In extremely hot environments, soldiers are exposed to higher levels of heat stress. As explosive devices in warfare become more dangerous, personal ballistic protection can be enhanced by increasing the number of layers of ballistic materials. The increased thermal insulation significantly contributes to heat stress by accelerating the accumulation of heat and sweat inside body armor (Brown, 2006). Accumulated heat and sweat in the microclimate between the human body and heavy garments such as bunker gear and ballistic garments, contributes to heat stress in that they start heating up the body, causing fatigue and physiological strain. Heat stress causes, among others, dehydration and even death by causing the thermal regulatory mechanism of human body to malfunction especially when the core temperature reaches above 39 °C (Reginald, 2008). As one of the major vital signs, core body temperature has been used as a physiological indicator of the threshold point of danger in terms of heat stress. This research aimed to suggest a core body temperature prediction equation by exploring the relationship between the core body temperature and the microclimate temperature, humidity and relevant physiological parameters to alert persons working in hot environments wearing heavy clothing. Military clothing has been used to determine the factors affecting heat stress and to examine the interrelationship among them.
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