5 Ways to Beat the Heat Outdoors

I grew up in the South. When I was a child, it was uncommon to see anyone outdoors without a hat if they were working outside, walking to visit a neighbor, or any activity that took time.

Anyone who worked outside wore hats.

Elderly ladies wore hats and often carried umbrellas (which they called parasols) for added protection against the scorching heat.

In today's world, it's unusual to see people wearing hats, but, guess what? I wear hats summer and winter. When I see roofers working in triple digit heat without caps or sunglasses, I want to ask if they've ever heard of skin cancer and cataracts both of which are caused by sun's blinding light.

5 Ways to Beat the Heat Outdoors

1. Wear a hat! It can keep you cooler, protect you from skin cancer, and cataracts at al earlier age.

2. Avoid wearing polyester and other synthetic fabrics. 100% cotton is your best friend.

3. Do your yard work, exercise walk, and other outdoor activities in the early morning before 10AM if possible.

4. If at the pool or beach, hat, sunscreen, sun glasses, plenty of chilled bottled water, and white cotton washcloths you can soak in cold water and apply to the back of your neck, face, and pulse points.

Something else missing from today's world are hand fans. I have one from when I lived in Japan.

The Japanese folding fans are exquisite. Amazon has several Japanese style folding fans like the one shown at left.

Back when I was a child, everyone seemed to have a hand fan. For outdoor parties in the evenings, ladies used beautiful folding fans.

For everyday use, it was common to see ladies sitting on a porch and fanning themselves with a rectangular or square-shaped fan (light cardboard attached to a wooden handle).

Those everyday fans were often called funeral home fans because they were often passed out before a funeral and had funeral home promotion on them. I have one from the last funeral I attended in West Texas. 

Other names for these fans were church fans or parlor fans, and they're still being sold. Here's a church fan with the Serenity Prayer from Amazon. 

5. Hand fans need to make a comeback. They'd be so very useful if you're sitting on the patio or by the pool to watch your kids or tending a BBQ grill.

Takeaway Truth

Beating the heat while outdoors requires pre-planning. Always remember: shade (a hat if you don't have a shady tree), fluids, sunscreen, moving air (a fan if you don't have a breeze), and a smile (being outside should be fun).