RE: Phase Change Vests

["Dan Dolby" <elkwalks@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've been ogling these things for a few years for outside labor and
riding...but haven't tried one yet...though every mid-summer I wonder why
not...since it's not based on 'wet' the humidity problem seems moot...

 http://www.coolsport.net/index2.html


or you could strap one of these babies on the back of your bike :)

http://www.2bcool.com/




- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-oilheads@xxxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-oilheads@xxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Tpcutter@xxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, September 07, 2005 11:41 AM
To: oilheads@xxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Phase Change Vests

In a message dated 9/7/05 11:17:45 AM Eastern  Standard Time,
tbrown@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
<<I also have a cooling  vest.  This thing has a bunch of pellets sewn into
it.
You soak it in  the sink for a while and let it hang until it stops
dripping.
The pellets  hold a lot of water and the vest keeps slowly evaporating water
for  hours.   When it's really hot, this thing works.   There are  several
brands of these.   A friend found these on line a few years  ago.  It's the
ugliest thing you could imagine...flesh  colored!   But it works when you
really want to stay cool.   Easy to pack when dry.   Doesn't take a ton of
room.    When wet, it weighs 3 or 4 pounds.   I paid something on the order

of
$35 for this one.   I think the newer ones are a little more  expensive, but
the ones I've seen all look better than  mine...ugh.   If you crash with one

of
these, my guess is that it  will act as extra padding and protect you a  bit
more.>>

These vests work great out West  where the heat is dry. In the East, where
our heat comes pre-moistened, these  vests are pretty much useless, unless
you really want a rash all day. High  humidity seems to defeat the
evaporative cooling concept. It's a real bummer,  too, because I bought two
vests and two neck coolers (my son calls it a neck  penis) and they worked
great during the hot spell in Spokane last summer. By the  time we arrived
back in Pa, they had totally stopped being  effective.



Tom Cutter
Yardley,  PA
http://www.RubberChickenRacingGarage.com  

------------------------------