Folks, it’s hot out here. Not good hot, bad hot. I can’t put on a t-shirt without sweating through it within 30 minutes. Here are some ways I’m dealing:
- Travel shirt — this is a special kind of shirt that dries quickly and breathes well. Alas, I only have one right now.
- Gelato ice cream — eating a lot of this in Italy
- Water — it’s so expensive here that I’m trying to utilize my sink as best I can, but it’s tough
- Wash cloth — I keep a damp wash cloth next to me when I use the computer or sit and read since it can cool me and wipe sweat from forehead
- Sandals — I’ve worn sandals the entire trip.
- Umbrella — I’ve seen other people do this, so I’m going to start. Pop up umbrella when in direct sunlight.
- Baseball hat — This keeps the glare off my eyes but makes my head hotter.
Any other tips from past or present road warriors?
Umbrellas in China are mostly by girls, strangely enough. Too manly to break out the umbrella in the heat? No, it’s a great trick. Also, a fan is always a treat. At least Hong Kong (in all its humid glory) has it nice because it is a big city of connected buildings with air conditioning…none of this go outside to see the culture stuff. Be careful out there and don’t forget sunglasses for the eyes!
Well, the first travel advice I give to Americans is to explore Europe late Spring or early Fall – of course most students have no choice but travel in the summer…
So back to my own backpacking-Interrail (like Eurail) trip: I remember having to run away from Rome since it was so hot.. art, history, architecture could wait, I was boiling up.. run up all the way to Lake Como. Then I cooked up a weird plan: spend only 1 day at a time in the hot South, then run North to cool off. With my rail-pass, I could travel in zig-zags, in fact it had an unexpected side-benefit: if I took long enough trips, the train became my overnight acommodation. I met quite a few backpacking students this way. 🙂
Travel by the sea and go swimming.
One of those cool hats with a fan in it? Or, just imagine what it would be like if you were actually in a tropical region 🙂
Ben,
One thing you might consider is to get a personal fan. It’s small and portal. I know Sharper Image sells those.
Bill
I would advise against an electric fan–quite tacky (especially in a hat).
Back when I worked on the farm, I would use a wet bandana. It’s a lot like your wash cloth, except it breathes a bit better and is more acceptable in public.
Rinse your hands, as often as possible, in the coldest water you can find…it helps regulate (lower) your core temp.
Forza Azzurriiiiiii!!!!!!!!