When I was growing up, we didn’t have any Central AC in the house.
I don’t think I knew anyone with central air conditioning until I was a teenager.
We had to find creative ways to stay cool when the summer temperatures were above 90 degrees. One time my brother and I got a crazy idea. We took a couple of towels from the bathroom and put them in the sink. We covered the towels with cold water and ice cubes. After the towel was wet and ice cold, we hung it up in front of the fan in the living room. Suddenly the air coming out of the fan was much colder than the air in the room. This type of air conditioning system is much like a swamp cooler. Cold water evaporates as air blows through the chamber’s creating a cool air effect. When I was a kid, I didn’t realize I was making a swamp cooler. Now that I am an adult, this knowledge certainly is handy. I have central air conditioning inside of my home, but there are times when my family and I go camping and we are outdoors without air conditioning. These are times when we use the novel idea of a swamp cooler. We set up a couple of wet towels in front of the outdoor fan and it provides a small amount of comfort in the hot summer sun. It might not sound terribly impressive, but on a hot summer day it feels absolutely refreshing and cool. Sometimes you have to improvise to make the best out of a situation.