Wetting a long-sleeved shirt can really help you stay cool in soaring temps, as long as it isn’t too humid where you are.
Spying me from a distance, my neighbors would think I’m insane working out in the sizzling summer heat while wearing a long-sleeved, flannel shirt. What they don’t know is that I soaked that shirt in water before putting it on, and it is actually keeping me quite cool! I discovered this trick when I lived in Redding, California, where a “cool” summer day was anything under 105 F. I tried a special cooling vest and hat but found they were heavy and clammy — not for me.
Then one day, in desperation, I dunked a flannel shirt in a water trough, wrung it out, and put it on over my tank top. Dang, if that didn’t do the trick for a good hour, even on the hottest days! Once it dried out, I could just dunk it all over again if I still needed to be outside. Kept me from getting heat stroke, which I am prone to, so I was really glad to have this easy method on hand.
One caveat: This really only works if you aren’t in a humid environment. The water from the shirt needs to be able to evaporate, which is how it cools you off. If the air is already humid that can’t happen very well, so this secret weapon is really for moderate to dry environments only. Sorry, Florida!