Cooling Vest

[Capt_Ron]

Just got done with a 5 day ride in west Texas and had a chance to use my evaporative cooling vest. Temps were in the mid 80's in the mountains and well over 100 in the low country. I bought this vest at the BMW shop before the trip for about $40. Don't remember the brand but it's gray on the outside and blue on the inside.

 

Here's my observation:

 

These vests work great in a hot, arid environment such as west Texas in the summer. In fact, when I first soaked it down and put it on, I got a little chill. It was very cool.

 

When the temps were in the mid 90's, the vest kept me cool for about 3+ hrs. When it hit 100, only good for about an hour and a half before I had to soak it down again. The water was just evaporating that fast, but I was comfy for that time.

 

If you live in a humid location, forget it. You'll just be wet and hot. The water must evaporate to produce a cooling effect. Also, when the vest dried to the point that it lost it's evaporative cooling effect, it became insulation and things quickly became too warm. Had to take it off to get some air flow through my mesh jacket.

 

We are planning a trip to CO in July and I'll be wearing the vest to help me get through the Texas summer heat while en route.

 

Ron

[Bullett]

I purchased mine from Silver Eagle. They offer a vest in a woman's cut. Jan had the blue/silver vest from another manufacturer--he claims my Silver Eagle vest stays damp longer, so I bought him one, too.

 

Added advantage of the Silver Eagle is if you wipe the inside after soaking and before you put it on, your shirt stays dry.

 

Silver Eagle linky -- I have no interest in this company other than being a satisfied customer.

[philbytx]

They also work great in the Texas Hill Country....

 

We brought our vests with us from Illinois (where they also worked very well!!!).....we wouldn't be without them.

 

Just got one of our ride group to buy one and he used it for the first time last Monday (98F). He's sold on it and wondered why he hadn't had got one before

 

[tomk99r11]

I bought one at Paonia several years ago. One of my bigger wastes of money. Felt cumbersome, a real PITA to fool with, and my long sleeved shirt soaked with water occasionally works every bit as well with whatever jacket I am wearing as long as there is some good ventialtion.

[RoadJunkie]

I would not be able to wear a cooling vest over a cotton shirt, too sticky/clingy. I usually wear my cooling vest over a moisture wicking shirt that provides cooling through evaporation without the shirt-stuck-to-you feeling. Stopping every hour, or so, in severe heat is a PITA, but ya do what ya gotta do...right?

[smiller]

I bought one at Paonia several years ago. One of my bigger wastes of money. Felt cumbersome, a real PITA to fool with, and my long sleeved shirt soaked with water occasionally works every bit as well with whatever jacket I am wearing as long as there is some good ventialtion.

That is exactly the experience I had with the one I tried.

[Mr_Ed]

I'm seriously considering this system:

http://www.veskimo.com/servlet/the-10/personal-body-cooling-system/Detail

 

I know a fellow here in NC (source I trust) who appears to be enjoying his. Anyone else have some experience with this option?

[tallman]

I bought one at Paonia several years ago. One of my bigger wastes of money. Felt cumbersome, a real PITA to fool with, and my long sleeved shirt soaked with water occasionally works every bit as well with whatever jacket I am wearing as long as there is some good ventialtion.

That is exactly the experience I had with the one I tried.

 

And the exact opposite of mine.

I wore one yesterdayriding through 100+ temps on the Interstate from Jax.

Wicking shirt, soaked vest, cooler body core.

That was w/a mesh jacket and they work better w/a textile jacket and good airflow.

I carry a small garbage bag, go into restroom and fill it w/enough cool water (vest in bag) then put vest back on when leaving.

That keeps it from becoming a messy, wet, endeavor and is much easier and less intrusive on the establishment.

An advantage the vest has over a sweatshirt when it is hot and humid is that you can unzip the vest and get more airflow while still keeping wet.

Can't do that w/a sweatshirt.

Then you have the issues of bulk and weight where the vest is the winner hands down.

YMMV.

Best wishes.

[elkroeger]

Although I'm not really an expert triple digit rider - I use my cooling vest under my roadcrafter jacket (2pc pants removed). Like you said, it almost works too well with the mesh, and I've found that 1) I can double the operating time per soak by zipping up some of the vents, as needed. And 2) although I am a bit damp in there, I can usually stay at a tolerable temperature. But then I pretty much stay home when the mercury tops 100F.

 

And, you are right, the vest works better in dry environments, but I was really suprised with how well the vest did work in the deep south. Why not give it a try?

 

But thank God I'm back in the land of wool sweaters! Used mine today, actually... :-)

 

[EddyQ]

I've been seriously considering THIS vest. Do any of you know if it has a chance of keeping your shirt dry? Damp is ok, but I'd like to avoid soaking wet.

 

Also, it seems you all have vests. How about the long sleeve version?? Any experiences/thoughts?

[Ken H.]

One thing I have discovered over the years, they are NOT all created equal. The amount of water absorbing crystals in the cheap vs. better ones is dramatic. I've had both ends of the spectrum and they range from near useless to quite good. This is one area where it pays to spend the bucks.

[Tony_K]

I've been seriously considering THIS vest. Do any of you know if it has a chance of keeping your shirt dry? Damp is ok, but I'd like to avoid soaking wet.

 

Also, it seems you all have vests. How about the long sleeve version?? Any experiences/thoughts?

 

 

Your shirt will be wet and your jacket will be wet. Wetness can vary from damp to soaking. Depends on how full of water you leave the vest.

 

Also they are vest for a reason. That reason is to keep your core temp down. That's all that matters, the extremities matter not for core cooling.

 

I wear mine pretty much all the time under mesh jacket. 4AM departure as a dry warmth wind barrier in the 40 to 50 temp then soaking at noon in the high 80's to 100's then as a warmer again in the cool evenings or high alt where there could still be snow!

 

The cheap one works for me on the west coast.

[tomk99r11]

I understand fully how the vest is to be prepped and worn and recharged, etc, etc. And, it was not a cheapo vest. The damn thing is not a good thing in my opinion. Far more trouble than it is worth, and NOT as effective as a long sleeved shirt wet beneath a mesh jacket. Hot, hot and humid, humid climate matters not. But, hey, that is just my opinion. If it works for others that is great but it does nothing for me.

[fisherman]

I have a cheap vest with crystals around $35 and a Silver Eagle high tech one for around $95. Around Atlanta (95 degrees and high humidity) the cheap one seems to work better. Nothing scientific....just my perception.

 

Gil Horsley

[elkroeger]

I've been seriously considering THIS vest. Do any of you know if it has a chance of keeping your shirt dry? Damp is ok, but I'd like to avoid soaking wet.

 

That's the one I've got. And from the same vendor. Vendor's great, vest is great. Any of these products are going to marginally work for you if you need to balance "damp" with "wet". More likely you will get the result you're looking for by fine tuning how much water you use to soak the thing. Throwing it in the lake will get you a vastly different result than adding a well considered and measured volume of water. To really do their job though, means that you will be "damp". Or "wet". Or perhaps plain old "soaked". Aside from that, that particular vest has a hydrophobic inside layer, which helps to keep you from getting too sloppy wet. Wiping it out with a cotton towel tends to help. Personally, if it's so hot I need the vest, I'm already drenched with sweat, so anything is welcome....

[Polo]

I'm seriously considering this system:

http://www.veskimo.com/servlet/the-10/personal-body-cooling-system/Detail

 

I know a fellow here in NC (source I trust) who appears to be enjoying his. Anyone else have some experience with this option?

 

No experience, but I'd be curious about what happens when the ice water becomes warm water. Seems an expensive way to circulate water, or does it provide some cooling to the water as well.

[Polo]

I bought one at Paonia several years ago. One of my bigger wastes of money. Felt cumbersome, a real PITA to fool with, and my long sleeved shirt soaked with water occasionally works every bit as well with whatever jacket I am wearing as long as there is some good ventialtion.

That is exactly the experience I had with the one I tried.

 

Bought one at Paonia a few years back, and it saved my bacon coming south from the Texas Panhandle. I wore it over a t-shirt under my BMW vented jacket, it worked great.

 

I don't understand your concern about being wet. I rather be wet with water, than with my own sweat. Both are supposed to cool you as they evaporate, but water is easier to replenish.

 

Am I missing something?

[Fugu]

I showed a co-worker my vest once, it was dry and very light weight at the time. He inquired as to how it works, and I explained that it is soaked, and the evaporation cools you. I suggested he hold it to feel how light it was dry and then I was going to the kitchen to soak it and was going to have him feel the "full" weight. He rebuffed my offer as though I had suggested he pick my nose for me....

 

Upon returning towards my office with my soaked vest to grab my helmet and head out to my 100+ degree commute, he stopped me and said "OH- you soak it with WATER!!!!"

 

The guy thought it sucked up sweat and evaporated it to cool you, and I was offering him a vest that contained gallons of my sweat.

 

 

 

I have a "techniche" or some such from Sound Rider. I like it quite a bit. I wear a wicking T-shirt under- cotton/ poly blend treated with anti-microbial. After a week on the road getting used daily the vests can start to smell like a wet dog but if you don't over soak them I think they work well. Have kept me comfortable in Hell's Canyon and lots of other hot places. I keep a big (giant) zip top bag that something came in for soaking the vest and storing it when dry.

 

Do not put one away damp if you can avoid it, because the thing will get real funky in a hurry.

 

Woolite and hand washing does a good job of cleaning, just make sure to rinse well and dry thoroughly on a hanger.

[Rphoto]

I know it isn't politically correct but I've been using a Harley Mesh H20 jacket which has pockets for the enclosed cooling packets. Unlike most HD gear, this one has subtle logos and is relatively inexpensive as it is now being closed out.

 

Rob

[EddyQ]

I've been seriously considering THIS vest. Do any of you know if it has a chance of keeping your shirt dry? Damp is ok, but I'd like to avoid soaking wet.

 

That's the one I've got. And from the same vendor. Vendor's great, vest is great. Any of these products are going to marginally work for you if you need to balance "damp" with "wet". More likely you will get the result you're looking for by fine tuning how much water you use to soak the thing. Throwing it in the lake will get you a vastly different result than adding a well considered and measured volume of water. To really do their job though, means that you will be "damp". Or "wet". Or perhaps plain old "soaked". Aside from that, that particular vest has a hydrophobic inside layer, which helps to keep you from getting too sloppy wet. Wiping it out with a cotton towel tends to help. Personally, if it's so hot I need the vest, I'm already drenched with sweat, so anything is welcome....

 

I have a rather old leather First Gear leather jacket and I loved it. It is built like a tank (not like many of todays jacket designs) With the RT, the vents are not as effective as with other bikes I've owned. It is HOT on the RT. I was hoping with a cooling vest, I could commute in 90's temps without getting there soaked in sweat. Yes, I would rather be soaked with water than sweat. But damp is better. And, I was curious if these vests had vapor barriers to help prevent getting soaked in seconds. Sounds like they do and with proper technique I could reduce getting soaked.

 

Thanks all for your feedback ! You painted the picture I needed. I'm going to try one.

[JJZorro]

I have the TechNiche deluxe high collar vest. Used it across the Extraterestrial Hwy in 90+ temps. I used a wicking Tshirt under the vest and found it would hold a "charge" for about 1.5-2 hours before having to be resoaked in a dry bag with about 20 oz of water for about 10 mins. I was wearing an Olympia Phantom 1 piece suit with all the vents wide open. Worked for me

[elkroeger]

...I was curious if these vests had vapor barriers... Sounds like they do...

 

Nope. At least not the techniche vest. You're sorta thinking the right thing, but it's not a proper vapor barrier (think Hefty sack). It's not even a gore-tex type waterproof layer. It appears to me to be just a nylon (?) fabric, perhaps a micro weave, that's been treated with lots of Scotch-Guard to make it hydrophobic.