The Gator Project

One yard of 36″ wide tan cotton muslin will make 9 neck coolers. “Magic Crystals” are the watering crystals you put in the soil of your potted plants. “Moisture Plus” and “Soil Moist” are two brand names.  It is NOT vermiculite or perlite! These tiny beads absorb up to 100 times their weight in water, and swell (alot) with the water and then give it off slowly to the plants, or to a hot neck in our case. They can be found in the garden department of discount stores, or garden centers. One package will make MANY neck-coolers.

Cut the muslin into 4″ wide strips (by 36″ long). Fold lengthwise and sew across the short (selvage) end, and down the long side, using a fairly short stitch length. Leave the other end open. Turn the tube right-side out. A pencil makes this step fast and easy. Press flat.

To contain the crystals in the middle section of the neck cooler, sew a line across the tube about 10″ from the stitched end. Spoon just 1/4 teaspoon of crystals into the open end and make sure that they slide down to your sewed line. Sew another crosswise seam about 15″ from the first seam, to contain the crystals. Finally, just stitch the open end closed.

(NOTE: since crystals vary in size by manufacturer, make ONE neck cooler as a sample first, soak it for 10 to 12 minutes, to determine the correct amount of crystals to use. The fully expanded crystals should fill the tube, and not burst the seam! The tube must be able to BEND enough to be tied around the neck!)

One note of caution: You will be tempted to add more crystals, thinking that more is better. However, these crystals swell ALOT, and packing them too tightly will leave your soldier with something that won’t bend enough to go around his/her neck. (1/8 tsp swelled to about 1/3 cup of gelatinous balls for me).

All the soldiers have to do is soak the collars in water for 8-12 minutes until they swell and then tie them on, The crystals eventually wear out and will not absorb as much water. However, they should last a month or two.

Directions for Using Neck Coolers
(Include a Copy of These Directions With Each Neck Cooler Sent)

There are “magic crystals� sewn into the middle of each neck cooler. To use your neck cooler, soak the middle of the cooler in water until the crystals in the middle bulge. The first soaking may take as long as ten minutes before the crystals absorb as much water as they are capable of. You can then tie the neck cooler around your neck. The crystals will slowly give up their absorbed water and the evaporation of the water should cool you for hours. The neck cooler can be re-soaked and used again and again. It should last about two months before the crystals lose their ability to absorb water.

We know of no negative skin reactions to the “magic crystals�, even with long-term use. However, should you develop any skin problems, discontinue use. In addition, wet crystals are VERY slippery. For safety reasons, we advise discarding ripped neck coolers.