Originally Posted by
rpenmanparker
Exactly so, but it did not sound to me like that is what he was talking about. He was going on about staying moist. If the surface of the body dries out, it is because all the moisture on the surface has evaporated, for cooling purposes the best possible case, i.e. most evaporation means most cooling. He suggested that staying wet on the surface helped to keep one from dehyrdrating. The actual effect would be just the opposite. I wonder if he meant that enough evaporative cooling wasn't the problem, but rather too much evaporation was the problem.
I've heard people make similar claims, I've always been skeptical. Even if they're right, the way I've heard it sounds like the cure is worse than the ailment.
Apparently you stop perspiring when your skin is a certain amount of wet. Presumably you don't sweat in the shower. The idea is that keeping your skin wet is like turning the switch off on perspiration. There are people who sleep in waterproof jackets on multi-day hikes because (they say) the vapor barrier traps and limits their sweat, allowing the down sleeping bags to retain their loft for several days. Personally, I think I'd rather sleep on a bed of nails and then swim in rubbing alcohol.