The only thing I do that is not on your list is using a folding fan. Drying with it feels chilly (&fun). I have ever used them; folding fans are everywhere!
I don't even leave the house on the worst heat/humidity days. So I don't get overheated, which is next to impossible for me to reverse outside of a cold shower. Cold showers help. I grew up swimming in the lake every day. That was a natural way to never get overheated.
Im always kewl.
I'm pretty much stuck in the house these days on hot humid days but in my much younger years I would put on a hat and sunscreen and go.
Growing up:
If I got hot I would jump on my bike and go jump in the creek or the lake depending on where I was.
A few years when I had a season pass to the waterpark I would bike there early in the day and stay until evening then bike back. I would sneak in food so I would not have to buy anything there.
Its all what you are accustomed to. I live in Houston and the heat is just not a big deal. I loathe it when places (like movie theaters, grocery stores, etc.) crank up the AC because it's the difference in temperature from walking inside to outside that is the real issue. I've living in rural France this summer and there isn't any AC at all, not even in stores. I'm happy as a clam! As long as you are healthy, your body acclimatizes to your environment. Here are a few things can help you avoid feeling hot:
1. Wear loose fitting clothing. Tight fitting clothing, even if it is skimpy/barely there, will make you sweat more and just feel yucky and itchy. Think about what people wear closer to the equator.
2. Avoid both very frigid and very hot places, these extremes wreak havoc on your body. Getting into a car that's been parked in the sun will make your core temp soooooo much hotter, even if you start blasting the AC immediately. Conversely, if you spend two hours inside a frigid supermarket and then step outside its going to feel a lot worse than it really is.
3. Hydrate, but also remember that you loose salt and minerals when you sweat, so if you drink a lot of water, try to eat something too so your electrolyte level doesn't drop too low.
4. Eat, but don't eat a large meal. Our bodies feel a lot hotter when we are digesting a large meal.
5. Do your outside stuff in the morning and evening. In India they say "only mad dogs and Englishmen [ meaning people who don't understand the heat] go out in the mid day sun." And often, depending on where you live, the highest temps are closer to 5pm then they are at noon. An afternoon siesta is always pleasant on a hot day so that you can have energy later in the evening when it cools off outside.
6. Hats are so handy! Shade is our friend! (And they help with prevent wrinkles too!)
7. If you don't have AC, make a homemade swamp cooler. Freeze a large (2L) plastic bottle of water and place it in front of a fan. This is what has kept my apartment cool here in rural France this summer during our 105 degree heat waves. The larger the bottle, or the more bottles you use, the cooler your room will be.
Hope these help. Good luck!
We walk Salley as early as we can, we sit in the shade, we stay indoors with the AC and fans going. I'm sort of used to this type of heat from living in Texas for 18 yrs so I don't need the A/C blasting, also we open the windows up in the morning if it's cooler outside than inside. In Austin I would jump in the pool, sit under the umbrella dry off and repeat xo
I have Vornado fans in most rooms of the house.
It circulates the air constantly, which creates the sensation of a gentle breeze without the fan blowing directly on you. (I really dislike ceiling fans for that reason).
My dh and I like to be outdoors as much as possible but when the weather is this hot and the air quality so poor we get out super early to cycle and are back before 10AM generally. Leaving in about 30 minutes (5:30AM) or so to start our cycling this morning and plan on being back by 10AM.
I pour water over my legs and torso (if necessary) as we are cycling to keep cool. As it evaporates it really helps.
I drink lots of water as we are riding.
My head is covered by a light SPF kerchief and it really does help with the heat.
When we get back if I am warm I find eating cold food and drinking cold water helps bring my body temp down. I snack on frozen blueberries. Works like a charm.
I take a cool shower for immediate relief.
Then I take a warm bath. Helps bring my temp down when I get out of it.
Keeping under shade helps too. But when it is this hot once the temps climb I stay indoors. I don't do well in temp extremes.
Would love to hear your tips for remaining cool in a heat wave.
Well you are a trooper! The fact that you are out doing that in THIS MESS is truly admirable. I have to walk all 3 of my dogs - there is no alternative, because we don't have a yard fenced for them. So that is really the only time I leave the A/C in temperatures like this. I hate heat, and should probably live in New England or something . Yesterday, I got caught in a thunderstorm while walking Rhonda, and it actually made me very happy to be soaking wet. I wish I could pick and plan when we walk, but really we have to play it by ear, and base it around Rhonda's schedule, which changes day to day because of her illness.
Primarily, I make sure all of us drink a lot of water - the dogs (Brodie especially) love to lay on the decks, but right now, I only let him out while I'm watering the deck garden because it's way too hot for something covered in fur.
Your tandem bike looks like great fun! (you know, for like, October weather )
Hahaha yes it is great cycling in October but you have a whole other set of issues because it gets cold by the sea in October and the wind gets very strong. I hear you though. LOL. We really love tandeming.I cannot recommend it enough if one enjoys outdoor activities with one's sweetheart. We are always close enough to chat and it is very nice.
Yes walking the furbabies in the heat is no fun. I agree getting wet at that time only helps. We often get caught in the rain and when it is hot I enjoy it but when it is cooler ooh it is painful. Why don't you carry some spray water with you and spray yourself as you are walking the dogs in the heat? And how about a nice wide hat too.
I hope Rhonda starts feeling better soon.Sending her buckets of healing dust and hugs to you both.
Thank you! Good idea on the water spray bottle - I think that will help! Rhonda is as good as she’s going to get, which is okay by me. Daily medication is fine for us, and for the most part she lives a really happy life, compared to most dogs.
As far as the tandem bike goes - is it hard to navigate (turning wise) with the cars around? I’m always worried about getting run over. Bikes aren’t allowed on out boardwalk from May 15-October 15, which kind of stinks. But I’d really love to try that with my hubby! Only the person in the from gets to steer, correct? That’s an awful lot of trust to put on someone else