Five Ways to Avoid a Car Sauna
Just how do you keep your cool with out air conditioning
In the interview Jeremy Clarkson gave in China when he, Hammond and May arrived, he said that they would be driving in cars which don't have air conditioning. It's about 48 degrees Celsius in the part of China that they are visiting, which makes the current UK heatwave look like a cold snap, but it led me to think about keeping cool in a car without air-con.
Common Sense
None of this is rocket science, you know when you are too hot, but these tips represent the five most likely to help, based on my research on the internet gleaned from different motoring organisations. On a hot, sunny day, no-one wants to be stuck in the car, but sadly this is often inevitable. If you have a lower specification or older car it will probably not have air conditioning so, unless you want to strip off and poor water on your chest like James May, some simple tips for keeping you cool are probably a good idea.
is it warm in here? (Photo BBC)
1. Drink water and accept that you will sweat
Dehydration can be dangerous and is a definite risk in a car with no air conditioning. You need to remember to drink water, fizzy drinks and coffee won't cut it, you really do need water. Relax and accept that though you can get a bit cooler you will sweat at least a bit, what ever you do.
Control the air vents (Pic: BBC)
2. Get the vent settings right
The car warms up during the day when it is parked, so the car is like an oven when you open the door. Hot air rises so, when you get into the car, direct cold air vents to the foot well and open the windows. When you start driving the fresh air will push the hot air upwards and out of your windows more quickly. Then you can readjust the vent to suit you.
James may have considered stuffing his wet t-shirt in the vents, or not. (Pic: Amazon Prime Video)
3. Put a wet cloth or ice pack in front of the vents
I have to say this is recommended by several motoring organisations, but how practical it is to fasten an ice pack to the vents of your car is something I haven't investigated. If you can manage it the idea is it will work a bit like a DIY air conditioning system of sorts. The air from the vents will cool down a bit and help make the interior of the car cooler. Let me know if any one has actually tried this.
Drive in the evening, or early in the morning if you can (Pic: BBC)
4. If you can, drive during the cool parts of the day
If you’re going on a journey and you can choose when to travel in the day, it makes sense to start early to avoid the heat, or wait till it goes off a bit. The added benefit is that it will probably be a lot quieter on the road, which might keep your temper cooler if nothing else.
5. Use a water mist spray or small dashboard fan
This is one for those extremely hot days where the tiny zephyr like breeze through opened windows simply isn’t good enough. Get a water spray bottle, fill it with ice water, then mist your hair and face slightly before you start driving. As the moisture evaporates, your scalp will cool bringing down your temperature. If you don't want to turn up at work with frizzy hair, a small solar powered dashboard fan can be fairly effective.
Hot Stuff
That sums up the advice of the top motoring organisations for keeping cool on a journey without air conditioning this summer. I would not recommend a Top Gear style car sauna if it can be avoided. It is funny though, so let's remember how hot three men in a car can be...um..does that sound right to you?
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Comments (33)
Back when I did a lot of long-distance driving for work, and none of the company work trucks had air con, I'd always wear blue jeans, and simply place a few ice cubes on the tops of my thighs as I drove, replacing them as they'd melt. The cubes would melt slowly so the water evaporated at a matching rate so the spot of water didn't get too large. You get cold from the ice and evaporative cooling over the surrounding wet areas. And those areas of coldness kept me cool all over due to blood circulation. It sounds a bit odd, but trust me. It works great, and isn't as messy as pouring water all over yourself.
So today I have been driving my old classic Mini. It's black, no air con and vinyl seats! Luckily also no temperature gauge....sometimes it's best not to know!
I remember my parents putting towels on the vinyl seats so we didn’t burn our legs on them.
I think I've left the backs of my legs in there!!
One summer here it got up to 104F/40C. It was so hot in my car that the plastic handle on my umbrella started melting, and the speedometer needle started curling up!
I have a sunroof now, so I leave it popped open if I know it won’t rain, and slide it all the way open when I first get in the car. It makes a huge difference. I always thought a sunroof was just one of those ‘unnecessary’ options, but it turns out it’s surprisingly practical.
Is it because I'm a girl I really like the first method. Seriously, I was shocked and amazing to see James with any clothes....
It’s suddenly warm in here.
It's really hot!!! I need some water. James could give us some water from his mercedes Aquarium! He knew how to be wet everytime with his fishy small friends.