[John Lyon]

I got one of those "neck soakers" things at Big 5 sporting goods, of all places. Rode from LA to Phoenix across the dessert last June, and it really worked well. My jacket was a Belstaff Airflow, which has zippered vents on the arms, chest and back. I only wished my pants and boots had some vents too.

The neck thing stays wet for hours, unlike a soaked T-shirt (yuck). I also used a camelback, which is probably the most important thing of all. Its one thing to sweat a bit, quite another to get dehydrated.