How to stay cool while cosplaying?

[emasik]

It's a given fact that being in close quarters with hundreds of people, plus limited A/C, plus wearing a hot costume can lead to a very uncomfortable amount of heat. And I have heard a lot about how hot it is in the Portland summer. Basically my costume has many "layers" and is made of some very heavy fabrics. Which is an issue because I tend to overheat easily and start sweating like crazy the moment I have more than one layer on. Therefore, here is a thread to offer your tips, tricks, suggestions, and generally complain about how hot you were last year. It's all good.

For this particular endeavor, I'll try to have something light on underneath, so I don't sweat all over the nice material. Wet costume is ew.
Frozen water bottle, one of those cooling gel neckties, maybe one of those little tiny fans..  I implore you, add to this list.

[Malaria]

If you need it, take the time sit down somewhere on a bench or in a corner and just breathe. It wasn't that hard to find free spaces last year, and with the attendee cap it should be a cinch.

Having another layer under your costume is a fantastic idea in terms of keeping your costume clean, too. The less sweating you do on it, the less it'll need to be washed.

Because it was raining all of Kcon last year, I was mostly fine. There were times when it was UNBUTTON OR DIE, but they were mostly on pre-reg day when it was warm and sunny out and I was running around a lot. I mostly had to worry about the rain destroying my precariously styled wig.

[emasik]

Have to be careful with that one if your makeup isn't waterproof. xD;;

[Malaria]

If you're worried about melting makeup, investing in some setting powder or sealant spray might be good.

[LtCommanderRichie]

If your sleeves are as large as the sleeves in my shihakusho, put a pocket or two in them. I put pockets in my shihakusho sleeves to create a portal to hammerspace, and I kept basically everything in there for Sakuracon.

Then, keep a fan in them. I also did this. Best idea ever, lemme tell you what. You think Seattle in April is cold? Not while you're surrounded by 18000 people and wearing roughly four layers of thick fabric over binding.

And yes, sit down and breathe every now and then. You have no idea how very crucial this can be.

[princessmoon]

Another piece of advice is to hydrate yourself. Water is provided @ the conventions, so definitely keep taking in fluids. It certainly helps me stay cool. ^_^

[Trumby]

Hydrating and just sitting down and resting are probably two of the best things. Also just getting out and getting some fresh air after you've been inside for a while usually helps me.

[reppy]

I tend to find that a pair of sunglasses and a disinterested look helps me stay cool.  Also, when talking to the ladies, I find it helps to act like I'm slightly occupied by something else ...

oh, you meant temperature-wise? 

Um, .. I think most of the advice given here has been pretty good.  ^_^;  I do wonder if maybe wearing a light layer with some sort of wicking material might help?  I'm not really sure.  I've used them before, but it was either because I was trying to stay warm (wicking layer + thick layers outside) or I wore the wicking layer and nothing on top of it (for instance, when working out I would wear exercise apparel made for wicking away moisture).

[emasik]

ou, manchii. <33 Do you know where I could get something like that? Without, y'know, having to order it off the internet?

[reppy]

The ones I wear are made by Adidas.  They have a couple lines, I think, called Climalite and Climacool.

To be honest though, I am not 100% sure how they would work under multiple layers.  It's made to wick the moisture away so it can evaporate..

[Malaria]

I wore an Under Armour t-shirt (which is similar to what Reppy is talking about, I think) when I fenced. One of those t-shirts will keep you and your clothes significantly dryer than just a thin cotton tee, even if you're layering plastic, thick cotton and woven steel over it. It's best to air them out when you're done for the day. You can get Under Armour at most sports stores, and they've got an outlet in Woodburn.

[emasik]

Many thanks for the wicking suggestion, you two. I'm not quite willing to drive 186 miles to Woodburn just for a shirt, so I'll cave and order one online. xD That should help a bit. But by all means, put up more suggestions if you think of them. <3

[lychee-twist]

The only way I kept cool while wearing my Davy Jones stuff was to strip from time to time. I drank tons of water to keep from passing out and rested a lot. That's two big things to stay cool for me.

As the Kusuriuri, I would go outside from time to time just to air out. His kimono was very hot for being cotton. He had a lot of layers as well. Fresh air really, really helped out a lot.

Stuff like gatorade is really helpful because the sodium in it will keep water in you better than just water. I passed out at work because I was dehydrated, and my doctor told me to drink gatorade because my sodium levels were low. (It's a perk to working at a clinic. You get hurt or pass out, and your doctor is literally down the hall.)

In true con style, Pocari Sweat is awesome. It tastes really good and it perked me up right away after a long bike ride with much sweating and sun exposure. If you can get your hands on it, I like it a lot better than Gatorade. It's not as sweet.

If you would grant me the liberty, I would like to apologize to those who ever hugged me as Davy Jones because I know I did on a couple occassions give a very nasty sweat hug. I am SO SORRY about that. Perhaps it's a good idea with big fluffy outfits to embrace the entire costume rather than hugging just the person.

Seriously, though, I'm really sorry about that. Really.

[emasik]

That's okay. Davy Jones looks like he's naturally supposed to be a little wet. ;3

[The_Geek]

Try to get outside as much as possible, it's usually cooler than inside. 
Unless it's un-godly hot, then you just need to make your way to a giant department store, because those guys have AC that could start the next ice age...

[meep]

Hydrating is key. Drink lots of water. dont drink fruity juices or gatorade or energy drinks. Water works the BEST. and hydrating BEFORE the con is important too. (because when im at the con I tend to buy lots of un healthy snacks and drinks.... >>)
also bringing a fan is an awesome idea...

[tas110]

when i go fursuiting i use under amour because it wicks away the sweat and does not destroy the suit

http://www.underarmour.com/shop/us/en/mens/gearline/heatgear/bottoms/pid1209296-Men-s-UA-Break-Slider-ll/1209296-001

http://www.underarmour.com/shop/us/en/mens/gearline/heatgear/compression/pid1207622-Men-s-UA-Battle-Shortsleeve-T/1207622-410

[emasik]

Yep, I ordered a UA shirt. Should get here sometime next week. I'm going to have to alter it at the top so the costume still looks right, though. T:

[Cyprus]

Drink plenty of water/gatorade & eat right...your body does it's job to keep you cool if you give it the proper nourishment. I work in a mill with no A/C or insulation of any kind & it gets insanely hot in the summer time. A lot of the people here just drink a lot of water & suck on sunflower seeds throughout the day to keep their sodium & H2O levels up. You don't have to walk around chewing on seeds all day, but you get the idea lol.

Also, definately good advice on the under armour...it works wonders lol. I need order one for myself...my Repoman costume is like sitting in an oven lol.

[Soramunesanzun]

I'm cosplaying as ffx-2 rikku this year, so my problem is the opposite D:

But last year, I just made sure to stay hydrated and just sat stillat times (I know, it's hard, but it helps!)

[Felix]

At the theatre department where I work some of the actors have this problem. We sew pouches into undershirts and put ice packs in them, but I don't know how practical it is for a con.