Having spent most of my life outdoors and in extremely hot environments I’ve figured out a few handy ways to beat the heat. All of them inexpensive and easy to manage. The thing to keep in mind during high heat days is: managing the heat and maybe looking a bit silly (and a little abnormal) compared to everyone else is way cheaper than an ambulance ride and an emergency room visit! Besides… do you even know those people? So who cares if they think you look weird!
So let’s get started!
1. An umbrella! If you find yourself outside during high temperatures don’t be afraid to pop out that umbrella you keep in the car for rainy days! Getting under that umbrella drops the temperature on your body by several degrees, provides mobile shade, and keeps you from getting a painful sunburn. You may look and/or feel silly walking around at the local farmers market or where ever with an umbrella on a really nice sunny day… but I’ve found that after I have done so, and then go back the next day… there are tons of people who have adopted my strategy and now have an umbrella themselves lol. After all, our ancestors had lacy parasols for a reason! And trust me lacy parasols we’re not for rainy days! I have a few cloth and paper parasols I break out on sunny days myself! Don’t forget the kids! Give them a child sized umbrella to use! “Lil Bit” often is found walking in the shade of my umbrella on really hot days! Such a smart dog!
2. If you are a bit braver and don’t mind a little cultural appropriation … then those traditional cone shaped, bamboo, rice farmer, style hats from Asia are a blessing! I have several of those in cloth version from a hiking store and let me tell you they are a blessing when doing gardening or mowing the lawn. Yep I may look strange being the very pale skinned red head than I am, but I tend to overheat easily! Those hats are awesome! I have no problem learning from other cultures and don’t consider it cultural appropriation myself. I consider it a very valuable lesson from some smart people! And I welcome that knowledge! As you can tell… my hat is well worn and much used! I love this hat! When hiking we have even used it in a local creek, like a scoop or a bowl, to scoop up some creek water and pour it over our heads to cool off!
3. Get a spray bottle! Don’t get a cheap one. Go to the hardware store and buy a heavy duty one that you would normally use for mixing cleaning solutions in. You will thank me for this one! They work better and don’t break when you need them the most. Get a spare while you are there just for the heck of it! Fill it with water and spritz your self liberally. If you want to get fancy add some rose water to make it smell good and give yourself a treat. The rose water acts as a skin tightener and it helps with that sweaty BO issue lol. The rose water spritz is the most refreshing thing ever. Every time I take my spray bottle with me to an event, even the macho guys are willing to smell like a flower to enjoy the wonderful felling of the rose water spritz! It’s amazing on a hot day and much more refreshing than water alone. But plain water works too. I am usually allergic to anything with perfume in it but surprisingly rose water (diluted of course) doesn’t bother me at all. I usually only put about a half teaspoon or less of the rose water in a large spray bottle filled with tap water then give it a shake.
4. Start your day with wet hair (especially if you have long thick locks!): by keeping that mass of hair wet it will help cool to your body. Tie a bandana over those long lock to keep them (and the bandana) damp while enjoying the evaporative cooling effect. The bandana will also prevent your scalp from getting a sunburn! You can even combine this with the hat method mentioned above! I often do! Another use for that bandana? I always carry a spare bandana to wipe away sweat! But having one on your head keeps the sweat out of your eyes too! If I get really hot and desperate then I will take the damp (from my wet hair) bandana off my head, wipe my face and neck etc, then put it back on my head!
5. What did ladies with parasols also carry? A folding fan! I order these by the dozen and buy them in the dollar stores when I can find them, and then stash them everywhere! When I stash them I usually keep two together because it never fails that someone says something along the lines of “wow! What a good idea, I wish I had one of those!” And I end up giving one away. I figure that’s my contribution to society lol. I have given away tons of those .99 cent folding fans to people who were red in the face and needing to get inside in the AC fast before they become a heat casualty! They fit in a purse nicely. It’s easier for me to give someone a fan than have to perform CPR or first aid and call an ambulance for a stranger who really shouldn’t be out in all that heat in the first place! I am always getting into the folding fan stash myself too… it’s a lifesaver! Hmmmm I’ve given a lot away lately… note to self: need to buy a couple dozen more folding fans! The last one I gave away was to a lady in her 80’s marching in a folk festival parade in pioneer clothes. She said she had a folding fan but (earlier in the day) gave hers to a little girl who liked it so much, so I gave her one of mine from the sidelines! Lol funnily enough… the one I gave her matched her pioneer outfit perfectly!
6. Avoid the heat of the day! I have a rule. No outside work or fun during the hottest hours of the day. Depending on where you live that could be anywhere from 11:00am to 6:00 pm. Generally speaking in my area it’s from noon to 4:00pm. Learn from another very smart culture and institute a siesta time into your day! A nap during the hottest part of the day is awesome. But if you can’t get a nap and need to get stuff done… make that siesta time an indoor, AC, work/ play only, time of day. Schedule your day around those hours! If you don’t have AC available? Find some shade and get that folding fan out with a big glass of ice cold lemonade! They also make solar powered fans now, and those are great for days without a breeze!
7. Pavement! Have you ever notice how pavement (asphalt more so than concrete, but both in general) get that shimmery heat wave on them? Well that means they are generating heat. Much more heat than grassy areas. So avoid paved areas. This is important for humans but especially for pets. Pets can actually get burned paws from walking on pavements! My rule when walking Conestoga Chuck and his little sister is… I take my shoes off and if it’s too hot for me to walk on the ground barefoot, then it’s too hot for them. This includes hot sand at beaches! If it’s too hot for me to be outside then it’s too hot for them! Please don’t leave your pets in a hot car. Bring them inside from the back yard on really hot days and make sure they have plenty of fresh, cool, drinking water and shade! But inside is better if possible. Remember if you are uncomfortable in your shorts and t-shirt, then imagine how it would feel wearing a full body fur coat. Just saying… being considerate of others includes pets!
8. Speaking of water! Hydration is important. Carry a refillable bottle with you with your favorite drink in it. As long as it’s not an alcoholic drink (in my opinion) anything is fair game to keep you hydrated. If you don’t like drinking water then chances are you won’t drink it and you will become dehydrated even if you do carry a water bottle with you. So my rule is: drink what you like, as long as it’s not alcohol, because alcohol will dehydrate you! A refillable bottle is good for the environment (I dislike single use water bottles greatly for many reasons) and can easily be refilled at any nearby tap when you finish off your first drink of choice! I prefer “soda stream” brand bottles and drink system personally! That or coffee…I’m not much of a water drinker but I can slam down some homemade lemonade (if it’s made with real lemons) on a super hot day!
9. If you want to get really fancy… in Texas many of the stores and restaurants have outside misting systems to keep their customers cool. I have spent more time at locations with misting systems than those without, simply because those misting systems work! It’s an excellent way to ensure your customers keep coming back, even during the heat of the day! But I liked them so much I installed one on my back patio as well! They do take maintenance and a bit of tweaking at times… but they are not big water users as it is a very fine mist. I only turned mine on when I was on the patio and when it got really hot. But they do a great job of getting the temperature down on the patio similar to how an evaporative cooler works.
10. One last lesson from our ancestors! Plants! We hang ferns from the patio ceiling! Yep they look pretty… but (and I have no idea how this works) they actually reduce the temperature on the patio several degrees! I’m always amazed at how this works! Maybe it’s the evaporating water in the pots, maybe it’s the shade from the ferns, maybe… just maybe… I’m crazy! Lol but they really seem to make a huge difference! It’s well worth the expense of buying some hanging ferns each spring to get a spot to cool off and relax. I’ve seen many Victorian era photos with front porches full of potted plants and hanging ferns. I’m convinced the reason they did this was to have a nice cool place for a siesta mid work day! That’s my theory anyway, and I’m gonna stick with it! Wanna make it even nicer? Combine a misting system with those ferns and stay cool while watering your plants at the same time!
So, in closing, the last tip I have is: wear light colored and loose fitting clothing and incorporate all of the above tips together as needed! They are simple tips that our ancestors knew about before the days of air conditioning. But sometimes the old ways are smarter than we give them credit for! Slow down, plan ahead, and take stock of the temperatures thus saving yourself an expensive trip to the hospital.
Conestoga Chuck 