Air conditioning has become a normal part of life for many people. They can't even imagine what it would be like to live in a home without an AC system. However, people used to do it all the time and still there are ways to cool yourself down without the use of your AC. If your AC is dead, you might be wondering how you can survive the summer. Here are a couple tips for staying cool in the summer without the use of air conditioning.

1. Plan an Outing

Usually the mornings are bearable because the temperature is cooler. Generally it is the middle of the day when people start to feel overheated. This is a great time to plan an outing. Perhaps you can do your grocery shopping, go to a museum, have a picnic in the shade and so forth.

While you are gone on your outing, close the drapes in the house so that the sun doesn't heat up the house and keep the ceiling fan on. This way when you do return, you have a cooler house to come home to.

2. Eat Cold Snacks and Drinks

Remember you don't have to keep the whole house cold; you just need to keep yourself feeling cool. Thus, instead of focusing on getting every room in your house to a comfortable temperature, just focus on how you can cool yourself down.

Make sure you have plenty of cold water, popsicles, chilled fruit and any other cold treat. You will be amazed at how well that can cool you down even when you feel hot.

Additionally, you can use a cold rag on your face or hands to help cool down your body temperature. This is a simple trick that can go a long way.

3. Use Your Basement

If you have a basement, now is the time to use it. Basements tend to be significantly cooler than the rest of house, especially cooler than the upper floors. Heat rises to the top, and since basements have a lot more concrete they tend to stay cooler.

For this reason, you should plan activities that you can do in the basement during the summer. Take children's toys downstairs, put up some furniture, even install a bed if the nights are becoming too hot. This is a cheap and easy way to keep yourself cool.

These are just some simple tips to stay cool this summer if your AC is dead.