Tents to Avoid Heat Illness
Tent Safety – The Benefits of Shade
Ah, there’s nothing like plopping down underneath a cool shady tent during a hot day. Especially when made with block out material, tent shade can be a most welcome relief to the sun-weary, but are especially important when you’ve gotten just a bit too much out of your warm summer day.
Especially significant after strenuous activity, it’s important to stave off heat-related illnesses (heat exhaustion and heat stroke) by making sure you have a rehabilitation safety zone set up.
The Setup
For treating anyone who happens to have heat illness, there are a few things you can have prepared:
- Tent
The area of coverage should have enough space to allow a person room to sit and possibly lay down in case symptoms are severe.
- Water
Hydration is one of the most important factors – the body begins sweating profusely once heat exhaustion begins, and if heating doesn’t abate will quickly deplete the body’s water reserves.
- Seating/Tables
Space for the person to site is vital in allowing their bodies to relax and lower the amount of heat being naturally generated.
All items should be placed and ready prior to any event, and staffed with attendants to help.
The Symptoms
Once the body begins to heat past its comfort zone, you pass through two stages
- Heat Exhaustion
Excessive sweating, fatigue, and cool skin with goosebumps in warm weather are all indicative of the beginning of heat becoming a problem. It is highly recommended to immediately cool the individual.
- Heat Stroke
The next stage the majority of sweating stop, there is nausea and vomiting, and a large amount of altered behavior. An immediate response is needed, and emergencies services called.
Treatment
At the onset of exhaustion from heat, the most important thing to do is to remove the individual from sunlight. Finding shade reduces one of the major factors causing the issue. When possible, the person should be taken into a cool or air conditioned room to help drop the body temperature. Water should be given to the individual in order to help any depletion. This helps in two ways: first, the water is cool and is going to your insides (yay guts and stuff!). Secondly, your body uses water for – it makes up 60% of your body, after all.
Making sure that you’re prepared for anyone suffering from a heat-related illness is only the first step in being prepared. Should anyone experiencing symptoms progress from heat exhaustion to heat stroke, emergency medical services should be contacted immediately.
Stay Ready
We make a wide variety of tents for various events and venues, from standard pole and frames to the easily installed Fast Shade Pop Up Canopy. We also have many lines of tables, chairs, and even air conditioners to help you outfit whatever size station you’re setting up. Call us today at 866-438-8368 and see how we can help you out!