(no subject)

[coraa]

For those of you who, like me, are in an area that's ungodly hot right now, I have a tip for keeping cool that I got -- I believe -- from ozarque, who if I recall correctly recommended it as a way to keep cool used in her youth in pre-air-conditioning Missouri.

It only works if you're at home (or otherwise in private), but since most public places are now adequately air conditioned, home is where I wind up needing it anyway.

You need a garment you don't mind getting wet (a big t-shirt or nightshirt works well), and optionally a nice thick towel or two. Get the garment wet, either by wearing it into the shower or by damping it in the sink, wring it out a little so that it's damp but not dripping wet, then put it on. And... that's it. The towels are in case you want to use this trick while sitting/lying on a surface that you don't want to get wet -- lay them down under you. The trick works best if you can get some kind of breeze going, either from a fan (either a standing fan or a ceiling fan) or by opening a couple of windows.

Basically, it works like this: sweat cools you down as it evaporates, but it doesn't stay on your skin long enough to do much good long-term. Damp fabric approximates the advantages of sweat, but fabric dries out much less quickly, so it lasts longer and cools you down for longer. You can also re-damp the fabric as needed.

This works brilliantly for me, and has succeeded in getting me to sleep on days I'd otherwise have spent lying awake in the heat. (Ceiling fan + damp nightshirt = blessed sleep.) It does require you to be able to tolerate damp against your skin, but nice cool water is vastly preferable to me than boiling heat.

(I actually like heat -- I'd take a hot day over a cold one any time, as I dislike the cold profoundly -- but past 90 even I start to wilt, and, like many Seattle homes, we have no AC.)

Comments

[green-knight.livejournal.com]

The main advice I've had for dealing with heat is *do not use airconditioning.* Most aircon is set way too low, and the body has a lot of problems adjusting from 23 to 35 degrees and back (and yes, I've had that kind of spread). If you need to use airconditioning, set it high so it just takes the edge of unbearable heat. It will make it much easier to go out into the day. I had a truly miserable few days adjusting to Australia without airconditioning... and then I was fine. As in, fine to walk and cycle in 30-35 degrees in the shade (without the shade), and I've retained the ability to adjust ever since - it needs to get *very* hot before I feel miserable.

In a public place, hold your forearms under water and wear a damp towel rolled up around your neck.

And please send some warmer weather to Britain - we were promised a hot summer and had about ten days of it.

[coraa.livejournal.com]

I agree with this. I spent my first year of college in Los Angeles with no AC, and I haven't had AC since I graduated, either, and have been fine without it -- until the thermometer hits the equivalent of 35-37C, which is where we are now, and I start to wilt again. Sigh. But yeah, I'm generally able to adapt to heat, which is why I prefer it to cold, which I do not adapt to well at all. (Despite ten years in North Idaho where people assured me I would. If I didn't adapt after ten years, I'm pretty sure I never was going to. ;) )

(The other advantage to cool water, as opposed to AC, is that cool water is effectively free.)

I'd love to send you some heat! It's been a really hot, dry summer; usually Seattle is more in the 18-27C range.

[coraa.livejournal.com]

Also, I love your icon. That's a gorgeous bird. (Eagle, hawk? I should be able to tell, but I can't.)

[green-knight.livejournal.com]

Eagle. Spotted in Japan after Worldcon. I was in the right spot at the right time (because my hotel had closed for lunch, so I was hanging out on a street corner). Best afternoon ever.