Hey brother and sister bikers. Good weather has returned to the Northeast. Question, if you don't mind. Has anyone had success with wrist and neck coolies and camelbacks for cross country biking? 

Nope but I've ridden across the desert with a bag of ice punched with holes and resting on my handlebars; the kind of heat that will burn your knuckles brother.

Peace

About five years ago when the pavement was melting in the Texas summer heat, I'd pack those in my cooler bags before I left in the morning with cold water bottles.When it got roasting I'd put them on after pouring cold water over them even though they had been in the fridge overnight.My biggest problem was they only seemed to last 30 minutes at best before drying out.I know folks that wear camel back hydration packs during the summer,but unless I could freeze those I wouldn't mess with wearing.

Leave very very early..... stop early afternoon and rest in A/C go to bed early...wake up early and take off very very early until out of the heat. In Texas summers, to go for just a ride, I will leave about 4:30-5:30 and be back by 1:00-2:00 in the afternoon. Texas Summers Suck ASS!

Trippin,You got that right on all the above.Get out early early and get in before 2pm.....otherwise you'll find yourself putting ice in all kinds of places that I won't mention along with in your do rag and helmet;-)

We both wear cool vest under our clothing when we ride the Deserts behind our house. We stop about every 45 minutes or so and resoak and cool them at gas stations along the way. Highly recommend them, about 50 bucks or so.

if you have access to freezers on your route, freeze a couple 20oz water bottles to drink from as you go. A camelback is good but heats up quick from your body heat and from the sun. Freezing it would help. Good Luck on your journey!

I ride in the desert all the time - not because I like to, but because there is no way out of So Cal without riding through a desert. I like the neck coolie things, they really do work... sometimes too good. Walking around with them on they can be pretty cool, but when you wear them while riding the combination of their cooling magic mixed with the natural cooling effect from evaporation can almost make it too cold.

I also where long sleeve white t-shirts and keep a bottle of water just to keep the sleeves wet.

So, where do you get these "neck coolie" things?

Peace

Got mine as a gift, but you can get them here... http://polarbreezebandanas.com/collections/cooling-neckwraps style="font-size: larger;">

or just search google for cooling neck wrap and you will find hundreds of choices.

Honestly, in all my years I never heard of "neck coolies". Isn't an enterprising America a wonderful thing?

Peace

Did want to add a trick I learned in the heat....While getting gas, if you wear a helmet....take it off and place in the outside of the store bag ice box.....I stash it in the corner behind all the ice bags ;-) By the time I top off my tank and cool down with something cool to drink my skid lid is no longer roasting at 110 but at a chilled 50-60 degrees.This has saved my tail more than once when I'm on my last long stretch before my destination.Great to wet do rags and place in there too :-)

I have like 4 or 5 of those things. Use them almost anytime I am outside in the summer, riding, swap meets, yard work, rallies, even just sitting outside.

I use the neck coolers from www.countrynmore.com

Anyone can make the neck coolers in any size or shape you want. I have made them for my dogs as harnesses. Just a bit of cotton material and very small amounts of Soil Moist. (Can be found in any garden department).

I usually follow the advice of others n just make sure I avoid that blazing heat by leaving early as possible for any longer trip.When I have been confronted with that kind of heat,I soak a doo rag in ice water,wrap it around my neck works for about 15-20 minutes depending on hot is out.That neck cooler system sounds like an interesting option I would look into if I was riding any distance thru those sorts of temps.