Cool Collar

Here’s a simple way to stay cool while walking in the heat: wear a “cool collar” around your neck. It’s filled with a water-based gel that draws heat away from your body, and as the water evaporates in the hot sun, it provides even more cooling. Easy and effective.

Water Storage Crystals

Light weight material

Sewing machine (or needle and thread)

Pins

Scissors

1. Find some light wait material which is about 90 cm long and at least 6cm wide.
2. Fold about 3cm of material over and hold it in place with some pins.
3. Using a sewing machine, stitch along the folded material to form a tube. Since the sewing machine I used only had one bobbin, I added a bit of super glue to the end of the stitching to stop it from coming undone.
4. Stitch one end closed, leaving about 15 cm from the end of the tube.

Pour about half a teaspoon of water retention crystals into the tube, then sew across it about 15 cm along to create a compartment. Add another half teaspoon of crystals and sew again 15 cm along to make the next compartment. Repeat this process until you’re 15 cm from the end. Leave both ends without crystal-filled compartments so there’s free material for tying the tube around your neck. On my prototype I only left about 5 cm at each end, not quite enough to tie them together.

Now that the crystals are secured in the tube, cut along the outside to free it from the rest of the material. I could have cut the material to width beforehand, but leaving it attached made the sewing easier.

Soak the tube in water for a couple of minutes to let the crystals expand and fill with water. Since the crystals grow many times their original size, only a small amount is needed in each enclosed compartment.

Place the water-soaked tube around your neck to stay cool while enjoying time in the sun.