It was 103 degrees here on Sunday. Like the rest of the US, Denver is in the middle of a heat wave and it’s tough to stay comfortable. If you’re like me you don’t have AC so I decided to put together a little list of things you might be useful in keeping cool.

If you work in an airconditioned office stay at work late, sweltering days like this are perfect for getting a little extra work done.

Take a cold shower (with peppermint soap) before you go to bed.

If you are using a fan place a bowl of icecubes in front of it.

Also, draping a sheet soaked in cold water infront of a fan can help.

Cook what you can using the microwave versus the store or oven.

Even better, use a slow cooker or crockpot.

And even better than that, have a cold salad for dinner (iceberg lettuce, damn I’m funny).

Freeze grapes to eat.

Eat less. Smaller meals with less protein will reduce metabolic heat.

Suck on a salted ice cube.

Drink lots of ice water.

Wear light colored, loose fitting clothing.

Even better, wear nothing at all.

At least take off your shoes or hat while indoors.

Get a small towel, soak it in water (or even ice water), wring it out a little and put it around your neck.

Mist yourself with a spray bottle. Then lay in front of the fan.

Do laundry at night, and try to hang clothes out to dry in the sun instead of running the dryer.

Drink frozen margs and eat cerviche.(note: this is not really effective).

Keep the air flowing. Turn on the ceiling fan or box fan in the room.

Don’t make yourself a fan out of paper and use it to wave air past

your face and neck, the activity created by

waving actually burns calories and raises your core temperature.

Don’t make yourself a fan out of paper and use it to wave air past your face and neck, the activity created by waving actually burns calories and raises your core temperature. Sleep in a ‘spread eagle’ position.

Read Jack London’s “To Build A Fire“.

Make a homemade airconditioner (I’ve never actually tried this one but it looks cool [pun intended]).

Get a chillow (haven’t tried this one either but it seems like it’d work)

Go to a movie / library / bookstore / mountains.

What do you do to stay cool?