When we moved to Idaho, we had no idea that it could reach 105 degrees on our property. As we are trying to build a house, we have no choice but to frequently work through the heat of the day. We thought we’d share some of our best safety tips for working in the heat and hot weather.

1. Set up a shade canopy.

The first summer on our property we had absolutely no shade. Whether we were working on food preservation, splitting firewood or working on our diy hot tub, we were in full-sun. All day long. This year, we smartened up a bit. Jesse already had a 10×10 shade canopy, so we set it up!

We also purchased a larger 10×20 canopy for the extra shade. Guests love it when they’re over for a visit. Now, we can mill lumber with our portable sawmill or even fine-tune our solar power setup, knowing we have a shady spot to retreat to!

2. Reduce heat by setting up a misting system.

In addition to the canopy, a tip for working in the sun is to try setting up a mist cooling system to keep the heat at bay. We were able to build our system for $15 or so from a local garden store. While this obviously doesn’t cool down the temperature of the air, it can help to moisten your skin and cool you down by evaporating.

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You’d be amazed how a little mist to the face boosts morale on a hot summer day!