Any new tricks for staying cool as the summer heat increases

[kdedesko]

Just wondering if anyone has developed any new tricks for staying cool ? I did a search but didn't come up with anything.

I am finding that my efficiency is going down as the heat builds. I started the season strong but am now finding the heat getting to me.

I know a couple of years ago some goalies on this forum talked about using those hiking bandanas that you soak with water to keep the head cold under the mask.

Anything else come up since then ?

I play in an old arena with Sportcourt in the summer, and to get a bit of a breeze going they open about 3 exit doors on each side of the rink (6 total) so it doesn't help a great deal. No A/C either.

[KDB]

I have found that the water-soaked bandanas never worked that well. You need breeze to get the cooling effect, and the C/A seems to block that... (I was using the Kool Tie...)

What I really want to do is get some of the Maltese gel liners and dump those in the fridge or freezer before games. But I don't really want to mess with the fit of my current mask. Maybe when I get a new one...

[ShaneGatz]

Wearing some sort of performance undergarment really seems to help. I wear underarmour or wikmax shirts and pants. They still get soaked but don't give you that heavy feeling that cotton does.

[PenguinMan]

When the rink is too hot, I've found that there is really nothing you can do short of getting about 3 gallons of water into you and changing shirts between periods.

[#29]

if you play roller hockey like me, wear the underarmor that makes your legs cool when its hot. i have those, and those work well.

[soulpatch]

ok first you want the underarmour heat gear. This helps to keep you cool. Second you want to contact Phil Maltese and get his GPS combo and mask interier. Freeze both before a game to have them be cool all game.

I also highly recommend an underarmour skull cap dampened between periods.

KDB - You can use foam spacers under the gel to getthe fit and feel you want from your mask. Trust me the gel is more than worth it. I wont play without it now.

[leaferguy]

Air flow is the key. The point of sweating is to remove heat, I believe. It can't be removed if it goes into the c/a, which seems to act like a huge heat reservoir. To fight the heat in summer, I usually do the following:

Wear UnderArmour heat gear: The stuff is skin-tight. It does wick the sweat off of you well enough.

No socks/pants/etc.: I wear running shorts. More sweat than wanted gets in the crease, but a towel takes care of that. I was amazed at the difference wearing shorts made.

Take my gloves off once in a while: I don't know about you, but I usually follow my extremities. If my hands are warm, so am I. If they're cold, I'm cold. Letting some heat come off helps.

Skate around and lift up my jersey and c/a: I'll often, during breaks, do this. It lets a lot of airflow come in and pull some heat out of the c/a. We can't pour water down our backs, so it's the closest we can get.

Remove the helmet as much as possible: This is the most simple, but most effective tool for me.

Dry off as much as possible: I like to consistently wipe away the sweat in my hair and on my skin so new sweat can come out with more of that stupid heat


I don't think there's any one cure-all. I used to play 2-hour pickups during the summer, and I swear it was like 110º to 120ºF in my equipment. Of course, stay hydrated all day up till you go on the rink. These little things really helped make it more bearable.

[kdedesko]

All good suggestions. And doable without too much effort or modifications.

I think it's the CA, mask and gloves that are heating up and keeping it in.

I'll get some UA, try the gel and perhaps get some UA sweat bands to start to keep the glove area dry.

[Lord of the Cage]

Dri-Fit and Underarmour are great so that you don't feel weighed down, or at least not as much. The tights work much better than the loose fitting appearal.

Breaks in play skate around just like you may in ice hockey.

Drink a lot of fluids before, during and after. It will help you out more than you will realize.

I have taken cold showers before getting dressed just to bring my body temperature down.

Bring water to your net during the game but just make sure that you have a towel to wipe the floor with.

Have a towel at the bench that is wet as well as on ice, when you need to wipe your face with it. It'll cool you down and wake you up.

Lord of the Cage

[cuprajake]

play ice hockey

no seriously im a strictly roller goalie, i have the gel interior and the combo, try wearing a thin wiking material top, i use a nike brazil top, the round neck fits perfect around my maltese combo, which i freeze i also drink lots of water and thats about all you can do really

[Huntster]

Originally Posted by Lord of the Cage

Dri-Fit and Underarmour are great so that you don't feel weighed down, or at least not as much. The tights work much better than the loose fitting appearal.

Breaks in play skate around just like you may in ice hockey.

Drink a lot of fluids before, during and after. It will help you out more than you will realize.

I have taken cold showers before getting dressed just to bring my body temperature down.

Bring water to your net during the game but just make sure that you have a towel to wipe the floor with.

Have a towel at the bench that is wet as well as on ice, when you need to wipe your face with it. It'll cool you down and wake you up.

Lord of the Cage

Good advice. I know some leagues don't allow water so all I did was wrap my waterbottle with my towel and I have only been caught once. I just turn my back when I take a drink.

[ch1co]

I find the tighter my moisture-wicking shirt is, the cooler it keeps me. Seems to go against the common wisdom of wearing loose clothing in the heat, but there it is.

I also recall reading something about a vest that can be filled with frozen gel packs. It's for people who work in hot environments. Don't remember anything else about it, but I think it might be a bit cumbersome under a C/A.

[leaferguy]

A loose shirt basically acts like a convection oven, circulating really hot air with slightly cooler air.

[elite]

I just do three things..

1. I wear an underarmour shirt.

2. I try to keep my mask off as much as possible, including if the play is down at the other end. I can flip it back on real quick if needed.

3. Drink as much water as possible.

..and I wear heavy sweat pants, too, so it gets really hot.

[MightyK]

Good tips everyone. As others have said, I find it much cooler to wear the underarmour shirts, and if it's really warm I'll just wear shorts with my pads (no leggings).

What C/A are you using? If you don't need tons of protection, maybe consider scaling down. I can highly recommend the CCM Blockade Pro, since is has this weird layer of stuff on the inside that is very "airy" and allows for nice air flow. Also, having it untucked helps too.

K