Colorado cool vest - UPDATED

[cactusjack]

Last weekend, I ordered a cool vest from Colorado Cool Wear (http://www.coloradocoolwear.com/CoolVests.htm). It arrived during the week. I waited until this weekend to try it out.

Yesterday, I soaked the vest for 10 minutes, as indicated in the instructions that came with it. It absorbed a lost of water, and was fairly heavy. I put it on over one of those wick-dry shirts that is supposed to wick perspiration away from your skin, and I placed a larger t-shirt on over it. It was around 109° when I left the house and I did about a 70 mile loop on the freeways. It isn't air conditioning by any means, but I was a lot more comfortable with it than I would have been without it.

At first glance, it's a cloth vest with long tube-like pouches sewn into it. The pouches contain some kind of absorbent crystal material. When you soak it, these crystals absorb the water and expand to fill the tubes.

I came home and hung it in my garage for about 20 hours. It was still damp this morning. Keep in mind my garage never got below 100° during this time.

This morning, I soaked it for about 7 minutes, since it wasn't completely dehydrated and put it on over a t-shirt, and put my Power Trip Mojave mesh jacket over it. I did about a 90-mile loop on the freeways and again, was much more comfortable than without it. Temps were over 110° during this ride.

Overall, I think it was a pretty good investment. I have a long overnight ride on the Coronado Trail next weekend, with about 200 miles of desert until we start to climb into the mountains. This is why I tested it this weekend, to see how it works with different clothing configurations.

[Idaho]

There is a pop up window on the website that says that due to a family issue they are temporarily unavailable. I have been considering getting something like this so I appreciate the link.

Thanks Scott.

[cactusjack]

Oh, wow...I didn't know that. Hopefully it won't be too long.

[usranger74]

Scott

Was the sizing true?

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by usranger74

Scott

Was the sizing true?

I ordered a XXL and it's a little on the big side. I was afraid an XL would be too small.

[Idaho]

The site is still closed to business.

[dogdoc]

There are other sites selling these vests too.

[cactusjack]

I just got back from a two ride on the Coronado Trail in eastern Arizona. I took the cool vest with me. Didn't use it at all yesterday. We left the valley at 06:00 and headed towards Safford. A sign in Safford said it was 96 degrees. That's no problem with the vest. After Safford, we started to climb into the mountains. Rode through Morenci, where HWY 191 cuts through one of the largest open pit copper mines on earth, and from there we climbed over a 7400' pass, an 8400' pass, and then a 9400' pass to the town of Alpine, where we spent the night at about 7400'. This morning it was cool and cloudy when we left and got hit with some heavy rainshowers. As we started heading back to the Valley, we went from up on the Mogollon Rim down to Payson at about 5000'. Just before we hit Payson, temps jumped from the high 70"s to around 100. We stopped in Payson for gas, and from there it's 100 miles to my house. I put the vest on and it worked great initially. As we dropped down to the Valley at 1200', temps were well above 110 (it's 116 as I write this) and quite frankly, my eyeballs felt like they were getting scorched. The vest still had water in it when I got home, but my honest opinion is when it's this hot, nothing short of shade and air conditioning is going to make it pleasant at 75 MPH.

The vest would probably be a benefit up to about 105 degrees, after that it's too hot to gain much from it. Maybe if it were drier it might perform better, it was a little humid today.

[landman]

you might also try adding a cooling neck gaiter that uses the same water absorbing ctystals.the therory is that it cools the
bllod flowing thru the large viens of the neck thus helping to cool you down.i use them along with my cooling vest and they do help.

[schoeney]

CJ....you need to move up here. A cool 86 degrees today!

[Stump]

That coolvest sounds like something i might be interested in, if someone would let me now when the sit is backup and running i would appreceat it , thanks

[recumbentbob]

Their Website still won't take orders; must be a bad family emergency.
Hope they are OK.

Bob

[Stump]

The web site up and going again ,so come and get them !!!!!!!

[radco]

CJ, 110 F? holy crap. We grip when it hits 80 lol. High this am 55 deg F.....Will hit a scorching 80 today

[kudzufarmer]

i used the wet towel around the neck the other week when I was riding in 103 temp down here in Texas.......soaked the towel and then froze it to soft freeze....as it thawed the water dripped down and the air blowing vaporized the water and gave a cooling effect....still hot but worked pretty good for about a 3 hr ride.