ReadyHarbor

Heat wave

It hits 98 tomorrow and you are outside all day

What you actually need for heat wave — 5 things to cover, each with a pick.

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An electrolyte drink mix

Sweat takes salt out of you, not just water. Drink only water all day and you can end up flat, headachy and cramping even though you drank plenty.

What to check
  • Look at the sodium per serving
  • A mix built for heat carries a few hundred milligrams; a flavour powder carries almost none
  • Single-serve sticks travel better than a tub

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

A bottle that keeps water genuinely cold

Cold water gets drunk. A warm bottle in a hot car gets carried around all day and comes home still full, which is how people end up short.

What to check
  • Double-wall vacuum stainless is the part that does the work
  • Check the mouth is wide enough to take ice cubes, and that you can drink from it one-handed

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

A cooling towel

Wet it, wring it out, put it round your neck. The water evaporating pulls heat straight out of the blood heading to your head. It works in about a minute and it is reusable all day.

What to check
  • Length matters more than the marketing - you want one that actually wraps a neck rather than sits on it
  • Check it comes with a case if it is going in a bag wet

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

Electrolyte tablets for the bag

This is the backup that lives in a glovebox, a work bag or a stroller. It does not melt, does not spill, and it is there on the day you forgot the powder.

What to check
  • Tubes seal better than loose sachets
  • Effervescent tablets need a bottle of water to dissolve into; chewables do not, which matters if you are away from a tap

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

Broad-spectrum sunscreen

A heat day is a sun day. Burnt skin holds heat and stops sweating properly, so a burn on day one makes day two considerably worse.

What to check
  • You want the words broad spectrum and SPF 30 or higher
  • A stick is easier for face and ears; lotion covers arms and legs faster

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

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