Cooling Vest???

[Austin city limits]

I was looking at getting a replacement for my Joe Rocket Cooling vest and saw a discussion over at the COG site about this very subject... Someone said that these were a 100% lock as being just as good,,, if not better than the JR Sahara... Anyone have any first hand on these??? Any better ones to look at??? The $29.95 is hard to beat,,, and REALLY hard to turn down too!!!

And,,, THANK GOODNESS,,, they come in Black with these!!! Lets just say,,, me,,, Mr "Tub of Goo" in a silver vest that looks like my mom bought it for me for 8th grade graduation because it ends far North of the Belly Button Line is not,,, REPEAT,,, NOT,,, a Good Look... :roll: :o4: :hyp1: :no1:

Cooling Vest!!! (http://www.soundrider.com/May05/techniche_evaporative_cooling_vest.htm)

[Putt]

I was looking at getting a replacement for my Joe Rocket Cooling vest and saw a disscussion over at the COG site about this very subject... Someone said that these were a 100% lock as being just as good,,, if not better than the JR Sahara... Anyone have any first hand on these??? Any better ones to look at??? The $29.95 is hard to beat,,, and REALLY hard to turn down too!!!

And,,, THANK GOODNESS,,, they come in Black with these!!! Lets just say,,, me,,, Mr "Tub of Goo" in a silver vest that looks like my mom bought it for me for 8th grade graduation because it ends far North of the Belly Button Line is not,,, REPEAT,,, NOT,,, a Good Look... :roll: :o4: :hyp1: :no1:

Cooling Vest!!! (http://www.soundrider.com/May05/techniche_evaporative_cooling_vest.htm)

Terry,
Going down the highway with the silver vest and your bike
playing the first 17 bars of "Stairway To Heaven" should
be QUITE the attention getter..


Putt...

[STPilot]

Thanks for the info Terry. I think I'm gonna try it, for less than 40 bux it's worth a shot. :)

[MikeP1300]

I'll post a report on the Silver Eagle vest, coolingapparel.com. I'll be riding to EaSToc from Lousyana. It uses a fabric with the the polymers embedded in the fibers. Supposed to not get you wet and lasts for hours. Machine washable and can be used as a wind breaker when dry.
We'll see, money back guarantee.

[Bill Ishmael]

I have also been looking for one. I went to Mark's CALSCI site and found this link.

http://www.industrialsavings.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=900&Category_Code=vests

It ain't pretty but, recommended by Mike and reasonable.

Bill

[georgeorge]

I just ordered the $30 jobby Terry mentioned. Gonna give it a shot.

[Austin city limits]

Anyone gotten the $29.95 vest and can give a report???

http://www.soundrider.com/May05/techniche_evaporative_cooling_vest.htm br /


I was at the Honda Hoot and liked the OSI brand but,,, they,,, are $59.95... :rolleyes:

http://www.osi-sports.com/

I did pick up a helmet cooler insert from them that looked,,, well,,, cool... But,,, I lost it somehow on the way home before even being able to try it out... :(

[LandRover]

I have also been looking for one. I went to Mark's CALSCI site and found this link.

http://www.industrialsavings.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=900&Category_Code=vests

It ain't pretty but, recommended by Mike and reasonable.

Bill




I clicked the link, found the vest, then saw the "cowboy" hardhat ... :confused: What the h*ll is that all about?? :D

[STPilot]

Anyone gotten the $29.95 vest and can give a report???

http://www.soundrider.com/May05/techniche_evaporative_cooling_vest.htm br /


I was at the Honda Hoot and liked the OSI brand but,,, they,,, are $59.95... :rolleyes:

http://www.osi-sports.com/

I did pick up a helmet cooler insert from them that looked,,, well,,, cool... But,,, I lost it somehow on the way home before even being able to try it out... :(

Terry, I've got mine in hand, but have not had a chance to use it, not hot here this week. I'll post a report as soon as I get to use it.
:rolleyes:

[Austin city limits]

ST Pilot~~~

Sounds good!!! Will wait to order till after hearing from you... Thanks!!!

Paul~~~

I THOUGHT,,, it looked like a great idea!!! But,,, only an idiot like me can figure out a way to lose something while eating in Oak Ridge Tennessee at a Ruby Tuesday's... :o: You have the round one or the other one that sets more on your back of neck too??? I bought the black round one...

[hippo888]

Well, I went to the Honda Hoot and bought some cooling vests. The ride back to Michigan featured high temps of 97 degrees F, so I got a chance to test them out...

I got the OSI vest and the Silver Eagle vest.

From what little reasearch I did, there seem to be two kinds of construction for these things. The first one uses a gel or crystals. The second kind uses a polyester-ish batting. In either case, the vests are designed to soak up water and then evaporate it, which causes a cooling effect.

OSI
The cut of this vest was horrible. It seems that they simply took a back panel from a shirt/jacket with a collar and lopped off the collar. This leaves the back of the neck too high for a vest. This wouldn't be a problem except they trimmed the neckline with a rough nylon edging. This, combined with the fact the that the vest is damp made for some incredible chaffing on my neck. The OSI vest also uses a reversed pull European style zipper. The OSI uses a gel to hold water. It holds a lot of water. I mean A LOT of water. The problem with the gel though is that the gel dissolves with use. For example, the care instructions say that the most you can wash the garment is 30 seconds! Now, these cooling vests are basically a damp rag. I can't imagine the way this thing will smell in a couple of uses if I can't thoroughly wash it.

Silver Eagle
This vest uses a polyester-ish batting to hold water. It doesn't hold as much water as the gel vest. But because it doesn't depend on a water-soluable gel, it can be washed in the washing machine.

Operation
They vests work about the same. They hold water next to you and as the water evaporates, it cools. While riding through TN, KY, and OH the humidity was low enough that the vests actually worked quite well. My torso was kept relatively cool. I was much more comfortable with the vests on than without them. When I reached the humidity of Michigan the vests stopped working and basically felt like I was wearing a wet T-shirt. The manufacturers of both vests claim that you won't get wet wearing them. You will get wet in my opinion. When the humidity is low, you get a bit damp. When the humidity is high, you get a bit wet.

Misc
My testing was done on a GL18 with Baker Wings. This meant I could direct a HUGE amount of air at my torso. I haven't tried a cooling vest with the ST13 yet. I imagine that with the windshield down you would get a good blast of cooling air to the vest. My testing was also done wearing a Firstgear mesh jacket. I believe that any reduction in airflow and evaporation would decrease the effectiveness of the cooling vests.

Conclusions
These vests work when the humidity isn't very high. They feel damp, but the trade off is that they do cool you off quite a bit. I usually get groggy when the temps get above 90 degrees F, but with a cooling vest on, I was able to stay alert. The polyester-batting vest stays cool (and wet) for about 2-3 hours before needing to be dipped. The gel vest was still wet after 3 hours, but the neckline hurt too much for me to keep wearing it.
The vests could probably be improved. Instead of a treated nylon inner shell (I think they just spray the insides with something like Scotchguard), they could use Gore-tex or one of the wicking dry fabrics. This would keep more moisture away from you but still allow the evaporative process to cool you.
Overall, I found the cooling vests to be a useful addition to my riding gear.

[Austin city limits]

Thanks Hippo for the review!!! I never did see the Silver Eagle vest at the Hoot... Last year I think they were upstairs but I did not see them this year... I think,,, it looked like a few less booths set up selling stuff... At least,,, inside the building upstairs that is...

I just ordered the $29.95 vest... Decided that IF,,, it wasn't "THE" vest for me,,, I could sell it and get my money out of it better...

I AM,,, ordering a few Helmet Coolers from OSI... I know my friends,,, and I can sell them some of those for what it cost me since shipping will cost me no matter if I buy 1 or 6...

[clmixon]

I have been following these posts since hot is a fact of life here in Louisiana. I want to remind everyone that the best cooling system around is the human body. If you keep enough water in you, you maximize your bodys ability to keep you safe from heat injury.

In high heat, low humidity you are in danger of loosing large amounts of water from the evaporative effect of sweating. You can easily sweat out liters per hour without being able to tell. The technical term is "insensate loss" You body cools itself with the same mechanisim as the vests and does a better job. Just keep water in your tank so you can sweat or else you are in danger of a heat stroke if the bodys core temp gets out of range.

While Mesh gear is very effective, it works by allowing evaporation to be combined with convection or air movement across the skin to remove the water and along with it excess heat. Your insensate loss is vastly increased in Mesh so you need to be even more careful to take in enough liquid. Since fluid is the key to being able to sweat, if there is no water, heat injury risk is high. Contrary to popular belief, you can go into heat stroke while still sweating if the bodys systems are overwhelmed. Key is to take in enough fluid so you need to urinate when you stop. No need to pee, not enough fluid intake. 2 liters plus an hour in Mesh is not too much!

IN high heat/ high humidity the evaporative cooling systems and your bodys cooling systems are much less effective. Since high relative humidity keepos the sweat from evaporating and removing heat the bodys ability to cool is greatly decreased and the risk of heat related injury remains high. You still sweat just as much, but the loss of evaporative cooling keeps you hotter. The key is still fluid replacement.

The use of a cooling vest can be helpful, but does not replace the dire need to put enough fluid in you. Water is best, sport drinks are ok, especially if you cut them with water. Avoid salt tablets, they can actually make things much worse and if you become nauseated and vomit taking in salt pills you will actually loose even more fluid.

The worst situation is to expose yourself to high heat stress while dehydrated. MOST AMERICANS ARE DEHYDRATED ALL THE TIME!

While a cooling vest may help, a Camelbak or one of the very creative "Drink on the go" coolers I have seen some of the guys farkling with is MUCH MORE IMPOTANT!

Sorry to preach or go on so much. If you want more on heat injury and prevention I will be glad to pull out one of the lectures and post at a more detailed level.

Drink until you pee is the take home message.

Chris :04biker:

[Big Red]

I used a Joe Rocket cooling vest along with a neck cooler with with the windshield on it's lowest setting to good effect on days with temps in the low 90's on 500 mile days This was with a mesh jacket, mesh pants,full face helmet, gloves and boots. the full face helmet is still hot with out some type of cooling liner. I guess all white riding gear would help too !

[MikeP1300]

My first ride with the vest was to EaSToc and back. It worked fairly well when the temps were above about 86. Lots better than a dry t-shirt, not as cool as a wet t-shirt. However, it easily stayed wet for a couple of hours. If one wanted to go thru the trouble, the inner surface could be "dried" with a towel, thereby keeping you drier. I didn't bother, but the siver eagle did keep me drier than the sahara. Seems like they both performed about the same. I think I'll keep it.

[Bill Ishmael]

My first ride with the vest was to EaSToc and back. It worked fairly well when the temps were above about 86. Lots better than a dry t-shirt, not as cool as a wet t-shirt. However, it easily stayed wet for a couple of hours. If one wanted to go thru the trouble, the inner surface could be "dried" with a towel, thereby keeping you drier. I didn't bother, but the siver eagle did keep me drier than the sahara. Seems like they both performed about the same. I think I'll keep it.


Mike,
Where did you buy it?
Thanks for the report!
Bill Ishmael

[Fireball18]

Wearing a polyester/coolmax-type of tee shirt under the cooling vest will greatly reduce, if not outright eliminate, the clammy feeling you get from a cotton shirt that absorbs and holds water. Once the cotton shirt gets soggy, it holds the water against the skin, which is then heated to body temperature. This does nothing to cool you down unless you remove the cooling vest, which has now become a warming vest, and let the air movement evaporate the water that has soaked up your cotton tee shirt. The moisture wicking type of shirt won't hold the water, and so tends to maximize the cooling effect of the vest.

I totally agree that the key to survival in hot weather, though, is to keep oneself properly hydrated. We carry water in a bottle in the tankbag and one in the top box, constantly sipping, even on the go. (flip front helmets are great for this) and then stopping about every hour for a comfort stop and something cold to drink. The hot (read: 95 and above) temperatures are still uncomfortable, but one runs much less of a danger of heat injury by keeping properly hydrated.

[blumax]

I bought one of the $29.95 cooling vest and I put it to the test last weekend in the hill country. It was about 95* and I was cool as ever (body temperature that is). Some of my riding buddies would have paid $100 for it if I would have given it up. :04biker:

[MikeP1300]

Mike,
Where did you buy it?
Thanks for the report!
Bill Ishmael

Bill; this is the one I bought for $65. http://www.silvereagleoutfitters.com/shop/vest/ZFV_K.htm
They make fancier looking ones, but functionally all should be the same. I wear it under a mesh jacket anyway. I went with these guys because of the satisfaction guarrantee. I generally don't mind spending a little more for products that are backed up 100% by the manufacturer.

The $29.99 model mentioned above will probably work just as well, but probably uses the same gel found in the gardening dept at walmart. Allyson put some in her potted plants to keep them moist while we're out of town. the stuff just about exploded when it absorbed water, pushing soil out of the pot. It works.

They may have some of the closeout models left, all sales final on those.

[NormanPCN]

Anyone have the vest from Ride Cool.com (http://www.ridecool.com)

[Louie Louie]

The ones on newenough just went on sale. It costs $39 for a Sahara! Great deal and they honored the discount even though I ordered 3 days ago!

www.newenough.com go to closeouts..

[Austin city limits]

Thanks for the info Louie!!!

But,,, I have been told/asked/requested to ONLY,,, buy a Black Cooling vest again... To see my "Tub of Goo" sticking out being framed by a silver/grey/tan colored cooling vest it has been rumored to be illegal in West Virginia... :(

So,,, they have to come in Black,,, for me... :o:

[Louie Louie]

Thanks for the info Louie!!!
But,,, I have been told/asked/requested to ONLY,,, buy a Black Cooling vest again... To see my "Tub of Goo" sticking out being framed by a silver/grey/tan colored cooling vest it has been rumored to be illegal in West Virginia... :(
So,,, they have to come in Black,,, for me... :o:

Ok...Thanks for starting this thread..... I know you want to look like Johny Cash . I got the silver one amigo.

[ST_Jim]

Newenough's MX site is selling the blue Techniche Cooling Vest for $29.95.

http://www.newenoughmx.com/ti_cooling_vest_page.htm

I feel a Newenough order coming on! :D

Jim :04biker: