# Soooooo hot. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 26, 2003, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437 "2003-06-26T02:47:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![remisser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@remisser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/remisser)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437/1 "2003-06-26T02:47:52Z")
So tell me: What’s the best way to cool down without an air conditioner? There must be a trick to it. ---
**Author:** ![Blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blonde)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437/2 "2003-06-26T03:14:01Z")
Box Fan. Ice. Wet skin. Nakedness. ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437/3 "2003-06-26T03:15:51Z")
Yeah… a fan 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437/4 "2003-06-26T03:19:47Z")
Cool showers. Cold drinks. ---
**Author:** ![tranetech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/71c47a/32.png) [@tranetech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tranetech)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437/5 "2003-06-26T03:32:52Z")
Hang out with someone that does have an A/C. Preferably a Trane… ---
**Author:** ![rumraisin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8e7dd6/32.png) [@rumraisin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rumraisin)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437/6 "2003-06-26T03:33:28Z")
A swim and a cool shower. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437/7 "2003-06-26T03:39:16Z")
Oh dude, at first I thought this thread was about me. Ice and a fan should do the trick. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437/8 "2003-06-26T03:41:41Z")
A warm shower. Believe it or not, this will reduce your body heat for a longer period of time than a cold one. Cold showers reduce body heat, but when you step out of the shower, the second you start towelling yourself off you begin to raise your body temp again, and it will continue to raise in response to your environment. A warm shower will make you feel cooler when you step out. If you towel as minimally as possible, your body temp will lower to match the temp around you, thus making you feel cooler. Saw that on the Discovery Channel last week. Pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![wakimika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f08c70/32.png) [@wakimika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wakimika)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437/9 "2003-06-26T03:53:39Z")
Air-Conditioning is CIVILIZATION. _The Mosquito Coast_. Without it, don’t **move**. Find your favorite seat…couch, chair, whatever. Put towels on the seat and back. Fill a bucket with ice water. Make a drink with ice in it. Fill a towel with ice. Turn on the TV, play a movie or listen to music or grab something to read. Take off all your clothes. Put your feet in the bucket. Put the towel on your head. Drink your little drink. Relax. Most of all: dont **move**. ---
**Author:** ![Pabitel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Pabitel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pabitel)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437/10 "2003-06-26T14:29:50Z")
I spent the summer with my greats one year and it got beastly hot and humid. I hit the mid 90s and I don’t handle heat well. But they did have two things that let me survive. They had well water and a claw foot tub. In the afternoon when it got really bad I would fill that tub up full with straight cold water right out of the ground. Then I would sit there in the tub with the water up to my chin for as long a I could get away with it. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437/11 "2003-06-26T14:53:21Z")
Before I gave in and bought a window AC unit last year, I used to cool off enough to get to sleep in the following manner: Take cool shower before bed. Position box fan blowing directly onto bed. Soak washcloth in cold water and lay across my bare back. (Later on, I got more sophisticated and used one of those refreezable ice packs used to treat injuries/swelling, as opposed to the ones for picnic coolers; they stay cold longer and don’t drip.) This routine would usually cool me off long enough to get to sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Contrary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/db5fbb/32.png) [@Contrary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrary)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437/12 "2003-06-26T15:01:33Z")
When I had no AC, I bought a kiddie pool, the inflatable kind, and would just lay in that to cool off. And I took three showers a day – the morning one was the normal wash-yourself shower. The other two were brief rinses to cool myself off and get rid of that nasty sweaty feeling. ---
**Author:** ![Zanshin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e274bd/32.png) [@Zanshin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zanshin)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437/13 "2003-06-26T15:06:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MeanOldLady \* > \*\*Oh dude, at first I thought this thread was about me. Ice and a fan should do the trick. \*\* You’re soooo hoooootttt, I bet you thought this thread was about you, you’re soooo HOOOOOOOOOOTTT… Sorry. Another vote for many cool showers and a cheapo box fan from WalMart. (I’m fortunate enough to have a ceiling fan in my bedroom and that takes the edge off nicely.) ---
**Author:** ![HughManatee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@HughManatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HughManatee)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437/14 "2003-06-26T15:10:55Z")
When I was younger, my solution was to go to the library. They reported on the morning news that the troops patrolling in Iraq are suffering through 117 degree heat (in the shade) fully clothed and carrying 20 pounds of gear and moving around. It is expected to get to 124 in the shade in the upcoming months. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![insomnia4AM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@insomnia4AM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/insomnia4AM)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437/15 "2003-06-26T15:20:56Z")
The kiddie pool is a great idea. My routine last summer was get out of work, change clothes, sit in the pool for half an hour or so, and then go about the rest of my night. When it’s been REALLY hot, I would put my feet on an ice pack while sitting in front of the fan. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437/16 "2003-06-26T15:22:42Z")
Before we had an AC, we used a waterfan. Keep a few milk jugs w/water frozen and put one in the bottom of the fan. Rotate them as they thaw. Make sure your windows are foiled and blind/curtains closed. Works quite well and it gets pretty **HOT** in these parts. I shoveled rock/carried and stacked crossties all week (landscaping), no shade 100+ degrees. I know what ya mean about getting hot. If you don’t have a waterfan, like many have said. Any regular fan, a large dish/bowl full of ice and several ice cold margaritas 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437/17 "2003-06-26T15:37:12Z")
Cold shower. _DO NOT TOWELL OFF_ Stand in front of a fan. You will be chilled to the freakin’ bone in no time. ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437/18 "2003-06-26T15:37:49Z")
Hang out in the frozen food section of your local grocery store. Stand in front of the open fridge and carefully read every label on every bag of frozen peas so you don’t attract negative attention from store staff. Get a plant mister and spray yourself with it. If you spray your loved ones with it, they will be more inclined to spray you. Waterfights are always fun ! Also, in your house, plants help, especially in windows. And if you own a house, plant trees on the south side for shade in the summer and insulation in the winter. A rooftop garden is even better. Allows you to lay off the AC which saves you money, saves everyone scarce electricity (here and in CA, anyway) and makes the air cleaner. ---
**Author:** ![godzillatemple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@godzillatemple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godzillatemple)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437/19 "2003-06-26T15:41:21Z")
Hmmmm… I could tell you were from Massachusetts from the title of your post. Quite a dramatic change from a week ago, eh? Barry ---
**Author:** ![Kn\_ckers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/96bed5/32.png) [@Kn\_ckers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kn_ckers)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437/20 "2003-06-26T15:45:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by godzillatemple \* > \*\*Hmmmm… > > I could tell you were from Massachusetts from the title of your post. Quite a dramatic change from a week ago, eh? > > Barry \*\* Is there a “bewildered by dramatic weather changes” smiley? I need one about now. Hooray for summer weather, though. Forget the AC - I’m all for enjoying the sweltering heat! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soooooo-hot/184437.md?page=2)