Beating the Heat

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slowtraveler
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Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2015 10:06 pm

Beating the Heat

Post by slowtraveler »

Jacob referenced a minimalist book that has some pointers on how to beat the heat in tropical areas so I know there are some solutions. In the copywriting, it points out my strategy of staying indoors on hot days from 12-4+-1hour as unnecessary but it doesn't say what to do instead unless one buys the book.

I wear shorts and a light shirt. Sometimes use a hat or umbrella, always use sunglasses. Keep water and a light backpack. Occasionally hop into an ac building when it gets unbearable. Stay hydrated, avoid spicy foods till the heat cools off, wear sandals, only wear a single layer across my body, and I thought this was about the limit of what's possible without looking ridiculous (ie- spraying water on face every 20 minutes).

I saw Tyler had a heat stroke from a walk in Texas, I haven't had that but I purged one day from heat exhaustion after walking through the center of town (heat island effect) in the middle of the day without taking ac breaks. I had to get 2 ice creams on the walk home to feel decent and then slept for half a day after a cold shower. Since then, I have avoided walking outside for over an hour when it is hot from noon to 4, unless I plan where to go and take ac breaks or jump on a truck to get across town without walking through the heat island.

Does anyone know other methods to beat the heat without having to avoid it?

Tyler9000
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Re: Beating the Heat

Post by Tyler9000 »

Well, with my recent experience* I guess I have a few tips to offer. :)

(*) It technically was not a full heat stroke which is really quite serious, but a nasty case of heat exhaustion far worse than I've ever had before. Of course when you're completely wiped out and rapidly getting worse it may not be possible to discern the difference without outside help.

Just not being dumb is a big help. Like don't mow the lawn at 2 in the afternoon or go on a long walk in the heat with no water. The basics will easily cut down on many preventable issues.

I recently also had to walk a ways in the heat to pick up my car at a local mechanic, and I found that an ice pack (one of the blue slushy variety often sold as cold compresses for injuries) was a really helpful accessory. Rotate holding it against your neck and wrists, and it does a remarkably good job of keeping your core temperature down.

Another thing I've learned is that many people (myself included) don't drink nearly as much fluids as they should and naturally function in a state of sustained dehydration. Normally this is no big deal, but apply heat and you're working with a handicap. Drinking more water honestly feels kinda unnatural to me, but making it a focal point in the summer really does help.

I think the biggest thing, though, is learning to listen to your body. Recognize the subtle symptoms when the heat is just starting to affect you, and you can easily take steps to keep it from getting any worse. For example, in retrospect I can think of times when I was younger that I chalked headaches up to stress or allergies that now I might recognize as a heat or dehydration related issue. Instead of popping pills I should have been chugging water. Some things just come with experience.

Campitor
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Re: Beating the Heat

Post by Campitor »

There are only a few things you can do to stay comfortable in very hot/dry environment or a very hot/humid environment without AC. Stay out of direct sunlight as much as possible, wear breathable clothing that wicks away sweat, and always have a very cold drink in hand. Nothing will keep your core temp down like a tall cold drink. Since you'll be sweating profusely, make sure you drink something with electrolytes. Wear a large hat to keep the sun off your head or, if you don't mind the old fashioned look, carry an umbrella to keep the sun off of you. And the thinner you are, the easier it will be to cool down. Fat is an insulator so it doesn't help to be heavy if you live in an extremely hot climate. And feel free to dip into a public bathroom to soak your wrists/hands/face with very cold water. Short haircuts also help - long hair traps in heat. And you have the added bonus of being able to wet your scalp to cool down.

Fans are your friends - take a cool shower and keep your hair damp and sit under a ceiling fan - it's almost as good as AC. Hammocks are better than beds in hot weather; they don't trap body heat like a big cushion. Keep the shades drawn during the day to keep the heat out - put reflective film on those southern facing windows. Get one good portable fan that you can move from room to room as needed. Fans even in hot/humid weather can help.

rube
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Re: Beating the Heat

Post by rube »

Campitor has some very useful tips, but I would be careful to drink (too) cold drinks. This can give stomach pain.

Although it sounds perhaps counterintuitive, I was once told that eating spicy foods, drinking hot fluids actually helps because your body starts to sweat which helps your body to cool off.

And adjust (lower) your speed of activities, i.e. walking, bicycling. This might sound logical, but it took me a couple of weeks to find out I was always going faster then the locals.

Kriegsspiel
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Re: Beating the Heat

Post by Kriegsspiel »

rube wrote:
Mon Oct 30, 2017 2:06 am
Although it sounds perhaps counterintuitive, I was once told that eating spicy foods, drinking hot fluids actually helps because your body starts to sweat which helps your body to cool off.
I've always wondered about this. If it's hot, I'd think most humans would not need help sweating.

jacob
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Re: Beating the Heat

Post by jacob »

Dealing with heat puts extra demand on the circulatory system, so being [quite] fit helps with that. Not being sufficiently fit is what kills old people during heat waves. The heart just can't take the extra load. Being very fit also increases the responsiveness and effectiveness of sweat glands. Young children die too, probably a combination of those two.

BTW .. for sustained heatwaves this is the part that sucks. Even for a fit person, it feels like a constant elevated low-level effort (like a good paced walk) on the system that just never ends. It's taxing and you can't get away from it. Eventually drives you bat-shit. (I experienced three weeks of this in central Europe in 2003 during the heatwave, where 35000 people died from the above. Heatwaves are worse because neither the people nor the architecture are adapted to the higher temperature.)

Did anyone mention adaptation? Occasional cool-off is okay or even critical (see death above), but popping in and out of heat and A/C (e.g. spending all day in an A/C office and all night at a non-A/C home) guarantees that the baseline never moves.

Here, being thin is sort of a double-edged sword. You cool down a lot faster (under a cold shower) w/o the insulation, but you also heat up a lot faster (afterwards). So consider that as well. If you pop in and out, being fatter is strangely more comfortable. (That's not a recommendation. See cardio vascular comment above.)

As for sleeping. Hammock works. Or consider a [field] cot. You can also sprinkle down the sheets and mattress. Fans or breeze (open windows). Use screens if you have malaria et al in your area. If none of that is possible, try moving one level down. Heat rises. Hot climates tend to have high ceilings for that reason.

Food has a strong thermogenic effect. Eat less of it. Ice cream does not cool you off unless you put it in your shorts :? :shock:

If water doesn't seem to quench your thirst even if you keep drinking and drinking, you're probably short on electrolytes. I usually fix this by sprinkling a pinch of table salt in my cup. It works for me.

Campitor
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Re: Beating the Heat

Post by Campitor »

Kriegsspiel wrote:
Mon Oct 30, 2017 7:14 am
rube wrote:
Mon Oct 30, 2017 2:06 am
Although it sounds perhaps counterintuitive, I was once told that eating spicy foods, drinking hot fluids actually helps because your body starts to sweat which helps your body to cool off.
I've always wondered about this. If it's hot, I'd think most humans would not need help sweating.
I wouldn't drinking hot liquids if I'm hot. We get hot because our core body temperature is beginning to rise which in turn causes us to "feel" hot and sweat. Drinking hot liquids to help you sweat is inefficient. You're better off drinking a cold liquid that will drop your core temperature quickly versus letting sweat "wick' the heat out of your body - this is especially true in humid climates or if you're overweight. To put it in simpler terms - what is more efficient? Pumping cold air into a hot room to cool it or pumping cool air on the outside walls of the room to cool it? ;)

And in regards to stomach cramps from drinking cold liquids - this can only happen if you drink it too fast. The point of having a tall cold/icy beverage is the increased mass to surface area will keep the drink colder and the large volume will provide several significant minutes of cooling; you take the occasional sip to avoid heat stress. No tricks/tips will help you much if you decide to exert yourself to a considerable degree in 100+ temperatures while standing in direct sunlight. There's a reason why hot climate cultures avoid the sun at it's highest point in the sky.

Tyler9000
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Re: Beating the Heat

Post by Tyler9000 »

jacob wrote:
Mon Oct 30, 2017 9:12 am
Occasional cool-off is okay or even critical (see death above), but popping in and out of heat and A/C (e.g. spending all day in an A/C office and all night at a non-A/C home) guarantees that the baseline never moves.
Good point.

Also, I think one thing that got me into trouble was that I didn't realize just how much of a delay you could have with heat exhaustion and dehydration. I was a little tired but otherwise felt ok, and wrongly assumed that getting in the A/C and having a little water would make everything better. I didn't actually start spiraling until after I was already home for an hour. Just because you feel alright now doesn't mean what you're doing is a good idea, and avoiding dangerous situations is always more effective than simply pacing them.

slowtraveler
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Re: Beating the Heat

Post by slowtraveler »

Thank you for the great ideas. I walk a ton here so fitness is likely increasing.

I notice vertigo as a symptom for me that goes away with water so I'll start drinking more water and eating less food. Being more aware of those early symptoms of exhaustion and nausea.

I doubt the chili/heat idea as my purging was immediately preceded by adding chili to my noodles in a hot restaurant.

I think umbrellas> hats since hats trap heat in your head, whereas fans allow for more air circulation.

I should cut my hair to near bald soon.

I hadn't thought of wetting/cooling my wrists and neck, will try that one soon too and check back in at some point.

halfmoon
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Re: Beating the Heat

Post by halfmoon »

My DH suffers from both vertigo (spinning sensation usually accompanied by nausea) and dizziness (feeling that you're blacking out; danger of collapsing). It's useful to differentiate between them, as the vertigo is neurological and the dizziness in his case is caused by low blood pressure.

I'm guessing (with NO credentials whatsoever) that you're suffering from low blood pressure. This is exacerbated by being overheated and also causes overheating in a downward spiral effect. I always know when DH is having a low-BP attack because he starts sweating and throwing off clothes. The quickest thing you can do to combat it is to drink a full glass/bottle of water quickly. The water pumps up your blood volume. You can google this and get a much better explanation.

Even better than mere water is swallowing a half teaspoon or so of salt with it. This isn't particularly pleasant; you can take a number of Thermotabs (salt pills) instead, though they cost a stupid amount for...salt. You can also regularly drink Gatorade or another sports beverage, but you can't be random with that because the salt content isn't enough to pump you up once your BP has dropped.

The easiest thing overall is to drink water all day long. Don't wait until you're thirsty, because that's a variable and unreliable indicator of dehydration.

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Sclass
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Re: Beating the Heat

Post by Sclass »

I put a lawn sprinkler on my roof. It sprayed a thin layer of water on the roof. You could feel hot water coming out of the gutters which I’d divert to my lawn. Kind of a mix of evaporative cooling plus convection using water. I got away without using ac. In CA water was still cheap enough to do this though it wasn’t pc. Way cheaper than ac.

As soon as the roof started getting hot midday I’d turn on the sprinkler. Kept my room 20 degrees below ambient. Yard got really green in the middle of summer. :lol:

I also used those misters on the patio. I saw those first in AZ. Seemed like a good idea.

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