# How can a person stay cool outdoors when it is hot **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 7, 2005, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319 "2005-06-07T17:11:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319/1 "2005-06-07T17:11:42Z")
Assume its 90-95 and you want it to feel 70-75 outdoors. What all can you do to make it cooler? Some ideas I know of are Sit near a body of water. Water absorbs heat better than the air, making the surroundings a little cooler Sit in the shade of a tree, as the tree absorbs some of the sunlight Keep some ice cubes nearby to put on the back of your neck if it gets too hot wear a white outfit Get a solar powered or battery powered fan Shave bodyhair in the crotch, armpits and head (unlikely) Beyond that I really don’t know what else to do. Would sitting under a tarp placed under a tree provide more cooling or less? Does the color or material of the tarp matter? When wearing clothes what fabrics should a person wear? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319/2 "2005-06-07T17:25:23Z")
Hydration, hydration, hydration. Sweat is a primary cooling mechanism for your body. If you don’t take in enough water, you can’t put out enough sweat. As sweat evaporates off of your skin, it takes heat with it. Wearing light colors helps some. Also, wear cotton or (seriously) light wool. Natural fibers wick moisture away, enhancing evaporative cooling. Shade helps, obviously enough. Sitting by a lake doesn’t do much. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319/3 "2005-06-07T17:30:20Z")
Cool wet towel around neck. It will tend to cool the blood in your major arteries that will cool the rest of you. Same with wrists. Run cold water on them or use cold wet towel. Run through sprinkler. Jump in the lake/ocean/pool. Stick head/feet in ice water bucket. Cold beer. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319/4 "2005-06-07T17:32:39Z")
Move someplace where it’s so rarely 90-95 that when it is, you love it. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319/5 "2005-06-07T17:34:37Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > Natural fibers wick moisture away, enhancing evaporative cooling. Rayon is a natural fibre. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319/6 "2005-06-07T17:39:59Z")
I put hand towels soaked in cold water on my head and around my neck when I’m mowing. I also have a big bottle of water with me. I stay a lot cooler that way. Of course my favorite way to stay cool outside is to lie on my big float in the pool sipping cold beer which is floating nearby in my floating cooler. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319/7 "2005-06-07T17:45:41Z")
Hold a cold beverage of your choice in each hand. Kind of :D, but there is a kernel of truth to it. If you chill your palms, your body thinks it’s cooler. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319/8 "2005-06-07T17:50:27Z")
Pshhh…90-95 is a “cool day” 'round these parts. Now when it gets up around 115 . . . well, the simple answer to that is to just not stay outside longer than it takes to walk from your (air-conditioned) car to whatever building you’re going into. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319/9 "2005-06-07T17:57:14Z")
[Sleeping tips.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6212871&postcount=9) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319/10 "2005-06-07T18:16:32Z")
Shave your head. Since I went all Kojak I’ve been very comfortable during the summer, even during our 100+ spells. Just use lots of sun block! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319/11 "2005-06-07T18:19:01Z")
> [@Wesley Clark](#): > > Shave bodyhair in the crotch, armpits and head (unlikely) 😕 Really? That helps? I gotta get out more… ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319/12 "2005-06-07T18:22:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Sit near a body of water. Water absorbs heat better than the air, making the surroundings a little cooler. While the effect is correct, you have the cause wrong. Bodies of water resist temperature change better than land areas. They do not absorb heat better. In fact, in strict terms, air absorbs heat MUCH more easily than water. That’s why it gets hot faster. As for the heat itself, well, at some point it becomes an internal change. You simply have to say “fuck it,” and embrace the heat for what it is. This change of attitude will make you feel better. I promise. ---
**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319/13 "2005-06-07T18:54:56Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Shave your head. Since I went all Kojak I’ve been very comfortable during the summer, even during our 100+ spells. Just use lots of sun block! 😃 I concur. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319/14 "2005-06-07T19:49:08Z")
Don’t try to be cooler. Embrace the heat and humidity. Love the sweat. Let your body tan and avoid sunscreen so you can get all that glorious Vitamin D from the Sun. Carry a bandana to wipe your face with like fat guys from New Orleans in the movies. Drink a cold beer for the contrast. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319/15 "2005-06-07T20:12:24Z")
Cover your skin from the sun with a cottony light colored material. It cannot absorb the heat, it bounces it off. this goes for long sleeved oversized shirts. If your skin is hot, you are hot ( duh). Always wear sunscreen. Even with a shirt on. Shirts are not UV protectors that you think they are. They help alot, but still, play it safe. Tans are so last century. Wear a big floppy hat and sunglasses. The more squinting you do, the more exhausted you are. Always carry drinking water on you. Squirt yourself with a hose when you get a chance or a spritzer bottle. (At disney, these spritzer/fan combo’s are $20 :eek: ) They retail for $5 elsewhere. Stay out of the sun between 2-4pm, the hottest times of the day. If you garden, do it in the morning. If you can’t do it at 6am, do it after 7pm. You know those embarrassing umbrella hats? Those things are amazing in the cooling factors. Bonus points given if you wear it at Disney and you have kids that are old enough to be mortified. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319/16 "2005-06-07T20:23:50Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > Bonus points given if you wear it at Disney and you have kids that are old enough to be mortified. Sweet! 😃 **gets out her notebook, “658 Ways to Be The Meanest Mom Ever”, and starts taking notes** In a similar vein, those conical woven [hats](http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/517845/2/Burman_Woman_on_Inle_lake.jpg) they wear on the rice fields of Asian countries are amazingly cooling - they cast their shadow over your neck as well as keep the sun off your head. And they have a little inner ring which keeps the air flowing - the cone doesn’t actually touch your head. Probably not the height of fashion in the city - but I wear one when conducting Herb Walks, gardening or camping. ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319/17 "2005-06-07T21:45:44Z")
Don’t just drink water, drink ICE water (or tea, or soda, or whatever.) Hold the ice in your mouth. It’s amazing how much cooler that will make you feel. I drove a LOT of miles in a non-air-conditioned car in Georgia. Ice in the mouth is one of the few things that kept me from totally turning into a puddle of sweat on the front seat. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319/18 "2005-06-07T21:53:08Z")
Just follow the dog. He’ll always find the coolest spot in the yard. ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319/19 "2005-06-07T22:06:56Z")
If you’re going to be working up a sweat then you can always use the following: Wet your t-shirt completely and put it on. Wear a light flannel shirt over the wet t-shirt. As you work, your sweat will keep your t-shirt wet and cool against your body while the flannel prevents the shirt from drying out too quickly. If you stop to take a break, simply wet the shirt again before going back to work. When I worked in the fields, this is what all of the farmworkers did. It really works well as long as you’re working and sweating. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319/20 "2005-06-08T00:21:31Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > you are hot…Even with a shirt on…when you get a chance…Stay…between 2-4pm…If you can’t do it at 6am, do it after 7pm…Those things are amazing…and you…are. Thou doth flatter me so. Why aren’t shirts UV protectors though? When I get sunburnt the burn stops where the shirt stops. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-person-stay-cool-outdoors-when-it-is-hot/307319.md?page=2)