5 ways to keep your cool in the scorching Texas heat at Austin City Limits Fest weekend 2

Texas heat feels like death, no doubt about it. Nevertheless, us die-hard music aficionados bear the sun’s burden to celebrate our favorite performers at Austin City Limits Music Festival. To avoid a dreaded visit to the medical tent, here are five helpful tips to stay cool during your conquest of the outdoor music communion.

1. A good ole’ fashion reusable water bottle to refill at water stations

It’s imperative to stay hydrated lest you pass out after baking in the sun. Come to the festival with a reusable water bottle. You can’t bring liquids inside, so we recommend chugging your bottle while you wait in line. Once you make it past the gates, head for the water stations around the park to fill your bottle with ample water and refill between sets when trekking to your next stage. A good ole’ fashion water bottle is indispensable at times like this.

2. Stay vibey with Liquid IV or other hydration packets

Thank god for technological innovation. The automobile. The cotton gin. Magic hydration powders choc full of electrolytes and vitamins. While powders like Liquid IV are essential to ease hardcore hangovers, that doesn’t mean you can’t pregame these Kool-Aid counterparts as well. Downing this supplement before you go out drinking and throughout the day will give your body an extra boost of hydration to curb looming alcohol withdrawal and prevent a bad dehydration headache. Even if you don’t plan to drink alcohol the packets are helpful for rapid hydration. Single use sealed hydration packets are allowed in the park.

3. Be a savvy fan with a handheld fan

Standing in the heat is brutal, but having a fan of some kind is essential for long wait times. Luckily, ACL plants huge industrial fans in front of their stages for fans camping out at the barricade, but for those farther back in the crowd a personal paper or electric fan is clutch to keep cool. An accordion paper fan can shade your face from the sun, while electric fans are easy to hold near you face for a steady airstream. Just be mindful of how close you hold it so the blades don’t get tangled in your hair. It’s happened to me!

4. Don’t go bananas, bring some water-soaked bandanas

Bandanas are a must have to survive Zilker’s dusty conditions, but soaking one in some water and slapping it on the back of your neck offers instant relief to skin that’s getting a beating from the sun. Placing a cool bandana on your pressure points (i.e. neck, inner elbows, back of knees) will quickly lower your body temp in a pinch. At some midday sets, the ACL staff will even hand out water-soaked bandanas to folks standing at the barricade wilting in the heat. When you go refill your water bottle, douse your bandana too for that extra boost of cool relief.

5. Skip stage view, opt for shady vantage points

We all want to get front and center for our favorite performer, but sometimes we need to weigh our options: get borderline heat stroke waiting for hours to score a plush spot for a headliner, or watch from a shady grove with some handy binoculars. In the afternoon, when the sun is at its peak, I would opt for the latter. Of course, you won’t get the detailed videos of your onstage fave, but you will definitely be thankful when that cool breeze hits under the shady tree that has turned Tartarus into a bearable garden oasis.