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Cooling vests

T

teleskier

Moped
Seems I remember a thread dealing with these not too long ago talking about cooling evaporative vests and even one that acted as a hydration bladder as well. I did a search and could not seem to pull anything up.

If you have information on these it would be appreciated. I am looking for something for my son who dirt rides in the deserts of southern california.

Thanks in advance.
 
Let me state up front I know nothing about the hydration bladder but I do own a evaporating vest. Does it work and the answer is (just OK) when you first put it on (soaking wet) U can really feel it! Problem I have is very quickly especially in high 90's or 100deg heat they evaporate waaaaaaaaaay to fast. I've tried using less air flow to keep from evaporating as such a fast rate but the bottom line for me is after making a pit stop to soak again your making another pit stop too soon!

Regards
phillip
 
I get about 2 to 3 hours of real comfort when the temps get oveer 100 degrees with my evaporative vest with sleeves.  Then perhaps another hour or two of ok relief. 
 
Wild Man,

Those times I would think would be good for my son who can ride a few hours then go back to camp and either resoak or grab another vest that has been soaking in his ice chest etc. From what I have seen these vests are cheap at around $40 so having two is not out of the question for his type of riding.

The ridecool.com website I found, has the hydration pack type I mentioned that you can drink from the backpack which also pumps cold water into your vest.
 
Wild Man
I'm getting nowhere the hours of cooling you are? What type of jacket do you wear over your vest. Have you found it works better and longer the fewer the cooling vents your jacket has?

HOT N Alabama!
 
It SHOULD be a factor that involves how much air flow you have and how humid (or not humid) it is.  If it's really arid and you get awesome air flow, yeah, it's going to dry faster.  That's physics, and you can't fool physics.  But different vests likely hold more or less water, so you may be comparing apples and oranges.  I get a good 2 hours in Texas out of mine.  I'm good with warming a little, so I just "refill" the vest when I refill the bike.  I don't make extra stops just because the vest is dry.
 
And they don't really work in high humidity. There's very little evaporation occurring at high relative humidity so you end up wearing a wet, heavy vest. Unfortunately, I do the majority of my riding in the humid southeast so mine doesn't do much good. Teleskier, in the instance you're talking about, it would probably work well. Your son could carry a water bottle to rewet the vest while riding. Just a thought.
 
Momma works in a nursury, in the field, and spends many hours out there in the sun doing counts and inventory....
she's been "soaking down" lately, here in Ohio, but i found the place that makes all the best gear, and they do have a HUGE selection based on "whatcha-need?"
http://www.polarproducts.com/polarshop/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=235

$$$ personally I opt for the water circulating body suit, with intercooler package, for like $2k.... but then again, If I have to buy it, it's the soak-em type. :))
 
2linby said:
I have an older Joe Rocket version of this.  Many times this has been the difference between being able to ride or dying at the side of the road in Utah or Nevada, or any other western desert state in the summer time.  In the California desert this will work freaking great!

http://www.soundrider.com/archive/products/techniche_evaporative_cooling_vest.htm

Best of luck!  :)
Click to expand...

I have this techniche vest. Just the basic version. Not the fancy one with collar. Works nice. Wearing under my mesh jacket get about 1.5 good hours out of it. I take a long a 1 gallong ziplock bag. I stop at a rest area and fill with water and let it soak 5 minutes while I take a break, drink and eat a snack myself. OR getting fuel, etc. Most every fuel station has water available. Does not take that long to recharge. And lasts longer than I generally ride between stops anyway. So good enough for me.
 
A friend of mine picked up one of these:

http://store.coolvest.com/c-3-original-cooling-vest.aspx


and he swears by it.  I have one on order, and will post a report after riding with it.  It is not an evap vest, rather uses rechargeable gel packs to keep you cool.  I live in the Phoenix area (yes, it really gets to 115 every day in the summer) and evap vests here dry in about 10 minutes.  More expensive, but hopefully will be well worth it. 
 
I also carry a gallon bag and re-charge mine. Do ya'll just throw it on or wring it out a bit as it drips water like crazy. I'm sure the answer is try to keep as much water as U can N the vest but you look like your standing N a puddle of water?

regards
phillip
 
Phil said:
I also carry a gallon bag and re-charge mine. Do ya'll just throw it on or wring it out a bit as it drips water like crazy. I'm sure the answer is try to keep as much water as U can N the vest but you look like your standing N a puddle of water?

regards
phillip
Click to expand...

Myself its kinda in the middle. More towards just throw it on if anything. I dont wring it out, but I do wait for the dripping to slow down.
 
Sorry for the late replay

What 2LINBY points out is what I have, with collar and sleeves.  Yeah these things work rather well crossing the desert with low humidity, not so good where the humidity is high say Kansas or anywhere perhaps in the South east.  I'm thinking the ticket there is mesh riding gear, not sure as I've never lived in an area with humidity..

I've also been known to jump in a swimming pool fully clothed, including helmet, before a trek through the desert!
 
I like LD Comfort gear.  Just soak the long sleeve shirt and I'm cool for almost an hour here in the Florida summer heat.  After that I can go another hour before needing to cool off again.  The nice part is that no other gear is needed.  Even when wet it does not feel soggy.  Getting caught in the rain is also not a problem.  I just ride through the Florida rains and enjoy the cooling effect knowing I'll be comfortable when the sun comes back out, no rain gear needed.

http://www.ldcomfort.com/

 
backoutonthehighway said:
Have had a hydration vest for a couple of years. It helps, but after awhile, it feels like a big, heavy wet blanket when it is over 100.

I've ordered one of these: http://www.polarproducts.com/polarshop/pc/Industrial-Cooling-Technology-Vest-Kit-16p319.htm

I like the "re-freezes" in ice-water concept - we'll see how well it works.

Will review after my summer ride.  :great:
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Would be interested in what you think....

They also sell a bag set up for insulin which is the best my search has yielded, and I will probably buy one.
 
I recently purchased a HyperKewl vest on eBay and use it daily commuting in Hotlanta traffic. I won't leave home without it now. It is the model designed for guys working road crews, couple of handy pockets and DAYGLO GREEN with reflective stripes. I always wear a CE padded jacket, usually a mesh Joe Rocket, so you can't see the green but I like the idea that if I am on the side of the road doing something I would get noticed by cagers. Is it the be all end all to overheating? Probably not, but its better than leaving work with a soaking wet t-shirt on and getting 'that look' from an executive and it's definitely better than nothing. I started throwing it in the freezer for 10 minutes before I leave and that is nice too.
 

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Gabs said:
A friend of mine picked up one of these:

http://store.coolvest.com/c-3-original-cooling-vest.aspx


and he swears by it.  I have one on order, and will post a report after riding with it.  It is not an evap vest, rather uses rechargeable gel packs to keep you cool.  I live in the Phoenix area (yes, it really gets to 115 every day in the summer) and evap vests here dry in about 10 minutes.  More expensive, but hopefully will be well worth it.
Click to expand...

I got one of these for my birthday. I've used it this week for my one hour commute from work at 5PM and it works well. Not noticeably cold but very comfortable. I keep it in a spare fridge in the shop so it's ready to go at quitting time. Haven't quite figured out how I'm going to recharge it on a trip, but that will come.

Bottom line, I'm glad I got it and would buy one again!
 
I have both an evaporative cooling vest and a phase change cooling vest. After experimenting with both of these over the past two summers in Texas, I only occasionally wear one of them, the evaporative cooling vest. Some of the guys that I ride with swear by them, but I only find myself getting about five minutes of effective cooling, after which it just feels like wearing a wet shirt. I occasionally take it with me, but I don't often wear it. That said, those type of vests are relatively cheap, and certainly worth a try if you live in a reasonably dry environment. To "recharge" them, just carry a large Ziplock bag with you. Simply fill the bag with cold water (or add ice to warm water) at a gas station, and a few minutes later the vest will be ready to give you that initial frost bite feel.

The phase change cooling vest turned out to be a poor purchase for me, and was one of the incidents in which I let other riders enthusiasm for a product neglect the appropriate research prior to the purchase. Those vests work by inserting frozen gel packs that thaw relatively slowly. And yes -- it certainly feels much cooler and more comfortable. However, in the event of a crash, the effect would essentially be the same as carrying blocks of ice in the inside of your jacket. Needless to say, the risks outweigh the benefits for me personally, and most of the other riders who purchased them only wear them off the bikes only (at events, for instance). They're also not exactly cheap, so you may want to carefully weigh the risks and benefits before investing in one of these.

Just my $0.02
 
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