Even if you’re a seasoned desert rat, the long stretch of 100-degree days in August can be a drag. While we can take comfort in the fact that summer is more than halfway through, we all know too well that a cool spell is still a couple of months away.
Vegas Seven’s editors and writers are preoccupied with staying cool, and everyone has a trick up their sleeves. Here, we share them with you:
• When you first get into your car and drive off, roll down the back two windows. As you drive and as the cold air comes in from the vents, the hot air will be sucked out the back of the car, cooling it down faster.
• Keep homemade cranberry, cherry, coconut milk or other natural-flavor ice cubes to drop into unsweetened iced tea or lemonade.
• Freeze sports drinks such as Gatorade in ice cube trays. If you put some of the cubes in water, it not only cools down your water but it gives you some diluted electrolytes, without as much sugar and in a suspension that is more easy to digest when your body is hot.
• Always have cut-up fruit in the fridge for smoothies. No one wants to start a sweltering day with fried eggs.
• Freeze regular yogurt in its own cup to make frozen yogurt. Just poke your spoon through the peel-away lid and put it in the freezer until it’s frozen to your liking.
• Reach for a cold meal—hummus and veggies, even leftover pizza—so you don’t have to heat up the house cooking.
• Wool fiber tees actually keep you cooler than cotton.
• Take shorter, colder showers and go easy on the towel-drying. That way, your body becomes a natural air-conditioner as it absorbs water and cools itself.
• As counterintuitive as it sounds, hot yoga is awesome in the summer. Emerging from a 102-degree studio with 70 percent humidity makes that 110-degree day feel downright balmy.
• In its Summer Under the Stars series, Turner Classic Movies does an all-day tribute to 31 different classic movie stars. Why brave the outdoors when you can sit inside in your air conditioning all day and night, appreciated Bette Davis (August. 22) Boris Karloff (August 26) or Dean Martin (August 31)?
• Take your shower at night. This washes off the sweat of the day and if it heats you up temporarily, it won’t feel as bad as during the hottest part of the day. This is also an excellent allergy mitigation strategy, as it washes off pollen.
• Keep the lights dim or off. If you own your home (or have a reasonable landlord), get ceiling fans. They are worth their weight in gold and will save you money on your power bill.
• Plan errands at night when possible. (This also saves you money on gas, as it expands in heat and so you lose/use more during hot parts of the day.)
• Keep a wet washcloth in a plastic baggie in the fridge. You can take it out and put it on your neck or face for instant cool-down.
• If you've ever felt overheated, place a cold can (like soda) on the inside part of your wrist. It actually cools down your internal temperature faster because those blood vessels go right to the heart and circulate the cooler blood.
• Spend more time in Summerlin. It’s on higher ground—3,500 feet above sea level on average, 1,500 feet higher than the Strip and Downtown—and as a result, it’s usually a few degrees cooler than the rest of the Valley. Do as we do: Hit Shake Shack in Downtown Summerlin.
• Try a neighborhood pool. City- and county-run pools are probably loaded with screaming kids even now, but water is water. Better yet: Find a friend with a pool.
• Crystals, the Wynn resorts and the Bellagio all feature private art collections of the kind many museums would kill for—works by Jeff Koons, James Turrell, Dale Chihuly and many more. Enjoy the art in air-conditioned comfort.
• On the hottest days, take a trip to the lodge or any picnic area at Mount Charleston, where it’s usually 10-15 degrees cooler.
• Invest in an insulated reusable water bottle (made by companies such as S’well and Klean Kanteen). These magical vessels keep water cold for extended periods of time, so a refreshing glass is always within arm’s reach. They’re a must for our dry, unforgiving desert, and you’ll be helping the environment at the same time!
The post Your Survival Guide for the Dog Days of Summer appeared first on Vegas Seven.