How to beat the heat?

Hi all - I have a nephew who's serving in Iraq right now. He's definitely got it better than a lot of guys - he's a mechanic, and on a base with some basic amenities and at night their tent's got AC (don't know how good it is).
But that said, it's 117 degrees or so daily, 105 in the shade (if you can get it), and he said he spends the majority of his "down time" trying to cool off enough to go to sleep.
So, I know we have members who live in comparable weather conditions (Arizona comes to mind) - or have done so in the past. Any suggestions for adapting to the heat (he's only been there a couple weeks), or tricks/tips for keeping cool when you can't hang out in the AC? What works and what's just a waste of time?
I just sent him a package from Brigade Quartermasters with the Thermotux vest liner and a similar helmet liner - basically they have water absorbent crystals/gel (seems to be similar to what diapers are filled with) that you soak in water, then they help you keep cool as the water evaporates. Is there anything I can else send him that'll be really helpful?
Any/all suggestions are welcomed.
And as a side note/question, anyone know anything about this item?

Camper's Ice Cream Maker

I've found links to where it's sold, but not a single review or any mention of anyone who's actually used it. I'm considering it as a novelty present for him, but I still don't know if he regularly has access to enough ice to make this usable (and assuming I/other family members would send him some of the ingredients he'd need)...for those who've done stints of long, hot work, would you then feel like futzing around with the ingredients on this thing, then spending 20 minutes or so rolling it around to make a pint of ice cream or slushy? Or does it just seem like a car camper's luxury item?
Thanks folks
Dave

Where I live it gets hot and humid in the summer. Not dry like the desert, so it's a little different. Evaporative solutions like the helmet/vest liners do not work here. I wouldn't think they would work under a helmet or vest even in the desert. They need exposure to circulating air so the water will evaporate and cool the thing. I tried something like that and was surprised to find it actually insulated a bit. But maybe it would be better in a dry climate.

About the only things that I have found to work are fans and wearing a wet polyester shirt. Maybe a spray bottle. And of course, stay hydrated. Check out these pressurized spray bottles:

http://www.cloudtops.com/misty_mate_personal_cooling.htm

I think the best ideas will come from his comrads over there. They will account for the actual local climate conditions (humitidy, sun, wind, body armour, etc.) and the available resources (water, ice, batteries, etc). Let him tell you what the other guys are doing and you can supply the missing ingredients.

As for the ice cream maker ball thing. I think having to "play" with it for 20 minutes will probably be more tedious than it is worth, and then the desert heat may have melted the contents anyway. I think I read a review of one where the reviewer said the salty water got into the ice cream.

Those Misty Mates are lifesavers !!! I used to drive a tractor-trailer ( with no A/C ) around town doing local delieveries in the 100+ CA heat all day long. I used to carry around one of these Misty Mates and it made all the diference in the world. Home Depot even sells the atomizers and hardware that will allow you to set up a larger unit spread out over your backyard or other outdoor area. You could probably hook up 20 or 30 atomizers over the mechanic's pit and lower the temperature by 20 + degrees with some of these. That's if they'll allow them to use the excess water for the setup though.

Misty mates are great! You can get them at longs and other places. I have a high volume one. It is heavier, but carries more water. Being in the mist drops the temp 20' or more.

Neck gel keep you cool things are easy to make at home. They are best in dry heat, because they hold so much H20.

I knew a women whos girl was over there. She got her an evaporation cooler that ran on batteries from dr leonards. It is a small unit to fit on a table top. She said the ac thing, not all tents have supports for ac units, or generators to power them or power strips to link them up.