Hi All,
My son (16 years old) is about to leave on a mission trip where he will be in the Navajo Nation building, digging and cleaning to help families in need. We live in a cool coastal climate where the average temp is 68. What would you suggest as gear to help him endure the heat?
Thanks!!
Leslie

I'm not used to manual labor or roughing it, but as a lifelong AZ resident, I would say a good sweatband....good boots, Levis/shorts/cool tee shirts, gloves and possibly lightweight long sleeved shirts for sun protection.....cap, sunscreen...........What a wonderful fantastic thing for your young man to do!! He will have quite an eye opener. I believe it will cool down at night, which will help.

What a great thing for your son to do! A good hat for sun protection is a must. Some outdoor workers tie wet hankerchiefs around their necks or down the back of their head and neck to help cool off. Select cotton or linen frabics for shirts and pants rather than rayon or polyester which both are hotter than cotton. Loose fitting is better than fitted and for sure a good sun block if he is not used to that much sun. He should always have water with him plus remind him to drink before he is thristy to stay hydrated. The elevation and heat changes could be an adjustment, but with preparation, the experience should be awesome. Hope he enjoys his experience!

Loads of water--if he won't think it's too dorky, one of those Camelbak backpacks is handy-- and loads of sunscreen, SPF 30 minimum, reapplied at least every two hours. The spray-on kind are nicer than lotion when you're sweaty.

Sunglasses and a brimmed hat.

Kudos to the kid!

I am in Oklahoma and own a Trash Sanitation Service. Todays temp was 102 and the humidity in OK is unbelievable. The good news is that it isn't that humid in AZ. It can be hotter. Drink, Drink, Drink. If he is in shape and athletic, he will have no problem. If he isn't, then he might be in trouble. Your body really has to get use to it. It is really hard to thrust yourself into something. We start out early in the morning and our bodies build up thoughout the summer. I would guess we drank more then 6 gallons of liquid between 3 of us today. Its hard to believe you can drink that much. We alternate between water, gatorade/powerade. This year we have been drinking a lot of vitamin water. I personally like it, but some don't. It really gives me plenty of energy. I am 42 and the two guys that work with me are 20 and in phenomonal shape. we never even get a headache due to dehydration.

While it's REALLY hot in the lower deserts (112 F in Phoenix today) your son will be at somewhat higher elevations on the Rez. The 5 day forecast for the highs at Chinle (Canyon de Chelly) for example run from 88 - 97 F, with night time lows in the 60's. So maybe not too bad ... here in Phoenix, besides drinking plenty of fluids, the construction workers (roofers, framers, etc) get a very early AM start (some as early as 4 AM) so they are finished not long after noon.

Thanks for the info! He is in pretty good shape. All advice is welcome.
Thanks,
Leslie

You might want to try to find a light weight long-sleeved shirt with a woven in SPF.. I have a few and they seem to make me feel cooler.

I notice the landscape workers in the Palm Springs area wear long sleeved shirts and pants, as well as the big hats.

Arizona gets a summer monsoon condition and it can be humid.

I really like towelettes in foil packages - such as baby wipes. They are really refreshing!

My oldest DS worked on Lake Powell last summer. His shifts were 8-10 hours long, almost all outdoors. The highest temp he saw was 116 degrees.

As other posters have said: water, water, water!! DS says on the hottest days, he drank up to 3 gallons a day.

Your DS also needs to make a point of getting out of the sun a couple of times a day. They would make my DS go sit in the air-conditioned office, away from the docks, for 20 minutes every couple of hours. Not sure if this will be possible for your DS on the res, but even sitting in some shade for 20 minutes would be a good idea.
It is probably much drier there than your son is used to, so he may experience nosebleeds (from sinuses drying out). I would pack him a bottle of saline nosespray (such as Ocean)and tissues, just in case. I didn't have any problems when we visited DS last summer, but DH did, and the nosespray worked well for him.

Some other things to consider: a couple of light colored hats to prevent his scalp from getting burned. Avoid any dark-colored clothing. Make sure he has a good pair of wraparound sunglasses. And get him some really good sweat-proof sunscreen; once you get sunburned, being in the sun is miserable!

If you get a chance, let us know what your son thought of his experience. We found the res to be beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. The landscape is so different from coastal Florida were we live! But the isolation and poverty of some of the people was an eye opener.

sometimes it depends on where on the Navajo rez he'll be at...it is high desert country, dry and a bit thinner air then sea level...7000 feet above sealevel....sun beats down on you with the thin clean air...I am Dine ( Navajo ) from Gallup area...it may be a suprise to him the starkness of the area...there is no running water on much of the res and out house bathrooms...a differant scene from where he lives now...most of us savages are tame LOL though... most of us wear jeans and shirts ... cowboy attire for a lack of words... tellum to have a great time and enjoy the mutton and Navajo tacos... Ya Ta Hee means hello or Yataah will do when he greets someone...