How do you keep cool in crazy heat?

I drink wacky water.

Not sure how helpful this will be, but I was told that the key to keeping cool in intense heat is to make sure your armpits and crotch are cool. I’m not quite sure how you’d make sure of that but it’s a thought…

It’s the humidity that kills me, it’s been awful here lately. I hate getting in, but swimming helps so much.
My husband works in up to 115 degree heat, but his body is so used it it. He just hates the humidity.

I’ve lived with that before…if it’s still hot in or outside then you could go swimming to the beach or pool,that’s what I would do. Ohh and drink very cold water :P

I don’t try to keep cool when it’s hot. Embrace the humidity! =)

three words
central air conditioning

We have a big fan in our house, I forget what it’s called, but basically it’s a very high-powered fan in the attic, that pushes (hot) air out of the house, and thus forces cool air to rush in through windows. I wanna say “convection fan” but I don’t think that’s right

Other than that, I keep my windows open roughly from 8pm to 8am, the cool hours. In the warm hours of the day, which I spend almost entirely in one room, I leave my window closed, shades drawn, lights off, and ceiling fan on. It’s definitely not comfortable, but I hate to run the AC regularly, so this is what I resort to most days.

Though today, by some stroke of miracle, it was actually a decent day outside. Maybe 75 degrees (compared to 95+), some wind. Beautiful change.

Lots and lots of cold showers. Placing cold, wet towels on myself.

I take a cold shower or bath. Get freezing and then the heat won’t really feel as bad!

ice cream

Nudity

I’ve never tried this personally, but I did see this ad on TV for the Personal AC…or whatever it was called. It looked basically like an ice pack you strapped onto yourself that won’t get condensation all over you..

I’m getting killed here.

http://imgur.com/b6dIo.png

I can barely type. AC isn’t normal in Oregon. I have taken a few cold baths today. Please shoot me in the face.

I’m starting to feel guilty. Our average temp. here in Illinois for the month of July has been 71 degrees.

hot chocolate anyone?

@jonsblond :: Snow is rare here. It is hot now but your winters suck ass.

@johnpowell That means you won’t be sledding with me this winter? :(

@jonsblond :: No, I will not. I will do what I did last winter. Get drunk in the basement.

http://lifehacker.com/5317560/beat-the-heat-roundup-the-best-of-icy-cool-tricks

@johnpowell I’m in the same situation down here in the Eug. This is killing me.

I don’t leave air conditioned rooms/buildings/vehicles.

Turn up the AC and take off most of my clothes

When our airconditioner went out, we took our laptops and went over to the nearest McDonalds. A few sodas, now and then, and we were able to keep cool for several hours.

@Sarcasm what you are talking about is called a ‘whole house fan’. Those are nice.

Yes, AC seems to be the only solution. Unfortunately we often have black-outs where I am, and my car has no AC and 3 of the windows are stuck shut. It’s a living hell. Fortunately the closest beach is only a mile away, so if I have time I can just go jump in there. There’s also a couple of spots with shade and a good breeze I know about.

Summer has been pretty nice here, high of 79 today, low humidity. We’ve been getting some nice jet streams from our Canadian friends. Someone esle said that Illinois winters suck, but I’d rather live somewhere it gets to -30 because temperatures like that kill off even the hardiest of bugs.

I spent one winter in Southern Texas. Never again. I love the snow, and the cold is brisk and refreshing. Anyone who can’t handle Midwestern winters is welcome to move to Florida (which gets hurricanes and the alligators will eat you right on the golf course) Texas (killer bees and fire ants, anyone?) or California (where everyone that isn’t a fruit or a nut, is a flake, making California the worlds’ largest bowl of granola). =)

To stay cool, I either am never very far from the AC at work, or at home, I have some industrial strength fans that will blow the sheet right off the bed and my house is shaded by two very large trees. If it gets too hot, then I simply strip to my skin and drape myself with towels soaked in cold water.

@Jack79 Here, we have the mall, the library, the restaurant, and various public buildings. I often take my own folding recliner chair, and my laptop. They pay the electricity and I have full internet access.

@evelyns_pet_zebra I know you’ll sled with me. :)

Try this. Get some Sea Breeze at your drugstore and put it in ice water, the soak and wring a wet towel and hang it around your neck. http://www.totalbeauty.com/editors_blogs/Creative-Uses-for-Sea-Breeze-or-Your-Favorite-Astringent (bullet point 2)

@jonsblond darn tootin I will, hun! =)

get one of those little spray bottle fans! i’m in florida, and it is disgustingly humid and hot out for 99% of the year. i can empathize. the air in the car is broken, so it’s pretty miserable.
and now the window is broken too! so it is raining in the car. that’s fun.

Where I live everyone complains about the heat when the temperature creeps past 85. I turn on the fan and open all the windows. At 90 (about 5 times a year) we head for the nearest body of water and dream about the fog that will come streaming in that night.

Years ago when I lived in triple digit territore w/o AC, I showered every 2 hours and went around naked. At night I sprinkled the sheets. That thing about cool damp cloths works too, at least it gets you to sleep but in the morning as you stumble down the hall, cloths drop off leaving a little trail.

Hide in the fridge.

@TheCreative my first place was an upper apt in Central California that got warmer inside than outside like a car does. I had an indoor cat that jumped into the refrigerator at every opportunity. One morning as I was rushing to work I didn’t see him do it.11 hours later when I got home, the fridge door was wide open, the apt looked like it had been hit by a hurricane and the cat was perched on a curtain rod. Poor Tiki Tom after 24 hours he came down, became a semi-outdoor cat, and was never quite the same.

I also travel from one AC to the next – going outdoors as little as possible. Also, stay hydrated. I drink about ten bottles of water-a-day.

I agree with the @evelyns_pet_zebra. I’d much rather deal with my NorthEast winters. You can always bundle up, but you can only get so naked.

Can I come sledding too?

Soak a hand or small towel in ice water, wring it out and wrap it around your neck. You can also add a little Sea Breeze to the water. I should help you stay cool. Though I’m answering this question in the middle of December and it’s about 38 degrees outside and the issue doesn’t seem that pressing.

Oops! I didn’t realize it but I already answered this question! The same way. Never mind.

I have this little round thingy on my wall that has glowing numbers on it. If I rotate it counter-clockwise, the numbers go down, and that makes my house colder. In the summertime, I generally set it to 68F during the day and 60F at night. That keeps me nice and cool when the temperature outside is hotter than where that red guy with the pointy head and the pitchfork lives…

Removed by Honeywell.