High Temps

[IanC]

I'm wondering how everyone out there is faring during the national heat wave. I was looking at a weather map and it showed that apart from a section of northern Michigan and the Pacific Northwest everyone is being affected.

 

[WriterMs]

Saw today's color-coded national maps and noticed I'm in one of the handful of spots in southern IL that has the highest heat index color (110-115). I guess this is one of the "lucky" days for me to be living in s&b right now so that I have A/C. Surely the heat dome will break, LOL, by the time I get mom's house sold (a couple of months at least).

Seriously dangerous out there. As new weather patterns continue, I'm guessing the highest elevations out west are going to become more and more crowded.

 

[lterry]

How do I deal with Florida's heat? By making a large McDonald's sweet tea last for three hours while taking advantage of their air conditioning. Just kidding, I make it last an hour.
No, for real, I have actually adapted to the heat. It doesn't bother me near as much as it used to. With the proper ventilation I can keep my van at 85 or 90 degrees, and as long as a fan is blowing lightly on me, I'm comfortable. The trick is to choose your "air conditioned" hours wisely. On some days there will be certain hours of the day where it's just entirely too hot to get comfortable - those hours are the ones you save for Starbucks, McDonald's, etc. Better yet, if you don't have to be in the city, get a free spot on a river bank or something with shade, and spend your time outside of your rig instead of the stuffy inside.
I also save trips to Lowes or to the grocery store for the hottest hour(s) of the day.
I have a generator and air conditioner also, but I've only used the air conditioner twice this summer. It gets loud using both, so I save it for times when I simply can't or don't want to get out/find shade, etc.

 

[MrNoodly]

I'm at 7,000 feet elevation. Not too bad here.

 

[highdesertranger]

MrNoodly has it right elevation is the key. get high so to speak. highdesertranger

 

[Damian Rolling]

I've been in Ohio this week and it's pretty hot. So long as I sit in front of the fan I'm okay.

Rain is forecast starting tonight and into tomorrow - that will be a relief.

Damian

 

[SternWake]

When I travelled to the tropics, such as Indonesia, Central america and Fiji, my thick stocky body type took a long time to adapt to the heat. I do not do well in hot and HUmid and can only adapt so much.

AC always seemed to make my adaptation worse. Much appreciated when inside but step back outside and I could not see for the sweat in my eyes.

Now when super hot, I just Swill super cold cheap canned light beer, thank you Vitrifrigo, but there goes chances for productivity.

 

[BobBski]

Brutal day here in Ohio emptying the house into a dumpster. House is just now starting to cool back down. Anyone ever moved a waterbed? LOL...wish I'd videos it.

 

[rvpopeye]

I've moved a LOT of waterbeds , I used to build and install then for a local WB store.
No Problemo !

Did you drain the water first ? skuh kuh kuh kuh kuh kuh

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I just think of my cousin on these hot days then I don't feel so bad. He's a union iron worker. Working in full protective gear, helmet and gloves 25 plus stories up in an open unprotected building joining pieces of metal heated up to 800+ degrees. Suddenly sitting next to a fan with a hot breeze looks pretty good.

 

[BobBski]

LOL Popeye...yes emptied the water. Lots water remained in the baffle material of the king size motionless mattress.

 

[Txjaybird]

Here in lower AL it is so humid that at  9am the grass was still wet this morning.  Afternoon showers are usually no relief.  In the higher temps the roads steam when it showers :huh:  Kinda like a big outdoor sauna just no snow to roll in when the sauna is over!     Jewellann

 

[ArtW]

trick I learned growing up n Texas with some times no AC available
if possible, get in water
Living in a stick n brick, this meant a bathtub of cold water
to a vandweller, it might mean a public swimming pool or a pond, lake, or a river
getcha self in some cool water and you'll be cool, too

 

[ggwoman]

I was in NW Nebraska in the little Nat'l Forest south of Chadron. At least had a few degrees cooler under the trees, but Wednesday was 100 degrees and no fan. I'm with the water trick. Lacking a creek or lake to jump into, I thought, if a foot soak in hot water was warming on a cold day, why not try the reverse. A cold water foot soak, spraying down with cold water and drinking plenty of ice tea and water (THANK GOD FOR MY WORKING OFF GRID FREEZER!) was a life saver. I did break out in prickly heat rash though before I thought of doing this.

 

[wayne49]

AC always seemed to make my adaptation worse.  Much appreciated when inside but step back outside and I could not see for the sweat in my eyes.

I don't have AC, except when driving. I figured out that is why, when I am driving and try to stop at night, it always feels too uncomfortable to sleep. I have to start lowering the AC to acclimate before trying to get some rest. When I was volunteering at the equestrian park, I would dress for the weather and drive over with windows open and heat/AC off to be acclimated to the outdoors when I got there.

I wear light tan coveralls when outside and find that they insulate my body from the sun and the hot wind. When I go to town, the coveralls keep me from getting chilled when going into a store. Most everybody else is in tee shorts and shorts.

Workers in Con Ed power plants in NYC wear heavy flannel shirts and thermal underwear year round to insulate from the 125+F environments they in which they work.

Water, water, and more water. Cool water.

 

[USExplorer]

Just before I left New Jersey on September 14th, I camped out for two weeks at the golf course I worked at. A late summer heat wave rolled through during those weeks. Some things I learned:

Park in the shade, all day, every day. At least park in the shade during the afternoon. A day of sun can keep the interior of your vehicle 10+ degrees over the outside temperature ALL NIGHT LONG. If there is no shade, buy a giant sheet of reflective plastic and stake it down over your entire vehicle. If that is impractical, use insulating covers on all windows. If that doesn't work, sleep in a tent or under the stars.

In the evening, relax, read a book or something, sit on your butt in a cool creek. When ready for bed, blast that A/C, and cool down the interior 15 minutes before sleeping. If your windows get covered with condensation, you know you are on the right track. Wipe your skin with a wet cloth while the A/C is running, clean all that sweat off and cool down even further. Avoid even the mildest exertion. When you turn off the ignition, roll down the windows immediately (hopefully bug screens are already applied), turn on your 12 volt computer fan, and lie as still as possible in a comfortable position. Think about snow if it helps. As your car interior gradually warms and gets more humid over the next half hour, your body should adapt as well. Avoid tossing and turning, you will just get more uncomfortable. If possible, park where there is a breeze, no matter how slight. Sleep on a hard camping pad, NOT on a thick warm memory foam mattress topper. Use a threadbare cotton sheet as a blanket.

If the dewpoint is over 80 degrees, you will be miserable in spite of everything you try. Get creative. Set up camp in a cool culvert among the mice. Sleep with your feet in a creek. Learn to sleep sitting up in a 24 hour restaurant. Sleep in the root cellar of an abandoned house. Fill a waterproof bag with ice and use it as a pillow. Sleep in your gym's air conditioned locker room. Learn to live without sleep. Beg gas money from strangers and high tail it for higher elevations. Or just adapt, as most of us will after a few weeks of misery.

 

[rvpopeye]

Higher is good but if you can't get there,,,,,lower works too!
5' underground is about 50* year round......any caves in the area???

 

[jaxtonsgram]

Come up to the upper peninsula of michigan. Warm days in 80s cools down to 60 or so at night. Every ones welcome lol. Nora