Cooling Vests

Post by **gopher** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 6:22 pm

I am looking for a cooling vest that will work under my Aerostitch Roadcrafter. From what I can gather from perusing the net, evaporative type vests work best when worn under a mesh jacket as they require airflow to work. It seems like the Phase Change Cooling vests with frozen packs inserted into inner pockets in the vest. These require no air flow to cool. Does anyone have experience with cooling vests under a Stitch?

Post by **awagnon** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 6:48 pm

I don't wear my cooling vest under a Stitch, but I do wear it under a First Gear Kilamanjaro (? spell), and not the mesh kind. If you open the vents, it works quite well. In fact, I think the mesh jackets cause the cooling vest to dry out too fast. Also, a lot depends on the humidity. Out here in Utah they work very well. But when I rode in the humid midwest, it just felt wet and clammy.

No experience with the phase change jackets.

Al

godxilla · Post by **godxilla** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 10:51 am

i have used one under my jacket, without mesh, during some very hot days (110 deg). as long as you keep your zippers and vents open (assuming u have them) it provides some cooling. it helps, but not like an AC.

Post by **Dr. Strangelove** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 7:51 pm

If it's a sporting ride in New Orleans summer--90+degrees/90% humidity--I'll soak my T shirt and put it on almost dripping under a mesh jacket. Its evaporative cooling effect is almost air-conditioning cool. It is surprising, though, how quickly it'll dry out, but it is ususally easy enough to repeat the process at a gas station.

John