Have you heard of ICE TOWELS? They are a very cheap and very effective aid to keeping cool in hot weather and they don’t require electric power.

They cool by evaporation. They  are a polyester scarf which you simply soak in water and then wave about for maybe ten seconds to start the evaporation process. Then put them around your neck, and voila cool relief!  Of course, they do eventually warm up; at which point they can be reactivated by waving in the air again. If, and when, they dry out you simply re-wet them and hey-presto they are cool again.

You can use the same one all day and all you need to carry with you is a water bottle. They are much better than things you cool down in the fridge which lose their cooling ability all too quickly and then have to go back in the fridge!

What is more they are cheap. Their  most common name is Ice Towel, and you can get them at most chemists (see the picture) they cost between $5 and $15. I have several, I keep one in my wheelchair bag, one in the car, one in the caravan and one at home.

Carry them wet in the bottle they come in then they are ready to use.  They can get a bit smelly after being used a few times and then you just put them in the washing machine with your laundry. Don’t put the bottle in the dishwasher it will melt!

Nigel Caswell