Any good gadgets/products/ideas for managing sweltering heat without AC?

[LuvOrlando]

My husband is in Europe for an extended stay and AC is very much discouraged so its hot everywhere all the time with no relief. The hotel has AC but it doesn't work at all, he calls the unit a 'prop'. Apparently, even the restaurants and businesses are a misery so I'm looking for products that might work but I'm really taking shots in the dark. Being from the Northeast I don't really have any ideas. Hoping that some folks on here from the southern states and frequent travelers might have some ideas they'd be willing to share. I saw a few items for cooling gel but they seem expensive without any recommendations.

 

[usnuzuloose]

I don't know how long he will be there, but there are some pillows that are cool. I think one is called and I cool pillow. Maybe ask for another sheet and wet it, wring it out and put it under the fitted sheet that may help some also. Other than buying some fans.

 

[pampam]

Could you send him one of those cooling scarfs you wet and wrap aound the neck?

 

[DVC96]

I agree with the wet sheet. We spent 7 years in Europe in 3 different countries. The 3 extremely hot summers in Athens were miserable. We used to wet a sheet or a beach towel and lay it on top of us and then point the fan directly on us. That would work for about 2 hours until the sheet/towel would dry out and then we'd do it all over again!

 

[missnic]

Sit in the bathtub with a fan blowing on a block of ice, and hope for privacy?

 

[LuvOrlando]

Thanks! He does the ice cold shower before bed. Great ideas for damp bedding and I even considered sewing a bunch of those wet sheets together and making a mattress pad for him but I expect the wetness itself might end up being an annoyance since he's a light sleeper. I saw a couple places that mentioned gel but I'm not sure they work.

I did happen to go out today and buy him a bunch of Calvin Klein active tech underwear that will hopefully help him stay more comfortable when out & about. Microfiber shirts & linen if I can still find them are next.

As I research I'm sort of surprised that in today's energy aware world nobody's come up with alternatives to ac for keeping people comfortable in the heat when so many human beings live in tropical areas where it's such an issue. Like in places where they have brownouts wouldn't it be easier or more lucrative for somebody to just come up with an alternative... So many smart people in the world. We can go to the moon we can see a can of Pepsi across the world an outer space satellite but there's no cool bedding that doesn't use power. I was also thinking about people have things like MS or lupus where the heat causes significant disability... How on earth do those poor souls today tolerate it

 

[mistysue]

There are youtube videos showing you to take a bucket, drill or cut a hole in the side, put ice inside it and place a fan on top blowing into the bucket.
Cold air blows out and it makes a little A/C unit for you. It could easily cool a hotel room as long as he can get ice. If it's temporary he can probably just stab the side of a bucket with a screwdriver until he can break a piece off to a make a 3"-4" hole and not worry about it being pretty. If he can get access to some ice every night he can turn it on in the evening and maybe get a good night out of it.
Other than that we have found those frog tog neck towels to be a lifesaver.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Thanks for reminding me of that one! Maybe I'll try it tomorrow and see if I can get it to work in the garage.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

The metal bucket idea works. A girl I use to work with said this is what her and her college roommate did in their apartment because they had no A/C. She did not drill a hole in the bucket she just put the bucket in front of a fan and that did the trick.

 

[pampam]

Sit in the bathtub with a fan blowing on a block of ice, and hope for privacy?

Sorry Orville. Err I mean missnic

 

[luvmarypoppins]

My dh travels internationally too. They are not too keen on ac in China so I sent dh with one of those fan/water squirter bottles like they sell at Disney but I just got the cheap walmart brand with some extra batteries of course. Completely portable. Also the Gold Bond friction stuff might help for any skin irritations due to the heat.

 

[NotUrsula]

The thing about A/C in subtropical nations where power is unreliable ... it's what your body knows that matters. Assuming that one is healthy, the body will adapt to whatever conditions apply, but it takes a while, usually several months. That's why travelers tend to suffer a lot more than natives.

Rigging up a "swamp cooler" is probably his best bet, assuming that he can get ice. Here's a YouTube video for a simple one. If he can buy a small portable electric fan locally, have him measure it and cut your US ice chest to fit it, so that the power cord will be the right type.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Sprayer with mister on my to do list today and I love the swamp cooler and think I already have that exact blue cooler. Thanks!