[at-l] Wet T-shirt contest results,,,,finally

[saunterer@jimbullard.org (saunterer@jimbullard.org)]

At 08:23 AM 08/27/2002 -0400, Raphael Bustin wrote:
>For hiking in hot weather, I routinely dip my cotton T-shirt
>in a stream, then wring it out (away from the stream) and
>put it on wet.  The initial cold lasts about 5 seconds.  After
>that, you get a nice cooling action that typically lasts for
>a couple of hours.  I've never tried this with silk, however --
>but it works great with any ordinary cotton T-shirt.

"Evaporation is a cooling process" said my H.S. science teacher.  It seems
to me that this would work better with cotton since cotton holds water
longer therefore it would prolong the cooling process.  At least that's my
(perhaps flawed) logical take on the wet tee shirt as walking A/C.  Wet
cotton definitely cools even under wool or fleece.  If you get into camp
wet, don't put your fleece or wool on over the wet tee shirt.  You'll be
warmer with just the fleece.

sAunTerer