Chronic Health Conditions Discussion and Support

It's a bandana/headband full of water absorbing beads of some description. You soak it and tie it around your head or neck and it keeps you cool as the water evaporates. I wish I knew what the hell they were, I'd go into business making them, myself, since so many people have AC but can't afford to turn it on unless the temperature is in triple digits.

Another thing that does a good job is a spray bottle and a fan. You spray into the wind stream and cooled air and a little water hit your skin and cool you down fast.

Soaking your head also helps, wet hair cooling you off for a while. I used that a lot back in Boston. It doesn't work as well out here in the desert, stuff dries out too fast.

Heavy drapes that are closed in advance of the sun help to keep the house a bit cooler. Living in the dark gets depressing, but it's easier to cope with than living in a 95 degree house.

I still haven't set up the cooler here, even though temperatures have been in the low 90s. It's still comfy in the morning and until about 4 PM, only ugly from then until about 8. I suppose I'll have to do it soon, though. I use an evaporative cooler that works really well in an arid climate and adds only about $15 a month to the electric bill.