How do you deal with sweat?

[joebartels]

When dry, June is my second favorite month after October. For the past month, I tried a huge sun hat on Piestewa along with taking a break on top and between laps to dry out my socks and feet. Which was a struggle at first. I'm more of a ballcap guy, which is apparently now a dad cap... gasp
Tried the cowboy hat first, other than causing others emotional stress it really doesn't provide much shade. Even with a ballcap, I would not wear it ascending unless under 40 degrees. Interestingly the sun hat had the exact opposite response vs the cowboy hat. People, in general, treated me with seriously more respect.

Albeit a net top and shade galore, the sun hat restricts sweat like a sweatband where it sits. On my second lap yesterday, as much as I appreciate any respect, took it off for the final furlong and it was nice to fly again. Suppose I could try pushing it with the sun hat but it feels like I'd pass out. Drying out the feet is probably a huge negative. I know switching shirts on eight laps (no I could never do eight again) in cooler weather once dehydrated me faster than I could drink water.

How do you deal with sweat?
Not a great poll. More confirmed, "I hate hats ascending".

Sweat Benefits
boosts energy
maintains a healthy weight
defends against many diseases and health conditions
improving mood
promoting good sleep

Sweat is odorless?
Yes: Apocrine sweat glands. Emotional stress.
Yes: Eccrine sweat glands. The major sweat glands.

Full disclosure: tests did not utilize zipfizz

[trekkin_gecko]

i always wear a visor, which shades my face somewhat and keep sweat out of my eyes
aside from that, let it flow
i do not subscribe to the @cannondalekid or @bifrost method of covering up
always wear a tank top if it's over 60ish
but then i'm not usually out all day, either

[chumley]

I hike at a pace which limits perspiration to an amount that is just enough to promote the body's natural evaporative cooling effect, but not so much as to actually get wet. When I choose that effect, I go for full immersion, but sometimes opt for floating on some kind of inflatable animal as a compromise. None of these requires a head covering, which I hate.

[wildwesthikes]

I used to hate hats until genetics forced them on me.
Headsweats Soft Tech 5 Panel Trucker Hat are a gem. Surprised I don't see more people wearing them.
I still get sweat in my eyes on hot days but not nearly as much with a traditional ball cap.
Extremely sunny long hikes get the bandana tucked under the hat treatment.

I am a caker. I guess I exude a lot of salt. So I put Nuun tablets in my water as salt replacement. You should see the strap of my bike helmet after a ride - it could probably season a dish.

[nonot]

@joebartels

Your list of sweat benefits has me confused. Those all seem the result of exercise, not sweating. The only benefit of sweating, to my knowledge, is it keeps you alive...it releases liquid which keeps your innards at 98.6 generally via evaporation cooling.

I usually try to avoid sweating - hike at cooler times or in cooler places, wear breathable clothing and gear which promotes airflow and thus reduces the amount of sweating. But when you're stuck in the heat, either just realize you will sweat a bunch, or find ways to shed heat like by soaking your shirt in water, or get a cool rag around your neck. There are some fancier electronic neck coolers too but I've never used one.

I can't fathom not wearing a hat, the sweat rolls into the eyes without a sweat band from some type of headwear. Having to occasionally dry off the headband is a small price to pay, in my opinion.

[CannondaleKid]

I fully realize there is no perfect scheme for all... what works for some won't work for others.

That said, here's a comparison explaining why hiking later in the day with higher temps, much lower humidity and the requisite breeze works so well for me.
@wildwesthikes (I exude tons of salt as well so I add LyteShow electrolyte to my water)

Todays early hike: (I must sign for a delivery somewhere 11 am-3 pm, otherwise I would have hiked now at 96° & 15% RH)
Distance: 3.7
Duration: 1:52
AEG: 1148'
Low temp: 79°
High temp: 91°
Relative humidity range: 30% ->26%
I drank 96 oz (64 oz plus 32 from my emergency stash) yet I lost 5 pounds of water weight in under 2 hours.
Note: Other than a wide-brim hat and long-sleeve shirt (my sunscreen) I was NOT 'covering up' due to the high humidity

Here's the average for the previous three successive midday/early afternoon hikes:
Distance: 4.1
Duration: 2:10
AEG: 935'
Low start temps on successive hikes: 95°, 97° & 98°
Highest temp reached on successive hikes: 105.4°, 109.4° & 110.8°
Relative humidity range: 10%-18%
I drank 48, 54 & 60 oz on successive hikes, yet lost no water weight on first two hikes, only losing about a pound on the last, which was longest, hottest and most AEG.
Note: I wore full coverings... long pants, long-sleeve shirt, neck gaiter, skull cap, vented wide-brim hat, wicking wrist bands and 'glacier' gloves, keeping everything slightly damp with regular spritz of ice-cold water from an insulated bladder.

[gummo]

@joebartels

Sweat is odorless?
Yes.

You obviously never met my uncle.

[chumley]

I fully realize ... what works for some won't work for others.

The most important lesson one can learn. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. This topic, and a multitude of others.

[CannondaleKid]

@gummo
Technically sweat itself does not smell... the odor comes from bacteria interacting with the sweat on the surface of your skin, which can be made worse by synthetic fiber clothing. Yes, even the fabrics that claim to prevent or at least minimize the odor. I've found a few that do reduce the odor somewhat... until maybe the third or fourth washing.

[Jim]

Other impurities in sweat also add odor. Alcohol, garlic, medications.

[big_load]

I mostly let the sweat come out however it wants because I haven't had much luck doing anything else. I wear clothes that dry quickly when not overwhelmed with even more sweat. I wear a hat all the time outside, no matter how sweaty. Anyone who doesn't like it is free to keep their distance.

[hikeaz]

[ Umbrellas ]

[joebartels]

thx for all the replies

@trekkin_gecko
yeah, albeit proven for some, I'm not interested in testing full clothed coverage

@wildwesthikes
I'll pass on the wildwest pasta dish, ewe...lol

@CannondaleKid
have you tried a pressurized fine mister?

@nonot
not mine
above that list is a linked article that mentioned those benefits

[ Umbrellas ]

That is still the solid choice IMO to stay cool. Yet I gotta give the nod to the sun hat for the timid. The acceptability over a cowboy hat or umbrella shocked me.

[ALMAL]

@joebartels

Great sweat relief!
[ photo ]

[nonot]

@joebartels
Don't believe everything you read on the internet!

[joebartels]

I can't fathom not wearing a hat, the sweat rolls into the eyes without a sweat band

According to a landslide of sources, sweat works by evaporative cooling. Typically I dry my face often.
I've tried two days now ascending Piestewa, only wiping my face at the half and summit.
Yesterday without a hat @ 99°, after a month with the sun hat, I felt fantastic.
Tried reduced face wiping again this morning with the sun hat. Lacked the whimsical free feeing of yesterday due to the hat restricting pure airflow.
Based on both results I might change my face drying habit, Scott's uncle might be on to something.

[Alston_Neal]

Oddly my sweat smells like Coors and I attract angels.

[nonot]

@joebartels
Ignoring the naked hiking meme, the unfortunate part of modern society is that clothes hinder the evaporative cooling process, so maybe switch to a lighter weight shirt, shorter socks or shorts? You're way ahead of me as I can't hike in the Phoenix heat.

[RedRoxx44]

If I am just walking the neighborhood then I favor an open weave real straw hat with the hat band. It seems to allow adequate air flow but blocks direct sun on my head. The brim can be solid or not. And not the super huge floppy ones; those just seem to irritate me.