Beating the heat is a game as old as time itself. Since the first Humans ran across the fields of the past, hot temperatures have always been a scourge to be dealt with. With today’s changing climates, rising temperatures are becoming common. Those of us who have lived in the hottest places in the world have a wealth of tricks to putting a stopper in the doldrums of heat.

Regionally, summers in South Africa can be warm to hot with dry heat leading to discomfort for those without adequate protection. Cooling solutions are as varied as the hot days that inundate our lives each of the summer months.

Tips from Hot Climates

If you have lived in warm to hot climates in the past, you will undoubtedly have several if not more tips for beating the heat. Even in places like South Africa with the many micro-climates can reel from waves of summer heat.

Texas Tips

In Texas, one of the famously warm parts of the United States is an old veteran when it comes to unbearably hot and humid weather. Not only is the heat stifling but the moisture in the air usually means that a cool breeze will have less cooling power than it should.

Do not open the windows and keep doors fastened closed so that you’re cooler inside temperatures do not drain away. If your home is insulated, this helps your home temperatures even in the brutal summer heat. Don’t trap warm air in your home; you will only make matters worse for yourself. Keep windows closed and repair leaky seals as soon as you find them. The same goes for the doors, if you let the air in the heat will become an unwanted but frequent guest in your home.

Slice off the top of large fresh bell peppers and remove the cap and seeds, rinsing well. Fill bell pepper cups with ice water and let the kids get some veggies while staying cool.

South East Asia Tips

In many South East Asian climates, the same high temperatures and humidity plagues the locals. And, with a more direct equatorial location, the Sun is at its strongest.

Put down that paper fan – using the energy to fan oneself creates more internal heat than the heat you lose by fanning yourself in the first place. Play it smart in the worst of the summer heat and don’t waste your effort causing yourself to become hotter still.

In South East Asia one can tour the open air markets cooled by a unique frozen treat. Sitting in front of huge blocks of ice, a person wielding two knives pours cream and sugar over fresh fruit and hacks together a frozen tropical treat. Put fruit chunks in the freezer and throw them into reusable water bottles to take on hikes or as a cool refreshing treat.

Save it for the afternoon – when it’s hot beyond hot and you have a list of chores to do consider laying low during the hottest part of the day. Heat stroke can happen even when a heatwave isn’t roasting homes across the area so keep water handy and always drink plenty throughout.

Portable Air Conditioners

Of course, one of the smartest ways to battle summer heat is the faithful portable air conditioner. This stalwart companion can keep the hot temperatures at bay while filtering allergens from the air. The benefit of a portable air conditioner is that you can easily store it out of the way for use just when you need it.

Many standing fans offer some cooling capacity, they don’t offer the same comfort level that our GMC10 Portable Unit offers you can find out more about how to purchase our portable air conditioner here.  If you have any questions at all then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with one the GMC team who will be more than happy to help.

Smart ways to Stay Cool Efficiently

The trick to staying cool is to be efficient in and around your home. Is your air conditioner doing double duty just to keep your home cool? Try going through an in home checklist to see if you have any problem areas common to many homes. By keeping your home well insulated and sealed from the elements the better off you’ll be in beating the heat. The last thing you want to do is to fight unnecessary heat leaks into the home. Are you sure that windows and doors are tightly closed? Run through your home and verify that this is the case every year when the warm days begin.

Sometimes the low tech solutions can help you stay cool even when it’s oppressively hot outdoors. Cooling mist fans can be used inside or outside the home to provide a blast of water cooled air. By keeping the reservoir filled at all times, you can leverage the power of evaporative cooling. Water sprayed into the stream of the fan evaporates and cools the air by several degrees.

Using a portable air conditioner is a smart choice for most times of the year, not just when a heatwave is pushing temperatures to historic highs. Designed for use indoors, portable air conditioners use more electricity than cooling mist fans. Also, water condensation collects as a byproduct of the cooling process. Some units will require you to empty out the water chamber but you may prefer to use one that evaporates excess water for the utmost in convenience.

Go even farther and choose a model with automatic temperature control and shutoff features. No need to blast the air conditioner once the room has already been cooled sufficiently. Save electricity costs and run your unit as efficiently as possible.

Staying cool in the heat of the South African summer can be a challenge during certain parts of the season. Being aware of the condition of the windows and doors in your home can go a long way to help keep scorching outside temperatures from spoiling your indoor refuge.