homeless tips for the summer
with temperatures rising every year to deadly reccords, its more important than ever that you be prepared to deal w the heat if youre like me and dont have a place inside to stay at.
heres some tips that ive gathered from almost 4 years of being homeless (and most of a life spent without A/C even when i was housed)
- Gallon water jug. STAY HYDRATED. it is so important. buy a gallon water jug, they usually only cost about a dollar. if you cant afford one, find one in the trash and rinse it out. refill everytime you go in a bathroom or find a water fountain, carry it with you everywhere, and drink from it often. its better than a regular water bottle because you wont run out as fast so you can stay extra hydrated, and not have to worry about saving it for night when you cant refill.
-soak your hat and/or hair in cold water before putting it on. this is a really good way to keep your head cool, which will help cool your entire body. you can do this with your shirt or even all your clothes too
- places like starbucks and a lot of fast food resturaunts will let you sit inside during the day even if you dont buy anything. libraries are always good too. (altho some places still dont allow indoor seating for covid) go take advantage of some free a/c
-ask for a cup of ice from a cafe or resturaunt
- if you wear a bra or binder (or even just a tight undershirt) try putting ice in a ziplock bag and keeping it under your clothes to keep your chest cool and help prevent rashes and bacteria from underboob sweat
-GO UNDERGROUND. everyone knows how much i love the tunnels. i spend my time there year round, but esp during the summer, a little sewer trip is one of the best ways to escape the heat. its dark, its much colder, and theres water.
you dont have to go in the sewer though if thats not appealing/available to you. look for a parking garage or stairwell with basement levels and chill down there (be aware tho that if you stay too long someone may ask you to leave)
if you live in a rural area, try looking for a cave or just somewhere thats a lower elevation and shady. wooded areas and places away from the road are going to be cooler
- if you can find some water, stay near it, swim to the best of your abilities, use it to stay cool. water is your best friend in the heat. a fountain, water feature at a public park, a stream, lake, or other natural body of water, a hose or water spigot, even a kiddie swimming pool if you can get one. if theres a free public pool nearby, all the better.
-consider becoming nocturnal, or at least napping during the height of the day. sleeping through the hottest parts will help you keep your internal temperature lower since your body isnt awake and active, and itll distract you from the heat of course. if youre not able to sleep during the day, try to remain relatively sedentary
-if you spend a lot of your day panhandling, make sure youre doing it in a shady spot. maybe that place on the highway median is the prime place, but its probably also in the full sun. its not worth it to burn yourself out, literally. find a different spot if your usual place isnt covered. whatever extra money youre making is not worth getting heat stroke, sunburns, and literally risking your life.
-if you have a companion animal and/or children, remember that their smaller bodies are more sensitive to temperatures. it takes less long for them to cool off, but theyll get tol hot faster as well. make sure theyre getting plenty of water and rest. if you have a dog, be aware that the asphalt can get hot enough to burn their paws.
- try to keep clean as much as possible (sink baths, wet wipes, etc) body odor aside, the heat is a breeding ground for bacteria, fungus, infection, etc.
-if youre not vaccinated, GET VAXXED. (if youre able). the last thing you need right now is to be running a fever
-i love to have a "cold one" in the summer to cool off and yes i am a bit of a alcoholic but we all know drinking raises your body temperature and thats not ideal ofc. if you have to drink, drink as little as possible, try to confine your drinking to nighttime or the cooler parts of the day, and try to get a refrigerated drink or get ice for your liquor/mixed drink so at least the liquid itself is cold. (a nice cold beer can against the forehead or neck feels like heaven when its this hot out!)
-consider going to a shelter, especially if you live in the south and/or temps are getting close to or above 100F
-if you can, considering giving yourself a haircut and keeping relatively clean shaven to reduce the heat retained by your head and face (i just buzzed my hair for the first time and its AMAZING)
-if you live on the west coast (or anywhere else that experiences wildfires in the summer) youre probably gonna be experiencing a lot of smoke, ash, and debris in the air. even if youre vaxxed, WEAR YOUR MASK, it will save your lungs. theres a reason they put out advisories to tell people to stay inside when theres a lot of smoke. if you have nowhere to go inside, the next best thing is to keep that mouth and nose covered. sunglasses too, if you have them, are already a good thing to have, but esp during fires, keep them on to protect your eyes as well
thats about all i have for now, hopefully this helps someone. stay safe and stay cool out here guys.
