How do you stay cool outdoors in the Summer?

[W_L]

Air conditioning helps a lot for people to stay cool in your home, stores, or car, but we all have to go outside.

You can only dress down so much; being shirtless and wearing compression shorts are not utilitarian.

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For me when I am running an errand, I usually go to a local coffee place, I have a Dunkins Donuts 2 blocks away and a Starbucks 3 blocks away, order a large ice coffee no cream or sugar and ask for a double cup to prevent liquid residue. Having any icy drink in my hand helps keep me cool and the drink itself provides a little energy.

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How do you stay cool outdoors in the summer?

[ReaderPaul]

My favorite way is to go to a clothing-optional campground less than eighty miles from home.  That happens rarely.  My spouse is partially disabled and I have to have someone stay with spouse if I am gone more than three or four hours.

Being retired, I can wear shorts and sometimes no shirt when out in the yard.

[astone2292]

Here in Kentucky, summer is vicious! Temperatures often reach 90 degrees or higher, and the humidity is always somewhere between 50% and 1,000% with very little breeze. At times, it feels like your breathing gasping on an exhaust pipe. 

I've adapted my wardrobe for the summer months (March through November). Lots of linen for formal and casual wear. Light, short-sleeve button downs are a must. Flip flops all day, every day. And... SHORTS! Anyone caught wearing jeans in this heat is a dead man! If you insist on dressing like a true Kentuckian, a ball-cap is an acceptable choice. But I swear, you wear your camouflage fishing cap into my grocery store, consider yourself judged. That's eastern Kentucky, and us western Kentuckians have some class...

If... I must be away from my precious air conditioning, I keep it moving. Don't stand and talk, the sun will start staring at you. Value every breeze that smacks you in the face. Shade is a godsend. Keep the cigarette smoking to a minimum. If you don't have a tumbler filled with either water or Mountain Dew, you might as well call an ambulance. I also use my neck-mask-gaiter thingies as headbands, mostly as a stylish accessory, but it keeps the sweat out of my eyes. 

Hope this helps! 

[blake_logan]

22 hours ago, W_L said:

How do you stay cool outdoors in the summer?

Outdoors?

In the summer?

Don't be silly. 

Air Conditioning is your friend.

[Krista]

1 hour ago, astone2292 said:

Here in Kentucky, summer is vicious! Temperatures often reach 90 degrees or higher, and the humidity is always somewhere between 50% and 1,000% with very little breeze. At times, it feels like your breathing gasping on an exhaust pipe. 

I've adapted my wardrobe for the summer months (March through November). Lots of linen for formal and casual wear. Light, short-sleeve button downs are a must. Flip flops all day, every day. And... SHORTS! Anyone caught wearing jeans in this heat is a dead man! If you insist on dressing like a true Kentuckian, a ball-cap is an acceptable choice. But I swear, you wear your camouflage fishing cap into my grocery store, consider yourself judged. That's eastern Kentucky, and us western Kentuckians have some class...

If... I must be away from my precious air conditioning, I keep it moving. Don't stand and talk, the sun will start staring at you. Value every breeze that smacks you in the face. Shade is a godsend. Keep the cigarette smoking to a minimum. If you don't have a tumbler filled with either water or Mountain Dew, you might as well call an ambulance. I also use my neck-mask-gaiter thingies as headbands, mostly as a stylish accessory, but it keeps the sweat out of my eyes. 

Hope this helps! 

 

As an Eastern Kentuckian, I take offense (but I also know what you're talking about so fair play to you). You also speak the truth. We get a lot of our weather from the Gulf in the summer, so the humidity is what gets people. Dry heats aren't as bad - although - I bet no one feels comfortable in 110 - 130 degrees so I feel for those people that are living/have lived through the heatwave. Swamp ass is a thing here though and that's all due to the humidity making people sweat as soon as they walk outside. Not me though, I simply glisten. Still, if you're not a wildman living out in the wilderness, you have to wear clothes everywhere here. So I wear very breathable and very short shorts. If the occasion is more fancy I wear skirts. I can't get by without wearing a bra, so that's still very much a part of my wardrobe and thin t-shirts/strapless t-shirts. My hair is either braided or pulled up off my face and neck. I wear sunscreen. I wear more pastels and lighter colored clothing. Sunglasses are a must. Flip-flops are also a must. I've never been a fan of hats though, I feel even with the breathable ones they just makes my head too hot. I have dark brown hair, so it absorbs a lot of sun as it is. 

I'm surprised how many people are drinking sodas though.  Sodas have sodium, sugar, and caffeine in them (one or two won't hurt you, but you still need to pair it with water if you're out in the heat all day), even if they're diet/zero sugar the substitutes still digest similarly. By that, I mean it dehydrates you quicker than drinking straight water. Dehydration causes body warmth and if you pair that with sweating, you're just hotter than you would be typically. So I only drink water and not severely iced down water either, quick/significant temperature changes that chugging cold water does to the body can make the rebound hotter than you were to start with. It also gives you headaches. 

Out camping I use a fan - we only camp where there's electricity, if that's not real camping please keep that opinion to yourself. So there is always air movement and shade trees/awnings are a must. 

Just being outside more helps. If you're stuck at home or work a lot your body becomes rather acclimated to the use of air conditioning. So just do more front porch/balcony/outside sitting when you can instead of being cooped up indoors. Early morning or evenings turn off the air conditioning and open windows. Just to change things up a bit. I spend a lot of time outdoors in the hottest months, I have to, I have children that enjoy that nonsense and I really don't feel like wondering what they're getting into.  That includes a very tinker-loving husband and if I hear a boom I want to know first hand what happened. 

[Mikiesboy]

i'm with @blake_logan only go outside if absolutely necessary.

Though i will sneak out to the balcony now and again. i make my own iced coffee and drink juices mixed with soda water from our soda stream.  My Husband is a diabetic, so no sugary stuff around here. Which is good, cuz sugar is not good anyway.

[astone2292]

12 minutes ago, Krista said:

As an Eastern Kentuckian, I take offense (but I also know what you're talking about so fair play to you).

Allow me to correct myself...

2 hours ago, astone2292 said:

But I swear, you wear your camouflage fishing cap into my grocery store, consider yourself judged. That's Southern Indiana, and us Kentuckians have some class...

I fixed it! 

15 minutes ago, Krista said:

I'm surprised how many people are drinking sodas though.

I'm not. There are about twenty beverage coolers at the store I work at. All the non-soda options couldn't even fill two of them. I only drink water at work since the AC gets cut when the store closes and doesn't turn back on until an hour before opening. Talk about a sauna...

 

[Lyssa]

For Berlin I recommend: The shadow of a giant chestnut-tree, deck chair, close to the river, taking a swim every few hours.

[Jason Rimbaud]

I always find the best way to escape the summer heat is to go outside in San Francisco, it is mostly a balmy 60 degrees, so normally I wear a light jacket to ward off the chill.  Hope that helps   

J

[Parker Owens]

Here in a north coast climate, I’m not used to the heat. Outside in the shade is a great place to be, assuming there is any. Here are some strategies that seem good for this place.

— Open all the windows at night; fans optional. 

— Some time between seven and eight AM, close the windows, keeping the cool air in. 

— Keep to the shade outside, and amble (or stroll, if you prefer)

— Make supper ahead or grill in the shade. Serve it in the shade. 

— Hydrate frequently. And a little chilled wine with supper doesn’t hurt.

I fear I may have answered more generally than I ought to have done. Sorry about that. 

 

 

Edited June 24, 2021 by Parker Owens

[W_L]

All of this stuff is really cool information on how you are all dealing with the summer heat

We're experiencing a heat wave right now in the northeast and I had to pop over to a Best Buy to do a return. it hit 90 today. It's better to do it today though, since the temperatures will rise to over 97 for the next few days.

This is Ice cream weather 🍦, even though I swear it is my Kryptonite and the amount of calories and sugar in a bowl will probably set me back a few weeks.

[Cia]

Most of the population on the West Coast doesn't have AC, but we don't have the humidity or usually the higher heat for long-term. Unlike this heat wave right now with 10+ days of 90+ and and currently in 3 days in a row of 105-113 degrees. UGHS. I'm extremely sun-sensitive and get a rash when I burn, so I get up early to finish my 5 miles run before 7 AM even though I'm off for summer break then run any errands that are needed. When I take the kids to the river to swim, we take a big 12x12 pop up canopy for me to hide under. The heat itself doesn't bug me so much, but yeah, the sun does. UV long-sleeve clothing, or pull on UV sleeves, a UV umbrella, a baby window shade on my side window in the car, sunblock at all times, etc... That's my life. And we have a summer house rule of no leaving without a big full bottle of water, no matter where you are going or for how long. I also have the neck cool cloths to wet & wear and folded fans to toss in my purse just to move the air around. 

[Kitt]

We do all the things Cia does, plus always have at least a case of bottled water in each truck that as we leave the house for any thing more than an hour gets a bag of ice, and a small cooler in the back seat that gets ONLY ice to go into our insulated water containers. 

[Krista]

4 hours ago, Cia said:

Most of the population on the West Coast doesn't have AC, but we don't have the humidity or usually the higher heat for long-term. Unlike this heat wave right now with 10+ days of 90+ and and currently in 3 days in a row of 105-113 degrees. UGHS. I'm extremely sun-sensitive and get a rash when I burn, so I get up early to finish my 5 miles run before 7 AM even though I'm off for summer break then run any errands that are needed. When I take the kids to the river to swim, we take a big 12x12 pop up canopy for me to hide under. The heat itself doesn't bug me so much, but yeah, the sun does. UV long-sleeve clothing, or pull on UV sleeves, a UV umbrella, a baby window shade on my side window in the car, sunblock at all times, etc... That's my life. And we have a summer house rule of no leaving without a big full bottle of water, no matter where you are going or for how long. I also have the neck cool cloths to wet & wear and folded fans to toss in my purse just to move the air around. 

UV clothing is so soft, breathable, and light weight. I love wearing it out camping. It is moisture wicking and it dries very quickly when you're wet from swimming or something. So I highly recommend people do that - even the long sleeve options aren't hot or as hot as a heavier cotton for example. Especially if you're using clothes to cover up to keep from being sunburned. I don't have a sensitivity to sun like you either, I just want skin health. If I had a sensitivity like rashes, or blistering - I'd probably live in the clothing from May to late October.. lol. They are coming out with more fashion sensitive options in our area, before it was mostly tight one-note materials that looked more like athletic wear, etc. Although I don't care a whole lot about fashion when the temperatures hit ninety to triple digits regardless. 

[BigBen]

I only ever wear natural fibers, and in summer it's loose cotton or linen clothing that lets the air circulate.  I have no qualms about going commando, since wet underpants in the butt crack are not a thrill (to me, anyway; how you get your jollies is your business, lol!).

Since cutting out virtually all the carbohydrate from my diet, I stopped burning so easily, so I sometimes go shirtless, though the site of my naked torso is not a thrill (to other people, anyway; fortunately, I don't have to look at myself, lol!).

I tend to prefer hot coffee even on hot days, but once I reach my caffeine limit, I switch to carbonated water for the rest of the day and drink to thirst.

Edited June 29, 2021 by BigBen

[W_L]

@BigBenHave you considered the moisture wicking shirts and pants? Polyester may not be a natural fiber, but it is quite airy and if you are dealing with heatwave, I find it is helping to keep me from overheating, when I stepped outside. It's also a decent for workout/running outfit in the summer

Edited June 29, 2021 by W_L

[Dodger]

Occasionally, I have to work outside and high up where I'm exposed to the sun for long periods. Add a suffocating safety harness, work boots, and hard hat into the equation, and it can get a little hot. Sunblock, is obviously important for any exposed skin, but I keep myself well covered and hydrated with water in a cooler and hot tea in a flask. We have reasonably hot summers in southern Ontario, but it's the high humidity that can make it unbearable.

Luckily, I don't do this every day, but when I do, it's generally hot and sunny. It can be challenging to put it mildly, so you have to be sensible, keep a cool head, and take plenty of breaks. On the plus side, I get the best views of the city.  

[Mawgrim]

Luckily, in the UK we don't get much hot weather and when we do, it only lasts for a few days. This week it got up to around 29 degrees centigrade and didn't cool down much at night. Very few private homes here have AC as you'd only use it a few days each year, so it's the old standby of opening windows at night and using fans, plus drawing blinds to keep the sun from heating up rooms too much. I tend to favour shorts and a loose linen or cotton shirt to keep the air moving.

It's back down to a more normal 20 degrees now and we've probably had our share of summer as August usually tends to be cloudy and cooler.

[TetRefine]

Summer weather in New York sucks. It's hot, it's humid, you're surrounded by nothing but concrete, and it's jam-packed with cars and people. Waiting on the platform for a train to come feels like sitting in a sauna that smells like grease and homeless people's piss. I watch the countdown clock for when the train is coming and don't go down to the platform until right before it comes. 

We try to get out of the city as many weekends as we can, whether that means going to the beach out on Long Island or leaving the area entirely. When we do stay in the city, we have a membership to a gym that has a beautiful rooftop pool overlooking the river, or we hang out in Central Park in the shade. 

[Page Scrawler]

Lemonade, or some form of shaved ice/granita. Preferably homemade, because you can control how much sweetener goes into it. Or I just buy a nice watermelon at the store.

[Frosty]

I worked in a textile factory for 4 years with ridiculous heat and humidity, as in no matter how humid it got naturally, we had dozens of humidifiers going that were mounted to the ceiling all over the shop and it was to eliminate static cling as well as keep airborne fibers to a minimum. Along with the actual physical work you either lasted or you didn't lol in 4 years i probably saw 10 people go through our department which consisted two shifts of 4-6 people, i became fairly acclimated to the temps as I'm a lifetime lover of saunas. Outside it's the sun more than anything, as an avid fisherman this can be an issue lol but then the lake is right there so there you go. Dip frequently to avoid overheating too much during a long day on the water