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What cooling vest do you wear?

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Gassius Clay

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I'm guessing most of us who don't let a little Texas heat keep us off our bikes in the summer get some assistance from a cooling vest of some type. So I thought it'd be interesting to see what vest people are using, the cost of the vest, the pros and cons of their choice, and how it compares with other vests they've used if applicable.

I just got a new vest to replace my previous one, so I'll get the ball rolling:

Ergodyne Chill-Its 6665 - $34 through Amazon

Pros - Cheap, easy to "charge" (soak in water for long ride, or just spray it for short ones), provides good relief for about 2 hours, fits true to size (i.e. a Large fits like a Large), and isn't bulky.

Cons - Heavy when fully charged, and gets my t-shirt underneath pretty wet, which people may mistake for sweat when I stop for lunch, etc.

Prior vest was a Colorado Coolvest which had numerous strips of crystals sewn in which if charged with too much water would burst at the seams. This happened with two vests, even though I was very careful to limit the charging time to that recommended in the instructions. The crystals in the second vest also seemed to congeal and lose their effectiveness after only a few dozen uses.
 
Interesting Valker. Is there something about the way it's made that lets it retain moisture? Prior to using a vest, I tried the ol' soaked t-shirt under my mesh jacket and never got more than 5 minutes of relief.
 
I get about 40 minutes of sweet A/C effect by soaking my collared polo/sport shirts before the ride home. Thick cotton with a waffle/piqué weave works best; a regular t-shirt is too thin and will dry before I reach the door.
 
Gassius Clay said:
Interesting Valker. Is there something about the way it's made that lets it retain moisture? Prior to using a vest, I tried the ol' soaked t-shirt under my mesh jacket and never got more than 5 minutes of relief.
Click to expand...

Just super thick. I rode 350 miles back from Dallas on June 22. It stayed between 98º and 103º. I wet the shirt three times in 7 hours. It was still a bit damp upon arrival at home.
 
Ice rolled up in a small towel and draped around my neck with the ends tucked into the "base layer."
 
I use a Macna Dry Cooling Vest. I have only used it a handful of times but it works very well as long as you are moving, there is low humidity (less than 70%), and you don't overfill it. The fill spout is on one side of the chest so it takes a bit of fiddling to distribute the water. I like that it is dry. The best part is that the best seems to last a couple of days per refill. The worst part is the price.
http://www.twistedthrottle.com/macna-dry-cooling-vest
 
I use the Phase Change vest that Moto Liberty sells. Sure it isn't cheap, but it doesn't soak me, it works while stuck in traffic, and it has a lifetime warranty.
 
DFW_Warrior said:
I use the Phase Change vest that Moto Liberty sells. Sure it isn't cheap, but it doesn't soak me, it works while stuck in traffic, and it has a lifetime warranty.
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Uh Huh . . . . . . Uh Huh (envision suitable onstage gyrations) ... and that means the lifetime of the current incarnation of the company whose name is on the warranty paper today, which, ever more frequently these days, it seems, means something like a taillight warranty. :trust:

(Disclaimer in the interest of Full Disclosure: I have no experience whatsoever with Moto Liberty and for all I know they may have been incorporated by Paul Revere with George, Thom, Ben,and Betsy on The Board.)
 
I considered the phase change but it only lasts for a short time before requiring a recharge. I actually found it by accident. There is a material called phase change that is used in the space program. Several companies have tried to adapt it for commercial use. No success so far.
 
garfey said:
Uh Huh . . . . . . Uh Huh (envision suitable onstage gyrations) ... and that means the lifetime of the current incarnation of the company whose name is on the warranty paper today, which, ever more frequently these days, it seems, means something like a taillight warranty. :trust:

(Disclaimer in the interest of Full Disclosure: I have no experience whatsoever with Moto Liberty and for all I know they may have been incorporated by Paul Revere with George, Thom, Ben,and Betsy on The Board.)
Click to expand...

You are absolutely correct. Good thing for you and your lack of experience whatsoever, that Moto Liberty isn't a fly by night store with some made up names thrown in for redneck effect. It isn't like they have been voted the best moto gear store in the State for something like 10 years in a row. Oh wait, they have been....

Now yes, it is a little more spendy than your dirty washcloth method. But then again, it probably works a heck of a lot better for keeping one's core cool since it is actually cooling the core. Anywho, different strokes for different folks. If it works for you great. If you have no experience whatsoever with something, then it might be best to listen to those who do.

If it does make you feel any better about it, I've used mine countless times over the past 4-5 years and it has never decreased in performance one bit. Like others on this thread I was going through a gel-type vest at least once per year. Ain't nobody got time for that.

Carlisja said:
I considered the phase change but it only lasts for a short time before requiring a recharge. I actually found it by accident. There is a material called phase change that is used in the space program. Several companies have tried to adapt it for commercial use. No success so far.
Click to expand...
I agree. I only get about 2 hours out of mine. But luckily my commuting is only about an hour at most. Usually during the heat of the summer, long rides in the heat are typically replaced with other hobbies more heat tolerant. For commuting though, I wouldn't trade it for the world. It keeps me cool and I don't get to where I am going and end up soaked.
 
I won a phase change vest in a magazine sweepstakes a few years ago. As noted, it lasts about 2 to 3 hours, depending on how hot it is. It is great for commuting. When I am on a road trip and want the vest later in the day, I freeze the popsicles, put the vest in an insulated cooler that fits in my trunk. 5 hours later, it's still frozen and has two hours of cooling life available. The elements will freeze in a refrigerator or a bucket of ice, so it's not too hard to recharge on the road.
 
DFW_Warrior said:
You are absolutely correct. Good thing for you and your lack of experience whatsoever, that Moto Liberty isn't a fly by night store with some made up names thrown in for redneck effect.

...

Now yes, it is a little more spendy than your dirty washcloth method. But then again, it probably works a heck of a lot better for keeping one's core cool since it is actually cooling the core. ... If you have no experience whatsoever with something, then it might be best to listen to those who do.

... Ain't nobody got time for that.


... But luckily my commuting is only about an hour at most. Usually during the heat of the summer, long rides in the heat are typically replaced with other hobbies more heat tolerant. For commuting though, I wouldn't trade it for the world. ...
Click to expand...

Didn't mean to ruffle any feathers, Warrior, just meant to point out that "Lifetime Warranty," legally, may not mean what it sounds like it means. I should have snipped more out of the quote. And, not having done any commuting for over 30yrs, not since Charleston, SC, and Virginia Beach<->Norfolk, VA, on my RD400F, I can't speak to that none a'tall. Half-hour, at most, and, compared to traffic today, zip.

[semi-hijack]
('Scuse, pls, OP)

My lack of experience stems from durn near collapsing riding from Terrebonne Parish, LA, to Sturgis in '95, solo, when, on the 2nd-day leg (WF -> Brush, Co) I wobbled up to a little bar/cafe in, IIRC, downtown Liberal, KS, on Sunday morning and that angel bartendress watered me thoroughly (like quarts - liters hadn't been invented then, I don't think :lol2:), made me a couple of ham&cheese sammiches, and when I was no longer pasty-white, gave me a bar towel filled with ice (long after having given me an old, raggedy, wet one to lay on the bike seat). I think everyone else in town was in church. I refilled that bar towel at almost every opportunity thereafter, overnighting in Ft. Morgan, CO (with a double back to a steakhouse in Brush, straight across from the stockyards, where I had the best slab of Prime Rib ever while shooting the breeze with the owner and the Sheriff). Next day was the "short" run on into Sturgis in company with Randy, the AMA Field Rep Dude from Show Low, AZ, who I met while gassing/coffee-ing up prior to rolling on North. First stop in Sturgis was at the Jackpine Gypsies outpost at the VFW Hall (best cheap food and biggest cheap drinks in town) to stick my pin in the big map. Thence to the campground where the advance guard (in a pickup, bless 'em) had already staked out campsites that were shaded in the morning.

I won't bore y'all with the story of the return ride, this time with a gal from Phoenix whose BF had abandoned her in the campground (I found out why, 3-days later, in Amarillo) and to whom anywhere South sounded good. (She had an aunt in Many, LA, and thought a visit was in order, or so she said, and it was almost on the way.) But that's a campfire story as is the short one about the old Cowboy in the Indian Casino just inside SD where Randy and I stopped to rehydrate. You should have heard them baggers pinging away after we parked 'em under the shade tree on the north side!

And all that's a lot of verbiage to say that the magic vests that work fine on a 1-hr commute didn't exist then, and, if they had, I couldn't have afforded one, anyway. I did buy one of the early editions of the MistyMate that year (charge it up with the air hose at a gas station - no built-in pumps) and still have it. Those babies work (especially if you're riding behind a "Million Dollar" Tour Glide fairing). :trust:

So ... bottom line. If I were going to do a similar run today you bet your bippy I'd buy one a 'em 'ere new-fangled vest thingies. But 20 years ago they didn't exist and ice and a bar towel did.

Probably a bunch of typos in there but I'm tired of editing.

[/semi-hijack]

L'Chaim!
 
Cool vests are a MUST for hot weather just as heated gear is for cold. They pack very thin and not only provide evaporation to cool your core temp. but keep you hydrated in part because they "sweat" for you. This one has lasted many years and miles and inexpensive at $35

http://www.techniche-intl.com/catalogus/hyperkewl-cooling-sport-vest.html

I've found they actually work just fine with a (well) vented jacket and retain their effect longer than with mesh gear. Don't use cotton for a base layer, cool max / Under Armor etc. When dry they can also be used as a insulating layer for colder weather.
For travel keep it in a two gallon zip lock bag. When stopping for fuel and the ensuing bathroom break I bring the vest in the bag to the sink and fill it with cold water to re-soak it. Typically taking the excess and dumping it over my head when I get back to the cycle. Another consideration is a cold Poweraid zero/Gatorade G2 at gas stops to replenish electrolytes (the low/no sugar because they are less of a diuretic) Between this and a hydration pack to sip on as you are riding, rather than chugging allot of water between stops, really make a difference in fatigue and recovery for the next day. Here's picture of the set up I ran on a recent trip in Smokies. Hydration pack clipped to the top of the tail bag D rings with spring loaded S hooks and a rock strap for further stability (can be quickly removed for hiking, refilling etc.)
I ran the hose through a larger S hook clipped to my Jacket and the bite valve through a D rind on my tank bag. Keeping the pack off your back allows better venting. Stay cool out there!

492326_zpsf20cbadc.jpg
 
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