It’s no secret that we love doing everything from hiking to kayaking in the summer. Being active also makes it easy to overheat, so we do whatever we can to minimize burning ourselves out.
With our summers so short and our list of activities so long, we won’t let heat stroke keep us from enjoying the beautiful weather. For this article, we show you some of the best products to stay cool in the heat, plus we give you some of our personal best tips to beat the heat outdoors this summer.
Go Swimming
Whether you’re by a lake, a river, a creek or an ocean, there’s nothing a quick dip in the water can’t cure. Not lucky enough to be waterfront? Don’t worry, nearly every town has a public pool for you to check out and oftentimes, you can even pay for day use at a nearby hotel. For a little extra fun, try to find one that has a water slide or even better, head over to a waterpark that specializes in slides.
If you’re really lucky, someone you know might have a pool and if not, you can even pick up an uber cheap kiddie pool from someplace like Walmart or Amazon. Kiddie pool not going to cut it? Spend a few dollars more and buy an above ground pool. As long as you have the room for one, they can be great micro investments for a cool break from the summer heat.
We bought a cheap above ground pool almost exactly like the one below a couple of years ago, and it’s one of the best investments we’ve ever made. We use it multiple times a day in the summer, and it kept us cool and entertained for months. We took good care of our pool, and it lasted for three years before we decided we wanted to upgrade the size.
Tip! Don’t have the space, time or budget for a pool? Time to go old school and set up that sprinkler or one of those plastic slip and slides in the backyard. Don’t have kids? Who cares. It’s your summer, enjoy yourself!
Products to Stay Cool in the Heat
Back in the day, keeping cool in the hot weather meant finding shade, jumping in the water, or just staying indoors. These days, however, there are literally hundreds of innovative products to keep you cool outside, including cooling towels, hydration packs, personal misters and fan-powered cooling vests.
Use a Cooling Towel
Evaporation gives your body the sense of being cooled. Not much different than a fan, a cooling towel that’s been wet down (preferably with cool water) not only gives you instant relief but continues to cool as the water evaporates.
Stay Hydrated
It’s no secret that when you’re running warm, it’s super important to stay hydrated. Nothing triggers heat exhaustion faster than being under watered in the hot sun. Just look at your plants. If they need more water, guaranteed that you do too so drink up!
See the Thermos hydration bottle on Amazon now.
The nice part is that water is free and whether you’re sitting around having a barbecue in the backyard or climbing to the top of a local hill, there’s a water bottle made just for you. Water bottle not going to hack it, maybe it’s time to go pro and invest in a hydration backpack? Find prices on a hydration backpack here.
Tip! Planning on a cracking open an ice cold bottle when you reach your destination? There are even backpack coolers!
Get Up Early
Oh, my dad would have a field day if he knew I said that, but the truth is, the sun is hottest from 11 to 2 every day. Want to stay cool? Get up earlier in the summer and beat the heat. Not only does the early bird get the worm, but they also don’t suffer from a heat stroke when deciding that noon is the perfect time to go for a two hour hike.
If it helps, do like a lot of warm countries do and take a siesta in the afternoon heat. Just make sure you’re up early enough to get everything you want in and don’t nap too long or you won’t get up to enjoy the late afternoon awesomeness that summer delivers.
Find A Mister
No, I’m not talking about finding the band or a nice fella. Whether you’re having some drinks on the deck or having lunch with a bunch of friends on a terrace, cool mist humidifiers are a great way to stay cool on a hot summer afternoon.
Hanging in your backyard catching a few rays solo or going for a hike and need a quick cool off session? Well, there are misters for that too. You can choose between personal handheld misters like the Kooder handheld portable misting fan or large ones for everyone to share.
Tip! When we’re feeling really hot, we just put the garden sprayer on low and give it to the kids. Guaranteed soaking!
Find Some Shade
This won’t help much when the temperature is pushing a hundred but even so, finding a place in the shade is a surefire way to cool off and prevent sun stroke. Can’t find a tree nearby? Bring yourself an umbrella or, if there’s a group of you, a sun shade will do the trick as well.
If you’re just enjoying being outside, consider hanging out on the opposite side of the house for few hours when the sun is the warmest and if you’re thinking of going for a hike, consider a trail that’s naturally shaded rather than walking in the full sun.
Can’t find shade? Carry your own and wear a hat! This is one of the easiest products to keep you cool outside, and this not only applies to your kids, but to you too. A wide brimmed hat is best, however we even enjoy wearing a bandanna. You can get double relief if you soak it in cool water first!
Micki often finds wearing hats to be hotter than going bare headed. The trick is to find a hat that wicks away heat and moisture like the Artic Air Evaporative Cooling Hat. It has a UPF 50 protection against the sun’s rays, with cooling zones in the sweat band and front panels, and an ultra-wicking fabric that pulls sweat from the body and encourages quick drying
Catch a Breeze
Though hang gliding sounds pleasant, that’s not what I mean when I say catch a breeze. Instead, find someplace with a constant breeze to help cool you off. Remember when I said evaporation gives you a sense of cooling? The same thing applies to wind!
Whether you find a cool breeze along the boardwalk, out on the trail or even in your backyard, it won’t matter if you don’t enjoy it. Grab a kite, hold up your swirly bird or just bask in the cool sensations of the breeze blowing in your face.
Can’t find a breeze in the desert and there’s a group of you? Take a big fan you all can enjoy! There are even fans that you can charge up with your USB port on the go like the lightweight OPOLAR Battery Operated Fan.
By yourself and don’t want to carry a fan with you? Not a problem, grab a vest with a personal ice pack built in to whisk away your heat. The FlexiFreeze Personal Cooling Kit is an ice vest that will keep you cool in the most extreme heat. See prices here now.
Wear Breathable Clothes
Yup, stay cool by wearing breathable clothing. My eight year old daughter just laughed and told me clothes can’t breathe, however that’s not what I meant and you know it. Want to cook? Throw on some rubber or latex pants. Want to be chill? Try linen and light cottons or, if you’re a fitness buff, try some stay cool products.
Tip! A lot of workout gear is aimed at keeping you cooler and whisking away perspiration. Just make sure it’s loose fitting for the summer heat and read the labels to make sure it’s UV resistant.
Spray Park
Oh, gone are the days of youth. Or, are they? Feeling a little warm on a hot summer day? Maybe one of the new spray parks that are popping up in every other neighborhood is the answer.
Yes, it helps to have kids, but there’s nothing saying you can’t get your toes wet at a spray park as well. If you’re feeling like you don’t belong, offer to take your niece or nephew. They’ll appreciate it just as much as you do.
Ice Cream
Guess what? It’s time to release you’re inner child and go for an ice cream. We went to Turkey on one of our latest ice cream quests, but you don’t need to go quite as far.
Lactose intolerant? Hate ice cream? No problem, go for a frozen yogurt, a gelato, a slushie, some shaved ice or even a popsicle. It doesn’t matter as long as you enjoy it and it’s ice cold. Bonus points if the shop or store you buy it in is air conditioned. Take a moment to really cool off (you deserve it!) before getting back to whatever it is you love doing on a hot summer day.
Tip! I can go on and on of the benefits of ice cream on a hot day but I won’t. Instead, here’s a picture.
A lot of summers , we keep a giant pack of ice pops in the freezer. Extra points if you manage to get some real fruit juice in the mix, like these Juicy Juice 100% juice (no high fructose corn syrup) Freezy Pops.
How to beat the heat in summer
From cooling towels to swimming pools here were 10 ideas on how to stay cool this summer. Have a great tip on ways to beat the heat that you want to share? Post a comment below and we’ll see how ‘cool’ it really is.
