1. Staying cool in a heat wave: Tips I’ve picked up while living on several top floors with no AC during heat waves, and hiking & camping in hot weather (including deserts) on various occasions.
2. Staying warm in a cold snap: Things I’ve picked up from living in Michigan, camping in the snow, and trying to cut down on heating bills.

⚠️ None of this is medical info or life advice! As with all my "public notebook" pages, it's a cobbled-together WIP with many sources, specific to my situation/experiences – NOT universal. ⚠️

Anything written in first person is based on my own experience; many other things are sourced from various threads on the internet during previous weather events. (Unfortunately, I didn’t keep great notes on the sources – which is another reason to double-check for yourself.)

General-purpose handy items (for heat & cold):

• Backup battery / power options – just in case!
• Rice-filled sock – can be put in the freezer or microwave for personal temperature regulation
• Thermos & insulated cups, mugs, etc. – you can get sturdy, double-walled metal versions of all of these. (Check the manufacturer’s instructions before cleaning with bleach! Overuse can cause even stainless steel to rust.)

Basic sewing is a massive lifeskill that helps with tailoring secondhand clothes (like UV-protective and merino garments), making rice socks and cooling cloths, and so on.

Cooling

Cooling the environment

• Cover windows
  • Blackout curtains
  • Tape mylar film (space blankets) over windows, on the OUTSIDE (otherwise it can trap heat and crack the windows, especially if double-glazed)
• Swamp cooler (you can DIY it, like this one)
  • Simplest swamp cooler: an ice pack (or frozen gallon of water) in front of a fan
  • Or a damp tea towel draped over the front
• Fan(s)
  • Create a wind tunnel with fans in opposite windows (one pointing in, one out)
  • Do not use ceiling fans (I think because it pushes the heat back down?)
  • Have 1+ battery-operated fan, in case of power loss
• Window or freestanding indoor air conditioner unit – You can find units on wheels, with a tube that pulls in hot air from the window and blasts cold air inside. Check whether it has specific power requirements (such as a GFCI outlet or heavy-duty power-shutoff cable).
  • If you can only cool one room, section off that room with blankets in the doorway(s) and draft stoppers underneath