# 2: Block Out the Sun
Do you ever wonder how people are able to rough it in desert regions like Death Valley? It can’t be easy because the wind blowing on your skin feels like a blast furnace during the long summer months there – and that’s if the air is even stirring! Luckily, residents have a few useful tricks up their sleeve that allow them to block out the scorching heat effectively. Dale Housley, a ranger at Death Valley National Park, uses this trick: Hang a damp sheet in your open windows when the air outside is cooler and drier than it is indoors. That way, incoming air is cooled by water as it evaporates.
Another sun-deflecting tip that works beautifully is closing all the curtains and blinds in your home, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Doing so, they say, can cut down on the amount of heat in your home as much as 45%.
Image credit: Katy Warner/Flickr