How do you keep cool in long journeys if your car doesn’t have AC?

[Truetoself]

As title says - any tips?

I've not tried it in a car but I do use this fan outdoors and other places that don't have plug sockets. It goes for a good few hours on its battery, as well as running off mains and charging the battery when it's plugged in. It's quite bottom heavy so would probably be reasonably stable somewhere like the passenger footwell.

www.meaco.com/products/meacofan-sefte-6-portable-battery-air-circulator-with-storage-bag?srsltid=AfmBOop-lAkU4hjA0KnnpoSmHbD5RQOTpYPtKUdD2FjzgoDx17GYqYMK

There's a German-produced neckscarf called the Penhuin Hug that balloons up to tube shape when soaked in water and stays mokst for hours. Surprisingly effective. You'd need somebody to order for you though - so far they only seem to deliver domestically. Also, it's a good idea to use an extra clip for fastening in front.

www.penguinhug.de/

When it's really hot and I walk to town (too much faff to take the car) I wrap a frozen bottle of water in kitchen roll and either tuck it down my waistband or under my bra. This works well if you have a floaty top, not so good with a tight t shirt! Bonus points, you can drink it when it defrosts a bit.

Yes of course I have tried opening the window but don’t find it practical or pleasant when going in dual carriageways or motorways. Will try the frozen hot water bottle and the neck fan! Thanks! And will order shades for the car as well

Definitely a neck fan. I used to have a clip on fan in my old car but I didn't find it helped much.
My cousin used to turn the heating up and the fan on high in her non-ac car on hot days, because she thought the engine would overheat and blow up if she didn't 🙄

I have two of these fans but they are the 8 and 10 inch so they might be a bit big for the car but great idea.
I haven't even used them with the battery yet.
Could defo try the 8 inch on the back seat next week though.

Either drive early in morning or at night

Solidarity here OP! My car has no air conditioning and as obvious as people think it is to say “open the windows”, personally I’m finding it mostly completely ineffective at the moment. I’m either driving slowly along residential road that it barely creates a breeze, or flying along a dual carriageway/motorway and getting absolutely battered by wind from all directions that it actually feel quite unsafe to drive! And then I’m constantly faffing around with the windows trying to get it “just right” only to find there is no such thing! I also hate drinking too much water on long journeys for fear of getting caught out nowhere near a convenient place to stop!

At the moment, I drive accompanied by a frozen hot water bottle and/or a cooling gym towel around my neck! A spray bottle of water always quite refreshing too and makes a slight breeze feel cooler.

Start the car and open the windows before you get into your seat.

Put those silver reflective things inside the windscreen and side windows from the day before if your car's in the sun. Then at least it starts off cooler even if you can't have them in when you're driving.

Fans - a neck one and a small portable one as well.

Freeze wet tea towels or flannels in plastic bags - frozen wet fabric seems to stay cold much longer than normal ice packs once you take them out and put them round the back of your neck or down your top. Have several so some can stay in a cool bag with ice packs and you can take new ones out at different stages of the journey.

Have an extra cold thing like that to rest your phone on if you're a passenger and want to keep using it as they also overheat easily in a car with no AC, especially if charging.

All that worked for us on a long drive in the June heatwave when the car got up to 40 degrees inside. Agree that windows open on a motorway doesn't work.

There are sprays like Magic Cool you can use too but we didn't really need that as well.