Six People Who Are Feeling the Heat

(Photo by Scott M. Lacey)

Kris Sidberry: Role player, Freedom Trail Foundation
10 pounds of historically accurate linen skirts.
She says: “The outfit isn’t so bad, but the sun can be brutal. I could wear tinted lenses, but in Colonial days, they were mostly prescribed for diseases like syphilis.”

John Walsh: Overhead leader lineman, NSTAR
50 pounds of plastic and rubber (to prevent electrocution).
He says: “You get so sweaty working the wires that when you take your stuff off, you can dump your glove out.”

Adam Hamilton: Mascot, the New England Revolution
13 pounds of polyester and synthetic fur.
He says: “That suit heats up to almost unbearable temperatures. I’m naked under it.”

Matthew Most: Medieval warrior, Society for Creative Anachronism
46 pounds of leather and steel.
He says: “Once, when I got done battling in 112-degree heat, I stripped off my kit and laid it in the sun to dry. The whole suit turned white from body salt.”

Shayla Ann MacDonald: Foundry worker, New England Sculpture Service
21 pounds of leather and steel (to protect against molten metal).
She says: “I work inches from 2,000-degree liquid bronze. The room is like an oven.”

Noah Wilson-Rich: Beekeeper, Best Bees
10 pounds of cotton, canvas, and leather.
He says: “I sweat a lot, and sometimes I get stung through the suit anyway. But we work with Italian bees. They make good honey, and they’re very laid-back.”