What the hell is this heat about? 90 degrees in the city is intolerable, no ‘if’s and’s or buts’ about it. When one is in the confines of air conditioning it is one thing, but for the inevitable foray out into the wild one needs to be adequately prepared in proper survival tactics. During my commute the last few days I have devised a few tactics that I would like to share that have helped me stave off certain doom.
1. Lurk in the shadows. Try to walk down streets and parts of streets that have shade cover from trees, buildings and awnings.
2. Carry a handkerchief, use it to wipe the sweat off your face and neck.
3. If possible walk in areas there there is wind.
4. Wear a linen shirt. Linen is extremely breathable and comfortable, however, its tendency to wrinkle makes it notorious. Linen and cotton blends can be ideal. Just make sure linen is appropriate for your workplace.
5. Leave your jacket unbuttoned. Although one should normally keep his jacket buttoned this heat is prohibitive of that practice.
6. Walk in a manner that allows maximum airflow up into your jacket and even armholes. I have been perfecting a method of holding my arms a little further off my body than normal which allows air to reach up toward my shoulders and arms. It makes a bigger difference than you may think.
7. If not wearing a jacket roll up your sleeves. Let your forearms and wrists breathe a little.
8. Don’t wear socks. Although your feet may seem to be sweating more the fresh air around your ankles can prove to be a game changer. Just make sure your feet are used to the shoes you are wearing otherwise you will get blisters.
9. Loosen your tie and unbutton the top button of your shirt; this will allow a little more air to escape from your shirt which will help to keep the heat level down slightly.
10. Stop in stores with air conditioning.
11. Take of your jacket and carry it, just make sure to find a way to make this look elegant and not sloppy.
12. When on the subway or bus find out where the air conditioning vents are and stay directly under them. The temperature difference between being under a vent and to the side of one can be quite noticeable. On the 4, 5 and 6 trains stand as close to the center of the car as you can, the air conditioning vents only run down the middle 50% of the car so do try to stay away from the ends of the cars.
