Survival guides · Shelter & Fire

Stay Cool Without AC

WHEN TO USE THISExtreme heat and no air conditioning. Heat kills more Americans than any other weather.

1. Find the coolest place

   • Lowest floor — basement is best. North-facing rooms.
   • Too hot at home? Cooling center, library, mall or theater. A few hours of A/C helps your body recover.
   • Stuck at home? The coolest room from 10 AM to 4 PM.

2. Cool your body

   • Cool water on wrists, neck, temples, behind the ears and knees.
   • Cool (not cold) shower or bath. Wet towel around the neck.
   • Bowl of ice in front of a battery fan.
   • Light, loose, light-colored clothes.

3. Keep the heat out

   • Close blinds and curtains on the sunny side.
   • Foil or emergency blankets on the outside of sunny windows.
   • Windows open at night, closed in the morning.
   • No oven or stove during the day.

4. Drink

   • Drink before you're thirsty. You can sweat 1–2 quarts an hour.
   • Skip alcohol, caffeine and sugary drinks.
   • Sweating heavily? A pinch of salt in your water.
   • Watch everyone for heat exhaustion: heavy sweat, weak, nauseous, dizzy, headache. (See: Heat Stroke.)

Sources: CDC Extreme Heat Safety · National Weather Service Heat Safety

General information to help in an emergency — not a substitute for training or professional care.