Keeping your cool after SHTF! Here recently our air conditioner stopped working, and here in the Deep South that’s a big deal. Even if you open the windows, there is seldom a breeze to cool things off. It makes for a miserable day and night. Of course fans help, but when the humidity is 97% they don’t help much. This got me to thinking about just how hot and miserable it might get when SHTF happens. What about things like candles that will melt if not kept from the heat? How would you protect them? Sure I know that there are chemical candles but what about the wax ones that I have in my preps? How would I protect them from melting? I decided it might be worthwhile to look into it and see what we can learn that might help me and other people in this type of situation. We did replace it, it is working great, but the thought remained.
Candle makers have been using Stearic Acid for well over 150 years as a way to increase the melting point of lower melt point waxes. If you have these types of candles then you should be OK, but if you have candles that you made yourself then you may want to look for a way to protect them as well. One suggestion might be to place them in an old ice chest to protect them from the worst heat of the day. If you do this, I would recommend that you open it for a few minutes in the evenings after it has cooled down a bit to release any warm air that may have become trapped in it during the day. Another idea would be to wrap them in cool damp towels during the day and place them in a shady place where there may be a soft breeze. Depending on where you live, I would recommend checking it often and re wetting the towels as needed.
Another thing that I thought of was keeping medication away from extreme heat. Some medications can lose their potency if subjected to high heat and should be protected as well. Ways to do this might be to wrap the containers in a damp rag the wrap that in Aluminum foil and again place them in the shade out of the sun. If you have an old thermos bottle, you could also store them in there as well. Just be sure that it’s empty before you do. Many ancient Indian tribes used to bury things under the ground to keep them cool so this may be an option as well. Just be sure to wrap them up good first. If you have a cool stream nearby, you could place them in a water tight container and submerging them during the heat of the day to protect them.
Another idea for keeping things cool is a homemade cooler that that uses the water evaporation method to keep items cool. It supposed to keep things 20 degrees cooler. Something like this could help if you have no other options. Click on the link above to see the video on how to make it. If you live where they have caves, then you may want to consider storing them in there as they are usually quite a bit colder than the outside air. There are a lot of ways to keep items cool if you really look around and use your imagination.
Here are a few ideas on keeping you and your family cooler during the hot summer months and you might want to use a combination of them to get the job done.
- Ware light colored cloths that are made of cotton if possible. Cotton wicks away the sweat and helps keep you dryer. Not so sure a light color would be the best tactical choice however.
- Working in the shade is a must during the Summer heat.
- You should avoid being in confined spaces if at all possible as they tend to cut down on the breeze. Try placing yourself in a high spot if you are pulling sentry and use bushes rather than walls to conceal yourself.
- Fox holes are another good idea for sentry if being in a high spot is not optional as the walls do not hold the heat and will help keep you cool.
- Place cool wet rags on your wrist, forehead and neck to help reduce your body heat.
- If you have a cool place to swim, taking a quick dip a couple of times a day will go a long way toward keeping you cool.
- If you can get your hands on a 12 volt blower then you can hook it to a car battery and create a cool breeze at night while you sleep.
Well, I hope I have given you a few ideas about to keep your cool during the hot summer months and possibly a few ideas on things you can do now to help prepare for when the time comes. Just remember that prepping is a journey not a destination so keep on prepping!
