Beat the Heat (Field Experiments)
Last week, it was meteorologically hotter and more humid in my local area than it was on average at Walt Disney World this time of year, so I took the opportunity to run some experiments on how to best stay cool. I tested four products. Which one do you think will win?
Method
The method I used to test these products wasn't extremely scientific, but basically I tested one after another on one evening by taking a short (half mile to one mile) walk in the 90 degree heat (67% humidity) using each product. To keep things equal, I walked the same path each time. There were no hills, and I wasn't carrying a rucksack or anything fancy like that.... just walking like I might walk when trying to get across the park to a lightning lane return time.
Side note: It was actually a heat index of 94 degrees here, while at Disney, the heat index was coming in 3 degrees cooler at 91 degrees.
The North Face Aphrodite 2.0 Pants
I swear by these pants. I have worn them on every vacation to warm weather where I didn't want to show my nasty pale legs. I'm not much of a shorts person. I've also worn them in the cool weather for hiking (they are perfect for this because they are water resistant without being, well, gross). I love how they are light and loose, and rainwater just beads and rolls right off of them.
I had been wearing these earlier in the day which was fine for working in my house. However, a few minutes into my first walk I realized that my legs were HOT. Not as hot as they would be wearing jeans, but in this kind of heat, shorts were definitely needed.
Recommendation: Don't wear pants in this kind of heat. Any fabric just traps more heat and keeps it close to you. If you MUST, then wear these, but I would've been more comfortable in actual shorts.
While they didn't work well in this kind of heat, they serve me very well when hiking or doing outdoor activities in more moderate weather from 50-80 degrees. You can get them on Amazon.
Heat Index: Too hot.
Neck Fan
Confession: I bought this neck fan for my husband who routinely goes to Vegas on the edge of Summer. I figured it might help him walking down the strip, and that may still be true, assuming the air is dry enough that your sweat evaporates, but with humidity like what I was testing, the neck fan basically blew hot and humid air right back onto my neck.... not really helping.
The fan has three speeds. I tested all three. The first speed was more annoying than helpful because I could hear the fan, but wasn't really getting much cooling benefit. The third speed was enough to make a dent in how hot I was feeling, though I wouldn't say it cooled me down so much as it kept me from boiling over faster.
Overall, the fact that the fan sits against the back of my neck means that while my upper neck has air blowing on it, my lower neck, where the fan is actually sitting, is not exposed to air anymore and gets hot.
Recommendation: This product was a lot of hot air. Though I did find a combo later on that was magic. If you want to try it, you can get it on Amazon.
Heat index: Helps a little.
Handheld Fan
I already knew this handheld fan worked. It saved me one hot day while stuck in the part of the line for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad where the air just stagnates. You may know the spot, right before the ramps down to the trains.
This particular fan charges via USB port .I haven't had to recharge it since a trip in November, so I can tell you it holds charge for a while if you're using it intermittently. What I love best about it is that it folds and fits really nicely in my bag.
And let me tell you this is a winner. In fact, I may have pulled this out and started the trials early when my neck fan had failed me and I had sweat dripping in my eyes. A minute or so at high on my face and neck, and I was myself again. You can get it on Amazon.
Recommendation: It's amazing what some air on your face can do to help you feel better.
Heat Index: Ahhhhhhh.....
Note: The portable fan I linked isn't even CLOSE to this big!
Cooling Towels
I've used these before as well, though the last time I used them was in 2017 while in Charleston, South Carolina, for the total eclipse. It is hot and humid in Charleston in August, and despite that, we did a lot of outdoor activities. These cooling towels were and still are a lifesaver. I suspect this may be because they create the effect the high humidity is otherwise preventing from happening because they are designed to force water to evaporate.
In Charleston, I used these by wetting them and sticking them in the freezer overnight. In the morning, into the day bag they would go, stiff and frozen. By the time we needed them, they were perfect. On the day I re-tested this product, I simply ran it under cold water and wrung it out, which also works, then slapped it around my neck.
Y'all. This was a game changer. This was my final walk, and I actually considered finishing my testing out by taking my usual 2-mile walk. It was like ice on my neck. And once my neck cooled, I could move the towel around (pulse points on your wrist and inner elbow are also quite nice for cooling). I was finally staying cool. You can get them on Amazon. Do not wait to get them in the parks as the mark-up is huge. There are lots of brands, but I prefer the mesh-like ones that stay flexible even when frozen and have their own sealable bags so the water doesn't get everywhere.
Recommendation: These require no electricity, no charging, and take almost no space. All they need is a top up of cool water once in a while, which you can get in any restroom. The single most effective piece of equipment for cooling. I don't care if I look ridiculous wearing it around my neck like a scarf. If you know, you know.
Heat index: Lifesaving
UPDATE: Neck Fan Type 2
Because there was some time between originally writing this and publishing, we got to experience another heat wave. This one was even more intense, with temperatures of 96 degrees and heat index of 106 degrees. During this time, I conducted one last experiment with a new kind of neck fan. This kind is flexible and sits against your neck but the breeze is coming from two fans that can be adjusted to hit your face or chest however you want them to, and at three speeds.
For added fun, this superhero fan lights up. You can get one like it here.
Recommendation: The verdict is in. This was the single most helpful product. My walks in 96 degrees felt cooler than my walks in 91 degrees had. I might have broken a small sweat, but whatever sweat there was was quickly blown away by these fans, even when on the low setting.
Heat index: This is the most important thing in my carry on right now.
Bonus Test: Cooling Towel + Neck Fan
I had this bright idea while wearing the cooling towel to really test that evaporative effect by reintroducing the neck fan to the situation. Introduce air moving upon the cool surface of the cooling towel and introduce faster evaporation. Suddenly, I think I created air conditioning.... well, at least for my neck. This was a very effective combo that will prevent me from putting the neck fan in the trash.
But was it so effective that I would carry the neck fan in my park bag every day? Maybe not. If the cooling towel was a 8/10 for cooling, the neck fan and cooling towel combo were a 9/10. 10/10 is going into a swimming pool or an air conditioned building, in case you're wondering.
Recommendation: If you bring the neck fan, try it with the cooling towel and see if you like it.
Bonus Product: Insulated Bottle
It goes without saying that you must stay hydrated in heat like this. It doesn't really matter how cold your water is, but it sure does feel nice when it's as cold as it can possibly be. So, I use an insulated water bottle in the parks, and have a new favorite I'm going to recommend:
I like this bottle because it's small enough to fit in my Loungefly backpack, and yet because it has two openings, including the wider opening, I can put ice cubes into it. This also means I can easily pour glasses of ice water I get from quick service restaurants (free!) into the bottle and have unlimited ice cold water. You can get this one on Amazon.
There are a few more products I'd like to test, but alas, they haven't arrived yet and I doubt the weather will once again rival that of Florida this summer (though I could be wrong). Those include a neck tube and those Arctic Cool shirts. How do you stay cool in Florida this time of year? Tell us over on our Facebook page, where you can like and follow us to see when more articles are posted. Until next time...
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