[Low-Tech] [High-Tech] Portable cooling: higher-TL replacement of water jugs?

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

Heat exhaustion, guys. Heat stroke requires hospitalization. Heat exhaustion is more a treat at home issue.
I developed it once on an 84 degree day back when I simply could not tolerate even warm weather safely. But I recovered fine within a few hours and was back to normal the next day.

Hmmm. Compare what Bio-Tech thinks on the issue:

Originally Posted by BIO131

Heat Stroke Treatment (TL6)
Someone trained in first aid can treat heat stroke
(p. B434) by rapidly cooling the victim (e.g., an ice water
bath) and giving lots of electrolytes (usually by IV at TL7+).
This takes one hour and requires a roll against First Aid+4.
If successful the patient recovers 7 FP and 2 HP (up to the
maximum lost by the subject). Further recovery is as normal.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

Heat exhaustion, guys. Heat stroke requires hospitalization. Heat exhaustion is more a treat at home issue.

If you are in an area where the drinking water comes out of canteens rather than pipes, hospitalisation without first aid will probably be too slow. Time matters with heatstroke.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Agemegos

If you are in an area where the drinking water comes out of canteens rather than pipes, hospitalisation without first aid will probably be too slow. Time matters with heatstroke.

Of course. I just meant requires hospitalization as a shorthand for damn serious rather than take a rest and be up and hunky dory within an hour or two.
My heat exhaustion wasn't remotely that bad, but intense nausea, dizziness, and weakness was no joke, and took the better part of the day to recover from. Though I might have qualified for unfit at that time in my life slowing things down a bit above and beyond that real people would compared to the heroic average Gurps PCs.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Hmmm. Compare what Bio-Tech thinks on the issue:

My heat exhaustion didn't need electrolytes or rapid cooling as I wasn't squeezed into a dry rag. I just needed to stop working, sit down, and recover for a few hours to avoid hurling and/or falling.

[Bruno]

That may simply be below the threshold of what GURPS uses the term for. I had to have my arms submerged in cold water for almost half an hour before I really "recovered", and I was sick for days.

Note that any situation where you're getting an IV, modern western medicine would probably try to get you into a hospital at least for evaluation if not overnight for observation. For dehydration paramedics can definitely give you an IV on site for emergency treatment (like at Canada Day celebrations, we usually have a few victims of too much alcohol, not enough water, too much sun, and you see the medics rehydrating a rotating cast of characters near the first-aid tent nearly all day.) but I know a good chunk of those folks then get hauled off to hospital for some A/C and longer-term care.

My sister got honest-to-god heat stroke and they wouldn't let her out until she arranged to go stay with a friend with A/C and promised to buy a window A/C unit and basically hug it for the rest of the summer.

[Anthony]

How about 'treat incipient heat-related illness'. If you let it get to the heatstroke stage it's probably too late, but for any type of overheating it's nice to deal with it faster than slower, and in a way that isn't dependent on the metabolism of the subject.

[Verjigorm]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

My mistake. I wonder how I got that mixed up.

Imperial system is screwy, it's not your fault.

[Anthony]

So, talked to parents who have actually used these things, confirmed my suspicions: first, they didn't keep water all that cool. Second, they are really only suitable for hanging, if you were carrying one of them it would (a) leak, and (b) get you wet.

[acrosome]

Hey, Vicky,

Those canvas bags are also called "lister bags." Search for that term and you might find more. Lots of pictures of larger 36-gallon ones that the US military tends to call "water buffalos." They aren't terribly portable. But I see a Swiss model and an Australian model that are only 5 gallons. I'm also finding references to a smaller personal-sized one the US Marines used to use and called a "boda bag" that sweat to keep the water cool, but when I search that term all I find are leather both waterskins. The Boy Scouts used to have something similar (scroll down for picture).

EDIT-- AHA! I found it! Apparently they were US military issue relatively recently, 1.5 gallon capacity (call it 6L).

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Bruno

...
My sister got honest-to-god heat stroke and they wouldn't let her out until she arranged to go stay with a friend with A/C and promised to buy a window A/C unit and basically hug it for the rest of the summer.

I know that while the (incredibly awesome don't take it from me or I will throat punch you) AC unit I got during a major heat wave made me feel better while in front of it, it reversed my slowly burgeoning heat tolerance. It made so much as going more than two feet away so much harder and stressful than it had been before.