[Bikerv2]

I have started to look into some sort of cooling vest for our riding. We live in WI so we really don't need some $$$ vest ..........just looking for something for when we travel south. We would only need it for a day or two on the road.....not an every day thing.
Any ideas, suggestions on brands, good place to buy?? Your personal experience, any thing will help.

Thanks in advance........Lee

 

[EarnhardtSPortsman]

They sell some for $35-50.00 that works well for us but we wear them UNDER a vented jacket.

 

[seabear70]

Ok, this is going to seem like a really wierd idea, but hear me out...

http://www.amazon.com/Deluxe-Baja-Original-Mexican-Hoodie/dp/B003MS5NZ4

Ok, you can find these thing in about every other gas station, rode side stand, and tourist trap.

They are available in hundreds of colors and patterns.

They soak up water like a sponge.

And we move down the road at an average of 60 mph.

I've been looking into cooling vests for my ride into death valley next week, and what I've come up with is this.

I'm going to saturate one of those and keep riding.

The cloth will protect me from the direct sunlight, and the evaporating water should drop the temperature noticably.

It's not he most hightech solution, but I think it will work.

 

[RodFarmer]

I broke down and bought LD Comfort sleeves, cap and shirt
http://www.video.me/ViewVideo.aspx?vid=6926
I just got them last week.


For years I have been wetting shirts but you are wet all the time and then you have to stop and wet again when you dry out.

I took them for a 30 mile test ride yesterday and they worked well for me in 108 degrees, enough for me to spring for the underwear. I felt dry but I was wet.

I think I will need to stop every once and a while to re-wet, put I will need to stop anyway to hydrate.

I'm talking Arizona where it is over 100 degrees for 2 or 3 months.

 

[TexWalter]

Ok, this is going to seem like a really wierd idea, but hear me out...

http://www.amazon.com/Deluxe-Baja-Original-Mexican-Hoodie/dp/B003MS5NZ4

Ok, you can find these thing in about every other gas station, rode side stand, and tourist trap.

They are available in hundreds of colors and patterns.

They soak up water like a sponge.

And we move down the road at an average of 60 mph.

I've been looking into cooling vests for my ride into death valley next week, and what I've come up with is this.

I'm going to saturate one of those and keep riding.

The cloth will protect me from the direct sunlight, and the evaporating water should drop the temperature noticably.

It's not he most hightech solution, but I think it will work.

I think that in a dry heat like one would experience in Death Valley that that thing would be completely dry in about 30 min.

 

[Rip]

www.ridecool.com has some nice vests....

Hyperkewl by Techniche International....

Rip

 

[seabear70]

I think that in a dry heat like one would experience in Death Valley that that thing would be completely dry in about 30 min.

How long does it take to drive through death valley?

 

[seabear70]

I just looked it up on google maps...

I'm looking at about 2 hours of hell, aren't I?

 

[shuckaduck]

yep

 

[Comanche]

1+ on the hyper kewl vest. I rode to Oklahoma a few weeks ago in 102 temps. At 72 the heat affects me much more than when I was younger. First day I just wetted a tee shirt and it dried out in about 30 minutes.

Next two days I soaked a hyper kewl vest (Riders needs $32.88) and wore that under a mesh jacket. I stayed cool very cool for three hours at a stretch.

Only downside is the vest is so wet at first water leaks down onto your shorts.

I liked the vest so much I bought my macho son one and he actually uses it in the hot Texas sun when he rides.

 

[FredGarvin]

I stayed cool very cool for three hours at a stretch.

3 hrs! I can't get more than 1 hr out of mine...and that's in Colorado, not TX or AZ heat.

 

[JMATANDEM]

I've used a cool vest from Techniche, under a mesh jacket, to great success in temps as high as 118 degrees. I now have the LD comfort shirts, both long and short sleeved, but haven't used them wetted down for cooling. I'm hoping they are as effective, because they will then serve as both shirts and cooling gear, and I can save a little space on long trips.

 

[Comanche]

3 hrs! I can't get more than 1 hr out of mine...and that's in Colorado, not TX or AZ heat.

Are you wearing the vest as the outside garmet? If so, then you are lucky to get one hour as all of the evaporation is going into the wind, not to your core.

If you wear the vest under a mesh jacket you will get the three hours cooling. Three may be a bit of a stretch, but definitely 2.5 hours. No joke.

 

[Corventure]

Best prices I found for evap cooling vests and the same basic brand many suppliers sell.... look at PalmFlex.com. Buttt, my favorite brand is Colorado Cool wear. Made in USA and great quality.

 

[Bubba1]

I have started to look into some sort of cooling vest for our riding. We live in WI so we really don't need some $$$ vest ..........just looking for something for when we travel south. We would only need it for a day or two on the road.....not an every day thing.
Any ideas, suggestions on brands, good place to buy?? Your personal experience, any thing will help.

Thanks in advance........Lee

For a couple of dollars more you could buy a LDComfort long sleeve T and have ridding gear you can use for both; keeping you cool in the heat and warm when it is cold and even better it will not take up room in your bags. Save your money, LDComfort works better and you can use 'em year around.

 

[FredGarvin]

Are you wearing the vest as the outside garmet? If so, then you are lucky to get one hour as all of the evaporation is going into the wind, not to your core.

If you wear the vest under a mesh jacket you will get the three hours cooling. Three may be a bit of a stretch, but definitely 2.5 hours. No joke.

I've always worn the vest under a mesh jacket. Never had it effectively cool longer than 1 hr.

I wonder if there is quality control issue? There were problems with the first one I ordered. Returned it and got another "bad" on. Now on my 3rd and did notice it was much thinner, like it didn't have as much of that moisture absorbing stuff inside.

 

[Bubba1]

I just looked it up on google maps...

I'm looking at about 2 hours of hell, aren't I?

Doesn't have to be. With the proper gear you can ride the deserts of the Southwest in comfort even through mid-day summer heat. I do it all the time. Start with motorcycle boots, textile riding suit (loose the mesh), full face helmets, LDComfort (and only LDComfort) long sleeve T and tights under your riding suit and with the LDComfort helmet liner. Have a couple of H2O bottles handy to keep the LDComfort wet as you ride and you can laugh at 115F.

BTW, just home from a midday run across West Texas, New Mexico and Arizona on I-10. rode in cool comfort all the way.

 

[#1Dragonheart]

I have a Glacier Tek Phase Change Cooling Vest that works well. This vest has liquid filled flexible plastic panels that fit into four pockets front & back inside the vest. The vest material seems to be of good quality and the packs will keep you cool for about 2 hours. They say 59 degrees. You recharge the liquid packs by soaking them in ice water for about 20 minutes or putting them in a freezer. They will solidify, but still stay flexible. They make Hi Vis vests (orange & green) also. There are also other manufactures of the phase change vests.

The good thing about phase change is it works in the high heat & high humidity we have in Texas. The bad thing is they are heaver and more expensive, around $130 to $200. The evaporative type vests are a lot cheaper, but don't work well in high humidity.

The heat index here today in Katy, Texas is 105 degrees. That's hot, even for a Texas boy!

 

[Mikey S.]

When the dew point gets 60 and higher,nothing will work when it comes to the evaporative stuff. Like the man said, "you'll just stay wet." And may I add, you'll feel like you're in a sauna.
The frozen gell pad vests work pretty good, but if you're heat sensitive, the Veskimo system works the best. Especially in those high humid areas like in the south during the summer. It's kept me riding longer in good comfort.

 

[brycesdad]

Lee,
The vest I use can be found here http://www.amazon.com/HYPER-KEWL-VE...HOZY/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1309823798&sr=8-8

I wore mine in 100 degrees and it seemed to last about three hours before needing to "recharge" (just soak it again). I wear it under a mesh jacket and at time I even felt a little chilled. For about $40 bucks it will be a feeling similiar to the first time you rode with your heated gear. you will be thinking "why didn't I have this sooner?"

Say Hi to June!

Rick