I found out about these from the link to the Stash Organizer forms that was recently posted on the ng. Thought the neck coolers were a better use of my time!
They are bandanas that are filled with those crystals that farmers and gardeners use to retain water in the soil. They swell up to 200 their original size and when soaked in cool water, they provide cooling to the skin where ever they are applied. I have seen them used for horses too. There is a program out of Florida which is spear heading the supply of these and other hand made items (slippers, etc) to the soldiers. You can get 7 neck coolers out of 1 yard of fabric. I have the crystals on order and should be here in 3 days. Now I just need to find the fabric.
My son will get the first few I make since he is a master painter at a body shop and the temps in the paint room can reach 110 degrees, plus he wears a tyvek suit and respirator when painting. I thought he could use a few of these coolers too.
You can read more about these ties and the "Ships Project" here:
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Click on the link for "Ships Project" to read more about this project.