We rely heavily on air conditioning when temperatures outside are blazing.

The recent New York heatwave that crippled the power grid has shown Americans living in the area just how inconvenient not having access to an air conditioning unit during a scorching crisis can be.

But you should know that the sun is not your enemy. In fact, you can turn all this heat to your advantage.

How? 

We’ll get there shortly. First, let’s start with a few basic tips that will make you more tolerant to hot weather.

#1 Stay well hydrated! Make sure you drink between 2 to 4 liters of water daily.

#2 Avoid direct sunlight! Don’t go outside during the afternoon when the sun is at its peak hours (12pm-4pm)

#3 Pull the curtains or close the blinds when the sun shines on your windows. You can also cover your windows in reflective material such as tin foil or use reflective window panels.

#4 Open all windows in the evening and in the morning. This simple trick during cooler times will allow air and occasional wind gusts to roam freely through your home and drop the temperature slightly.

#5 Drape damp sheets throughout your house. The evaporation process will cool the air around them. This technique stretches as far back as ancient Egypt. 

While the above advice will slightly decrease your room temperature and help you adapt to hot environments, you may still want some additional cooling techniques.

The best thing to use, both during a crisis and during scorching summers, is a portable air conditioning unit.

You can opt for a conventional model while the power grid is still working, or attach a solar power to for when SHTF and there’s no more electricity available.

Additionally, if you’re living off the grid, you can install a solar-powered fan in the ceiling and benefit from the free cooling breeze all summer long.

But what if you don’t want to put a hole in your wallet and would rather use your prepping skills to piece one together?

Then you can follow this comprehensive tutorial and build one yourself.

It’s extremely budget-friendly and fun to make. On average, it will decrease the room temperature by 20 to 40 degrees, so you’ll definitely want one around this summer.

Remember that it’s portable and with an external solar panel, you can use it while out camping, in your tent, workspace or bug out spot.

And here’s some extra advice that will make you more resilient when everything around you is blistering hot.

A) Gradually get a suntan. Create a morning routine where you relax in the sun and soak up the sun’s rays. You can safely do this without having to worry much about UV radiation until 11 AM.

If you’d like to get a suntan after that hour, the best strategy is to cover yourself in virgin coconut oil and then apply sunscreen. 

This will shield you from harmful radiation and also improve your skin health at the same time.

Being tan will help your skin get used to the sun and you’ll suffer from sunburns much less.

B) Plant some trees. This is an efficient and beneficial long-term strategy that will provide additional shade and shelter from the elements once the trees grow.

Plant them around your house and you’ll be thankful in a few years. If it’s too long to wait or you don’t want to do it for yourself, then think of your children or grandchildren who’ll benefit from your work in the future.

I hope you’ve found my advice useful and you won’t have too much trouble with the hot weather this season.