While many of us cherish the return to hot weather, for people working outside heat exhaustion is a real hazard, and this includes mascot performers. Just put yourself in their fuzzy feet and you’ll understand how important it is to take precautions to prevent heat stroke or dehydration.
When we create a mascot costume, we want to make sure your performer is as comfortable as possible. That way they can be at their best when entertaining and engaging fans.
Here are a few costume design features that will help make your mascot more comfortable.
- Vents
To allow heat to escape from inside the mascot costume and provide your performer with fresh air, ventilation ports are strategically placed throughout your mascot head while maintaining the aesthetics of your costume.
Most commonly, these vents are found in the eyes, nose, mouth, ears or on top of your mascot’s head to ensure they are effective but also inconspicuous.
- Fans
The goal in ventilation is to expel the hot moist air inside the mascot head and draw in fresh air from the exterior. Without a ventilation fan, there is not a great deal of air circulation occurring. A ventilation fan is a standard feature in just about all our costumes and works together with the ventilation ports to keep a fresh supply of air inside the mascot head.
- Fabric
When creating your mascot costume, consideration is given to the types of fabrics that we use in terms of the function and look of your mascot. When possible, we will use lightweight fabrics which wick away moisture, and always use light but durable construction materials to bring your mascot to life.
While all these considerations have an impact on your mascot's comfort, there are also things that you can do to keep your performer cool.
The Right Clothes
We recommend having your mascot performer wear lightweight, sweat wicking materials that will help keep them comfortable.
They may also want to opt for a sweatband, to wick away moisture before it becomes a problem. (There are few things less comfortable than having sweat run into your face and eyes with no way of wiping it away).
And, don’t forget about cooling vests!
Cooling vests are equipped with pockets for cold gel packs, like the ones used for first aid or in sports. Swap out the gel packs when they lose their cool, to keep your mascot comfortable during the entire performance.
Avoid vests with packs that must be frozen; being able to quickly charge your cool packs in a small ice chest will allow your mascot to take a short break while the packs solidify.
Routine Breaks
Your fans and followers love your mascot, which keeps your mascot busy – performing cool tricks, dancing with fans, playing games, taking pictures and having a generally fun time.
But even a super energetic mascot needs a break.
Your mascot should take a 5-minute break every 15 minutes or so. Some of these breaks should involve your performer taking some personal time to drink water, use the facilities, and maybe grab a bite to eat.
But many of these breaks can involve them staying in character doing low key activities, which will give them an opportunity to re-energize.
Maybe they can sit down for some staged poses or take a relaxing break in the shade. If they are a team mascot, they can join players on the bench, and if you are an organization, they sit at your event booth.
Hydration
You’ve probably heard it a hundred times but be sure your performer drinks plenty of fluids.
While it may mean more breaks, it will make sure your mascot’s performance is optimized and everyone will feel better for it.
Make sure to monitor your performer’s well-being during hot weather outings. If they feel thirsty, their mouth becomes dry, their vision blurs, they aren’t sweating as much, they feel tired and/or they have a headache, they could be dehydrated and should get out of the heat and re-hydrate.
To find out more about designing a custom mascot costume that will maximize comfort for your performers, contact us today! We’d be pleased to answer any questions you have.
