I was inspired by @Highfive’s recent topic about keeping pets safe during hot weather, and it got me thinking… how do you stay cool when the temperatures rise, whether you’re at home or abroad?
I know it’s currently cooler for our friends in the Southern Hemisphere, but let’s be honest… you’ve probably mastered the art of surviving scorching summers! Your tips and tricks would be more than welcome, too.
What helps you cope in the heat? Do you swear by cold showers, blackout blinds, or a trusty fan?
I’m on a sit now in the US. It’s been in the 90’s. They have a swimming pool so swimming with a 85 pound dog that follows me everywhere including the swimming pool, ha. Their air conditioner is cooler than I have it set at my own house. They said I am welcome to adjust it for my comfort but I leave it alone as I don’t want the dog to be uncomfortable.
I carry a hand fan and a small spray bottle whenever going to hot destinations. A spray bottle also works great if you’re without central air or air conditioning and have a table fan or such.
We have multiples of these for keeping our dog cool in desert climates, but they can work for humans, too.
The temperatures reached by such devices are equal to air conditioning, though of course you need to be directly in front of the device. All you do is pour in water and they run off USB power or battery power to chill the water, which creates a chilled breeze. (No water is sprayed out. This is generations-old tech that works.)
We have used these devices to keep our dog cool for example when we enter a super hot car and wait for the air conditioning to cool off the car enough from desert heat, meaning temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more (37 degrees celsius or greater).
There are a bunch of different makers of such devices and they’re easily available on Amazon or other places. If I were on a boiling hot sit without air conditioning or central air, or even a fan, I would order one of these. They are roughly the size of a lunchbox.
The hotter the better for me! I did a house sit in Palm Springs in June which was my ideal weather and as long as I have a swimming pool I’m happy no matter how hot it is. My hubby and I sleep with a fan blowing year round even though we’re in Vancouver although we occasionally have a heatwave here. We’ve done a couple of summer sits in the Okanagan area of B.C. where it gets quite hot and the homeowners have provided cooling mats for the pets which are very handy.
