders
 
I do wool socks everyday grip 6 has pretty decent ones relatively well priced, keeps my feet happy even when it's like 100 out.
 
evo said:
Wet clothes are a killer if wet for a long duration. Throw in some sawdust twigs grime etc and you will chafe badly.
The trick in the PNW which is more cool, humid, wet is wool, and wearing wet clothes little as possible. This is very challenging when it’s wet for weeks on end and one is tempted to hang works clothes up and wear them slightly damp the next day.
I’ve had it so bad that it looks and feels like a rash, and or my skin softened due to the wet clothing it abraded and kinda scabbed up. Best to let it air out and dry up as much as possible. Bringing an extra shirt or two to swap out helps, and even changing into a clean pair of clothes in the bed of the chip truck does wonders
Click to expand...
Any recommendations for brands??
 
  • Like
Reactions: evo
Bendroctanus said:
I just don’t know where to look for good quality wool wear that would be good for tree work. But that’s what google is for.
Click to expand...
Some links in my note above but if you aren't partial to those maybe cruise to Freeworker's website from Germany to see different arb type stuff. For the brands anyway. There's also Norwegian, Swedish and even Icelandic company's that produce wool and wool blend stuff. European gear and esp. Euro backcountry skiing/ mountaineering/ climbing stuff I find is often way ahead of what is out there in N American brands. Cheers
 
ghostice said:
In the huts in europe, some guys wore fishnet layers next to skin for moisture management (these looked well - weird but they swore by them).
Click to expand...
Damn, somehow I've never even heard of this brand. Gonna pick up some of the synthetics to try. I wear Duluth Trading button-front coolmax shirts for wicking sweat (long sleeves to avoid sun and sunscreen) that work very well in hot humid weather but have canvas work pants, when they get sweat soaked they're pretty unpleasant next to the skin especially because I wear kneepads. Mesh underneath might be exactly what I need.
 
ghostice said:
Some links in my note above but if you aren't partial to those maybe cruise to Freeworker's website from Germany to see different arb type stuff. For the brands anyway. There's also Norwegian, Swedish and even Icelandic company's that produce wool and wool blend stuff. European gear and esp. Euro backcountry skiing/ mountaineering/ climbing stuff I find is often way ahead of what is out there in N American brands. Cheers
Click to expand...
Thank you kindly
 
ghostice said:
Some links in my note above but if you aren't partial to those maybe cruise to Freeworker's website from Germany to see different arb type stuff. For the brands anyway. There's also Norwegian, Swedish and even Icelandic company's that produce wool and wool blend stuff. European gear and esp. Euro backcountry skiing/ mountaineering/ climbing stuff I find is often way ahead of what is out there in N American brands. Cheers
Click to expand...
The Euros make so much better clothing and boots that N American stuff. Fits are better too.
 
bobs yeruncle said:
Damn, somehow I've never even heard of this brand. Gonna pick up some of the synthetics to try. I wear Duluth Trading button-front coolmax shirts for wicking sweat (long sleeves to avoid sun and sunscreen) that work very well in hot humid weather but have canvas work pants, when they get sweat soaked they're pretty unpleasant next to the skin especially because I wear kneepads. Mesh underneath might be exactly what I need.
Click to expand...
Kneepads. Are you laying tiles?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Kask Stihl NORTHEASTERN Arborists Wesspur TreeStuff.com Teufelberger Westminster X-Rigging Teufelberger
Back
Top Bottom