My friend text me last night. She’s wondering how she should manage her hearing aids when visiting the island of New Guinea especially when in the Rain Forest. She’s off travelling soon.
Would wearing the hearing aids be a good idea?
How should she store them as a standard hearing aid case will still allow moisture in, when moisture is high?
Should she store something with the hearing aids that helps absorb moisture?
Anything else that’ll be good to know?
Ear Gear from Connevans? Not waterproof I know but at least it will absorb most of the sweat, so it does not damage the hearing aids from excess moisture.
As for storing them maybe put a couple of them small bags of silica inside the hearing aid case?
There are reusable hearing aid dryers for that. All I found quickly was a two pack.
https://www.amazon.com/Hal-Hen-Super-Hearing-Dehumidifier-Расk/dp/B07QPJMDTT
Thank you @craftycrocheter and @prodigyplace
I’ve sent her these pictures. Think this type of tub will be more moisture proof than just a clip together hearing aid case. There are 3 x silica packs in the tub as well.
Will send her the two links you provided as well.
I think the Super Dri-Aid likely has more silica. There are also smaller versions but I expected the extra drying capacity would be appreciated.
https://www.hearinghealthhouse.com/how-to-use-reactivate-desiccants
One other DIY option might be the desiccant used for filament used in 3d printing. My son has some of those.
@craftycrocheter: I have two sets of EarGears, and they seem to be made of some synthetic fabric that doesn’t absorb moisture very well. They will definitely protect the body of the hearing aids from sweat/rain droplets falling directly on them, but I wouldn’t bank on absorbency.
I would visit some high end photography equipment, or kayaking, or canoeing sites and see what they have to offer.
Bring an umbrella. Maybe two.
I didn’t read other suggestions, but I found in Yucatan that wearing a bandana headband (flat, above the ears, around the head) to absorb sweat from the scalp worked quite well and kept the HAs more or less dry.
in my 3 days of stomping around the Monteverde Cloud Forest preserve in Costa Rica I wore a rain hat or a hooded rain jacket. HAs stayed dry and I didn’t bother taking any of my driers as I try to travel light.
If the aids are battery-powered, I’d remove the batteries, leave the battery doors open and put both in the sealed tub with dessicant. That’s about the lightest-weight solution for rain forest travel with uncertain power outlets.
If the aids are rechargeables, I’d turn them OFF and put then in the sealed tub with dessicants.
MAYBE putting that small tub in a ziplock baggie would also help. But moisture is the enemy for delicate electronics.
I “second” cleocat’s suggestion of wearing a wide-brimmed rain hat (or HOOD UP) to keep rain off the head.
Hope your friend has a memorable time AND lets us all know what worked out there in the wild.
With a big hat the scalp will still do some sweating, affecting the hearing device adversely. A hat’s good, but I still think a headband/bandana better. Yes, desiccants v. helpful too! Good luck to the traveler!!
Is the material quite thin? I am looking to purchase them just to change the colour of my hearing aids but I do not want them to be too thick because I wear glasses as well so not ideal if it will make my ears stick out.
@craftycrocheter: Geez
I’m trying to think of a similar material … I’d say they resemble the thickness of the material used to make a necktie or a nice cotton summer shirt.
I don’t have trouble with the thickness of my HAs, so I have no idea whether this additional thickness would be problematic for you.
It would as I wear glasses.
I guess I am more sensitive. I find my More 1 aids interfere some with my glasses. They must lay behind the ear differently. They do not look any thicker than my old aids.
@prodigyplace: Yes - everyone’s nociceptive sensitivities are different. In the marsh, a good number of my colleagues ended up on sick parade because the mosquitoes were quite literally driving them crazy. I must have enough aboriginal blood in me to render me unpalatable to the little suckers. They don’t bother me, and I don’t swell where I’m bit.
[Spiders are a different matter for me - my flesh gets as hard as a golf ball where I am bit, and healing is very slow and painful.]
One of my grandmothers was like that. I didn’t inherit it though.
