18 Neat Tricks to Survive the Scorching Summer Sun

You planned the perfect summer vacation, packed all your bags and waited gingerly for the day of the holiday to arrive. You get to the airport, boarded the plane and you have just arrived in the most beautiful country ever, it looks much better than it looked in the postcard. A few hours into the holiday of your lifetime you realize that the weather was many degrees hotter, you were expecting the heat but not industrial oven hot. You begin to ask you would if enjoy your holiday and also survive the scorching summer sun.

We have all been there – whether you are on holiday or not, the scorching summer sun can be very brutal and can make your day very miserable. It’s not like you can walk around town with your own personal portable AC. There is probably nothing worse than trying to sleep (or just chill) in a room that is incredibly hot and sticky. Many times, we can’t escape this heat but we are going to learn some tricks to survive the scorching summer sun. Keeping your body cool will also calm your mood, reduces all your tension and stress.

Let’s dive in!

Stay Cool by Eating and Drinking Right

1. Fill up the water tank

The first tool in the war chest on how to survive the scorching summer sun is to stay hydrated. Water is very essential in keeping your body cool in hot weather. Don’t make the mistake of drinking water just when you thirsty. Be liberal, water is one of the most abundant natural resources in the planet. Heck, half of our planet is covered in blue gold. You can also drink commercial waters (such as Gatorade or Vitamin Water), they are very efficient in replenishing lost vitamins and electrolytes lost during excess sweating.

• How can you tell if you are hydrated? Easy, just check your urine color. Anything darker than the color of a straw indicates that there is an onset of dehydration and you need to increase your body’s water tank.

• Did you know that sugary drinks like soda decrease the water storing capacity of your body? Stay away of such drinks, including alcoholic drinks, coffee, and any drinks that contains caffeine (caffeinated drinks are also diuretics meaning they cause increased production of urine).

2. Eat cooling foods

With the right choice of food, you can keep your body cool and refreshed. Ever head the statement “Cool as a cucumber”, well it works here! Eat loads of fruits, salads and vegetables; they are 100% natural, filled with water and would keep you hydrated. Stay far away from foods rich in proteins during the day when the sun is at its hottest because they increase the metabolic heat production of the body and leads to dehydration.

Now here is a little crazy tip, eating spicy foods may help you feel cool. Its sounds counterproductive, but sweating provides a cooling sensation on the skin.

Try eating smaller meals, being a glutton never saved anyone’s life. When you eat large meals, the metabolic process increases and the body has to work harder to break it down in the process generating more heat.

You have to Protect Yourself from the Fiery Sun

3. Don’t go out in the sun while it’s at its peak

This should be a common sense approach to survive the scorching summer sun, but it isn’t always easy to do especially when the beach and the fun summer has to offer calls. The best advice by doctors is to limit your exposure to the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., I heard the beach is still beautiful in late evenings. Avoid as much as you can any activity that involves you staying under the afternoon sun.

You could set you schedule to packed with activities early in the morning and late in the afternoon.

4. Use sunscreen!

Sunscreen doesn’t necessarily have a cooling effect, but it is very vital against the summer sun. The ultraviolet rays from the sun can be very damaging to the skin; sunburns, fevers and even cancer can be caused if left unchecked. Sunburns can lead to heat stroke, heat exhaustion and ever severe dehydration.

On any approved sunscreen pack, you will see the SPF number. If you plan on staying outside for a little while, use the SPF 15. For a much longer exposure to the sun, use the SPF 30.

It is recommend to reapply it every two hours. If you are sweating a lot or entering the water very often, apply the sunscreen more often.

5. Stay shaded!

As often as possible, find a shade to cool off. Why do you think the tortoise always retreats back into their shells, you wouldn’t live up to a 150 years and not pick up a cool trick or two. The shade doesn’t lower your body temperature, but the lack of sunlight exposure makes it feel the temperature is like 20 degrees cooler.

A good shade is under a tree. Relaxing on a tree releases water into the air and absorbs some of that terrible heat.

6. Think low maintenance, think sprinklers

When the summer sun is so hot, the first thing that comes to mind is jumping into a pool right? The pool might not always be an option! In situations like this, go low cost. Water sprinklers are amazing choices, they keep you cool and cost just a few bucks. You can also take cool baths regularly to take of the edge.

You can build your own sprinklers too. Get a spray bottle and fill it with water and put in your refrigerator. When you are feeling hot, spray the cooled water over your face to cool down quickly. Cheap, efficient and did I say it was cheap.

7. The cool sheet method

Take some neat sheets and put into a fridge or freezer for a few minutes. It’s advisable to put the sheets in a plastic bag to so it doesn’t soak up or smell like frozen chicken when you want to use it. This won’t be an all-night solution, but it can keep you cool from the heat for some time.

Dress to keep cool

8. The lighter the better

One great way to keep cool in warm weather is to wear clothes that are lightweight and loose-fitting. The lighter the color the better, dark colors absorbs heat and sunlight while light color clothing reflects the heat and makes you cooler.

Shorts and sleeves are much preferable to trousers to long sleeved clothing.

Wear clothes that keep you cool and absorb moisture such as cotton and linen.

When you are wearing light clothing, be sure to apply sunscreen when you are going out because they won’t protect you from the harmful rays from the sun.

Try to avoid synthetic clothing in the summer because they trap moisture, making the fabric heavier and sticky.

9. Make sure head is covered

Hats are cool and they are also very helpful as they provide a shade. Wear a wide brimmed hat, most preferable one that covers your scalp continuously and your ears. If you can, buy a very wide hat that cover up to the back of your neck.

Same as your clothing, wear a light colored hats to keep you cooler.

10. Wear footwear that breathes

For the summer, you can forget about designer and leather shoes. Consider wearing a breathable footwear for any desired activity.

Instead of wearing cotton socks, they are great I agree, but wicking socks would keep your feet cooler.

Some of the running shoes are created with summer in mind, with proper ventilation in the right places.

You just had a thought, why wear shoes at all? Before you decide to go hippie style, a lot of pavements become unbelievable hot during warm hot. It can be so unbearable and can scald your feet.

11. Functionality over style

During hot weather, more Mother Theresa less Lady Gaga. It’s better to wear fewer accessories during the scorching summer. Accessories especially those made out of metal tend to heat up faster.

A wise man once said, “Less is always better when it comes to keeping cool”.

A lot of designer clothes and accessories can weigh a lot, trapping in heat and moisture.

If you have long hair, wear it up that it doesn’t cover your hair or your body, allowing the cool air to flow along your neckline.

Keep your house cool

12. Fans are cool

They has been debates that fans are kinda useless when there is extreme heat or humidity, research suggests that fan are beneficial for temperatures that are up to 97 ᵒF (36 ᵒC) with 80 % humidity, and 108 ᵒF (46 ᵒC) with nearly 50% humidity. You can also buy hand-held or electric fans, they keep you cool by continuously circulating air. Fan keeps air circulating freely and reduce the heat.

A very neat trick to survive the scorching summer sun is to place a bowl of chilled water in front of a fan. They reduce the temperature of the room by significant amounts.

Another cool way to is create a mini wind turbine. This is a bit complex, but with a few PVC pipes, a bucket, an electric fan and a frozen gallon of water, you can create a mid-40 ᵒF (4 ᵒC) wind.

You should know that the fan should not be your primary source of cooling down especially when the weather is extremely hot.

13. Get air conditioning

A small air conditioner place in one side of your room could make a very serious difference during the summer. Just place the air conditioner in the room you spend time the most, maybe the kitchen, living room or bedroom.

If you don’t have air conditioner in your home, you can spend more time in public buildings. A good example is the library; you keep yourself cool and you can learn new cool things.

If you are feeling extra hot, visit the frozen section of a grocery store. There is no crime in spending a little time checking out the frozen chicken.

14. Keep curtains and blinds shut

Blocking the rays of the sun from getting into your home, will keep the temperature down. Closing your curtains, keeping the blinds shut, lowering shades and closing the windows would reduce the heat in the house significantly.

15. Proper Insulation is key

When you properly insulate your house, there would be less heat during the summer. When the house is hot, you can cool down when you’ve done proper insulation.

Make sure that there is some air between the roof and the insulation.

16. Sleep like a mummy (Egyptian)

If there is one thing the Nile-dwellers knew how to do well, it’s sleeping using the “Egyptian Method”. This involves dampening a towel or sheet in cool water and using it as your blanket.

It is recommended that you place a dry towel on the bed before laying the damp sheets to avoid soaking it.

17. Apply cold compresses

Applying ice packs and cold compresses to pulse points at the wrists, neck, elbow, groin, ankles and behind the knees would keep you cool fast.

18. Go solo

A wise man once said, “Sleeping alone is way better than spooning if you are serious about staying cool”. When you cuddle with your significant other, your body heat increases, making the bed sticky and sweaty. Nobody wants that.

TheZeroed’s mission to make life easier for everyone, and we really hope this article helped you. You can also help others by sharing this article.