From blackouts caused by heat waves to forced power shut-offs, there are plenty of reasons you might suddenly find yourself without electricity in the summer. With no power for your A/C or fans, what can you do about the rising temperatures? Here’s how to stay cool in a power outage.
Dress for Success
The right clothing can go a long way toward helping you stay cool when the electricity is out. Dress in loose, lightweight clothing that leaves plenty of room between your skin and the material. If you’re staying indoors, you can opt for loose shorts and tank tops or t-shirts. When venturing outside, you’ll want to cover as much skin as possible to keep the sun from contacting and heating your skin.
Stay Hydrated
Your body has a few systems in place to regulate your body temperature. Sweating is one of the biggest ones. When you sweat, your body expels moisture to help you cool down. Unfortunately, depending on how much you sweat, you can lose a large amount of water and become dehydrated. Dehydration is not only bad for your health, but it can also cause you to sweat less and leave you feeling hotter than before.
Make sure you drink plenty of water to keep your mind and body sharp and to ensure your body can help you naturally cool down. If possible, try to drink cold water to further help yourself stay cool.
Block Out the Sun
Direct sunlight can heat up individual rooms and your entire house. During the day, close any blinds and curtains to block out the sun. If summer power outages are common where you live, you may want to have heat-blocking curtains on hand.
It’s also a good idea to close off any rooms that receive a large amount of sunlight. Closing off these rooms will help prevent the hot air from escaping and heating other rooms in your home.
Let in Cool Air at Night
The outdoor temperature will likely drop late at night and early in the morning. Take advantage of this cooler air by opening your windows. Let plenty of cool air in during the night and shut your windows before it starts to warm up again to trap the cool air in your home. Try not to open doors and windows during the day if possible. Opening them for even a short amount of time can let the cool air out and hot air in.
Avoid Going Upstairs
Heat rises, so you want to stay on the lowest level of your home. In two-story houses, avoid going upstairs during the day unless necessary and consider sleeping downstairs at night. If you happen to have a finished basement, you will probably find that room to be much cooler than the rest of your house. Spend as much time down there as you can.
Invest in Solar-Powered Gear and Generators
Whether it’s a loss of electricity in the summer or a winter storm power outage, you can make sure you’re prepared with solar-powered gear and generators. Solar gadgets are powered by the sun, not the power grid, so you can have access to important electronics no matter what happens.
The Patriot Power Generator 1800 is a best-seller you’ll be thankful to have on hand. This powerful generator can be charged again and again with just the sun. Use it to power a fridge for keeping water cold or to plug in fans that will circulate cool air throughout your home.
During a power outage, you have more than just the heat to worry about. You need to think about how you’ll keep your family safe and fed. Visit 4Patriots to find what you need to prepare for an emergency — including survival food meal kits, solar-powered gear, and more.
