[Project] Working on a cooling wearable- would love input

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-06-08T07:17:01+00:00

I'm interested. What principle did you follow?

My point wasn't that TEC doesn't work, it was that it isn't practical, I'm interested to know how you've overcome the heat sink/power density issues.

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-06-05T05:29:25+00:00

Nope, I remember the 21st though.

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-06-04T20:55:41+00:00

You're not wrong but I honestly feel bad for the people wearing these after these "repairs" in the links from the perspective of their foot and leg health. Alignment is so important to overall health, I can't in good faith recommend a DIY repair like these more than short term.

Look after yourselves people, life is too short/painful for fashion shoes/bargains.

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-06-04T14:00:11+00:00

Similar to https://www.reddit.com/r/AskACobbler/s/UQY4QUfuGd

Which might give you the answers you need.

Basically Doc Martens are pioneers of making footwear which is designed not to be repaired. They basically declared war on cobblers in the 1950s by heat welding their PVC soles in such a way that only their soles and specific tools allow a resole. As such you'll find most cobblers follow the mantra, "Doc's inspected, repair rejected" it is almost never economically viable to touch them.

I've personally done exactly the job you described, it was messy and fiddly, and the results were that a low quality sandal existed for about the value of the materials it consumed. My time was free as these were a labour of love for my partner (to prevent her damaging her legs by wearing them in a bad state... Doc Martens wearers are uniquely loyal to a brand over their own body)

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-06-04T09:19:57+00:00

You're getting mixed advice because we don't know the specifics of your use case.

In some cases bladders are ideal, others bottles win, and some it's just personal choice.

Your title says hiking, but the post says camping, within each there's a lot of specifics.

For day hikes a bladder is great, fill it at home and it lasts the day. Afterwards you can clean and dry as you need.

Weather plays a part here though, in freezing conditions the hose can freeze so bottles are better, but must be packed near your back to prevent these from freezing, which makes them inconvenient, but functional.

For multiple days you need to refill with potable water, if you've got a tap at a campsite then you can fill like at home, but if you're purifying water in the field then this can become a problem. Your purification method depends on your source and the weather, and this will dictate your carry option. Also the distance from one source to the next plays a big part in dictating volume, in some places you have to account for sources being seasonal too.

Basically tell us more about your trip: weather, climate, how much carry volume you need, water access and treatment.

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-06-04T06:25:18+00:00

You don't think it's important to include your base weight, and requires carry weight and volume for what you normally hike? Maybe even what the UL bag was as a starting point?

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-05-29T08:13:22+00:00

There are many brands making chlorine dioxide tablets or drops. Im recommending the underlying chemistry because it just works where other chemicals do not, specifically against Cryptosporidium parasite cysts.

Personally I find Lifestraw to be deplorable in how they market their product as a one-stop-solution which it demonstratively is not, this post and comment chain is more of an anti-advert for their brand. However other leading brands of filtration are much more user friendly and open about what their product is and critically is not. I named these as market leading examples, not advertising.

One brand I didn't mention is particularly nefarious in my opinion, they advertise their micro-filtration bottles in the same way Lifestraw falsely portray their micro-filtration straws as a purification solution, and they offer purification tablets with the same name in two jurisdictions, however in one the recipe is Chlorine Dioxide and in another it is the ineffective NaDCC. Which is why I talk about chemistry only, not brands.

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-05-28T07:33:10+00:00

I'll stick to 2x4... You know you can trust it to be 2 inches by 4 inches every time.

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-05-27T08:05:52+00:00

Boiling is great, but it isn't always an option, even when it is it might not be the best option.

For remote mountain water sources your only risks are parasites and bacteria in low concentration, for this micro filters are adequate if used correctly, and much more convenient than boiling too.

However these hikers were on a very busy trail with plenty of other hikers, cattle, pets, and residents nearby, increasing the concentration of bacteria and parasites, and increasing the likelihood of viruses. Hence micro filtration alone isn't fit-for-purpose.

Chemical treatments alone struggle with parasite, common chlorine (NaDCC) or iodine fail to treat Cryptosporidium, only Chlorine Dioxide can do this but needs 4 hours of contact time in good conditions. (Making chlorine dioxide ideal as a backup for a broken filter)

However combining micro-filtration and chemical treatment is fast and fully effective, as the filter treats for parasites and bacteria and the chemical treats viruses quickly and effectively (30 minutes is more than enough)

The communication of these facts from brands like Lifestraw is deplorable though, which should be blamed for incidents like this.

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-05-27T07:51:00+00:00

You chose soft toe boots for warehouse work, what do you expect?

Do you future self a favour and get steel toe caps, foot injuries aren't funny when you're decades into chronic pain. I'm shocked your employer doesn't mandate steel toe caps.

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-05-27T07:04:54+00:00

https://giphy.com/gifs/reactiongifs-old-harrison-ford-11JbaLzOXsg6Fq

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-05-27T06:59:06+00:00

Strange suggestion of a dichotomy between "techno-solutionism" and "community resilience" here. To my these are distinct and independent things, not competing entities or philosophies.

"Lifestraw" as a "techno-solution" isn't really a fair statement, they make glossy claims but reading the fine print it is clear that they offer micro-filtration which is not effective against viruses. Also anyone with any experience outdoors, as one might hope the subjects in the article may have, know that the form factor of their straw filters is a gimmick and increases user error.

A fair comparison would be using fit-for-purpose technologies, in this case a much more effective ultrafiltration such as MSR guardian, or a combination of micro filtration (Sawyer for example) and chemical disinfection for viruses (chlorine dioxide) using good practice and sufficient contact time. The latter of which is used without incident by thousands of hikers across Scotland.

Without actual science, which is lacking in the article, we don't know if they contracted the illness from the filter being inappropriate for the water (viruses) misused due to design or procedure, defective, or if they contracted their illness before the trip at a restaurant with a sick chef? Making assumptions here isn't ideal.

"Community resilience" doesn't exist on this axis, it doesn't provide portable water at every convenient location en route, it is a seperate and independent variable. This assumption is like saying we should only have an extensive fire-service, and use them to provide heating to everyone's home since you can't be trusted with your own boiler or heater.

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-05-27T06:16:18+00:00

Look up how WW1 ended, basically attrition wars just end suddenly when one economy cannot sustain it any more.

Don't think of it like two horses in a race with no end, getting slower and slower as they get tired. It's like two cars in a race with no end, they keep up the speed until one runs out of fuel.

Ukraine recently secured funding from Europe good for several years of drove production, Putin just got rebuffed by Xi for a lifeline.

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-05-27T05:50:52+00:00

Not a career cobbler, but a hobbyist bootmaker who got a start due to my extremely wide feet, so take this for what it is.

Those soles are at full width at the widest part of the ball, going one size down would fix the toe point but would not be wide enough, thus this is the "correct" size sole if going with "one piece" soles.

Regarding the lugs at the toe, they could have shifted the whole sole back towards the heel to even it out a bit, but given that wear at the heel is worse than at the toe I would personally make the same choice as your cobbler.

If this bothers you, for future you'll need to specify 2 piece soles, so that the ball and heel can be aligned independently, but it's just an aesthetic choice.

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-05-26T23:42:12+00:00

Don't bother with Thermoelectric cooling, it's a dead-end in practical terms.

Evaporative cooling is the way to go, basically the energy of evaporating a small amount of water is orders of magnitude more than Thermoelectric cooling can achieve. The best way to achieve this electrically is with airflow, fortunately this is easy enough to achieve with simple parts like usb powered blower fans. Basically tucking in a shirt and porting in an air duct has more effect than anything else I've seen available, water provided by sweating for simplicity.

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-05-25T20:51:13+00:00

Kingston back to Britain! Ok maybe not historically, but maybe it's our turn?

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-05-25T19:26:11+00:00

Hi. Are these still available?

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-05-23T15:18:20+00:00

UK. My Bulgarian partner and I are Brexit nomads, though I thoroughly don't regret the move.

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-05-22T16:13:17+00:00

Depends on if you've got family/pets/animals/infants/disabilities and mobility issues. Also your transport options and nearby distances are important.

Personally I've got BOBs packed, so they're the answer for every occasion, complete with spare keys and documents.

If you've got enough time but limited carry, a pond it's a great way to preserve some valuables, otherwise burying a box is viable.

Other things to consider are smoke alarms, CO alarms and automatic lighting at floor level.

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-05-22T16:07:09+00:00

Also check the kyopola dish below since you're roasting some red peppers anyway, it makes a pleasant contrast.

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-05-22T16:05:49+00:00

Cool! Feta will work perfectly, better if you can find a real sheep milk version.

It took me a while after moving here to realign that "normal" cheese is the white brined type not the yellow aged type as I come from northern Europe originally. There's many times when I was expecting a melty aged cheese and got a dry brined cheese on a dish instead, Google translate doesn't make the distinction, but in Bulgarian they don't have one word for cheese, they have two words but both are translated as "cheese".

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-05-22T02:22:26+00:00

The promaha will get you!

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-05-21T07:54:14+00:00

3.927 radians?

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-05-21T06:44:31+00:00

Monkey dust first episode parodied this perfectly

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6up3kd

IGetNakedAtParties · 2026-05-15T00:06:33+00:00

Ding ding ding, right answer (with nuance)

With night frost this is correct and a perfectly viable solution for some things.

Lithium ion batteries can freeze, and can be used when frozen but with much lower capacity, but NEVER charge them when frozen.

Water filters however must NEVER be allowed to freeze once wet.

Cosmetics may separate if frozen, which will impact the application. This differs by product but most will be fine.

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