Posted by Steve Dedman on August 04, 2001 at 11:56:11:
In Reply to: Marching band-oh, what fun! posted by Nick on August 03, 2001 at 23:54:25:
Wear only white or light-colored t-shirts. When it really starts to heat up, soak your shirt and put it back on. It will use the evaporative process for a lot longer than if you wait to soak it with your own sweat. Even the slightest breeze will cool you off considerably. Also, wet your head.
At Wal-Mart, you can buy small, one- or two-can coolers that strap onto your waist. Keep ice in one and pop a piece of ice in your mouth frequently. Don't chew it if you can avoid it; just let it melt. This will cool your blood directly as it circulates through your mouth.
Take as many breaks as you need. If there is a pool available or one of your friends in the band has a pool, go take a dip between sessions. Your body temperature will go up considerably while you're out in the heat, but the key is not to let it stay there for too long.
Someone else mentioned salt pills; also eat a banana a day to keep your potassium level up and drink GatorAde or some kind of sport drink. Realize that you don't want to drink GatorAde exclusively; one 20-oz bottle twice a day will give you plenty of the electrolytes you need, and mostly what you need is water.
As you get used to having the horn on your shoulder, never miss an opportunity to shift it over to your right shoulder for a moment.
Like anything, the heat and weight of the horn are things that you get used to pretty quickly. Just don't ever get overconfident with your ability to handle the heat.
Enjoy marching band!
Steve Dedman