Evaporative Cooling Vests...do they transfer all of that water?

[Dances_With_Wiener_Dogs]

...meaning, will my clothes get soaked if I wear one of these?

[EffBee]

Generally speaking, no. The water absorption material most commonly used in these cooling vests is a polymer identical to that which those evaporative neckerchiefs use. The outside vest material is usually a nylon, woven so it will breathe (and thus promote evaporation). The inside vest material is a water-resistant lining. Once soaked, if you don't LIGHTLY wring out the excess, then yes it is possible for the water to puddle at the bottom of the vest and then leak out the bottom onto your shirt and from your shirt down into your pants. But with just a very light wringing you can make sure that the polymer has no excess water to absorb, and that it will not drain to the bottom.

 

I've used one of these vests for close to two years now and they are a marvel. Just make sure you get one that fits snugly, as the cooling requires direct transfer to your body in order to provide the maximum effect.

[Dances_With_Wiener_Dogs]

Thanks Fernando. It'll be nice to finally meet you at GunnUNison in a few weeks!

[Ken H.]

The key to them is to let it soak long enough to absorber a lot of water into the crystals. Then wring out the excess. Given that approach your clothes stay pretty dry.

 

What you wear with them has a lot of impact on how well they work too. I find one directly on my skin to be too cold. I usually wear mesh sport fabric t-shirt, then the vest, then my mesh jacket. Easily good up to 36-38C that way.

 

OTOH, cotton anywhere in the layers blocks too much windflow for the vest to be effective. There is a line you have to find between enough air flow for it to work, but not so much that it drys out so fast, or the wind blows through so fast that the vest is ineffective.

[tallman]

Steve,

If it's really hot, I let it drip and soak my nether regions.

Very cooling effect.

Otherwise, soak, wring, wear.

I carry a small plastic bag to resoak while on the road.

Get some weird looks in restrooms or using hose outside a business.

[philbytx]

No, they don't and, actually, when you first put it on, as someone else said, you get some "extra" initial cooling

 

Oh, and please do NOT squeeze the vest to remove ANY water, just shake out the excess is all .

 

Check this site out Four]http://www.fourseasonssurvival.com/osb/itemdetails.cfm?ID=243]Four Season Survival Vest[/url] for a very well priced vest.

[EffBee]

Oh, and please do NOT squeeze the vest to remove ANY water, just shake out the excess is all.

 

Good point, Phil. When I said GENTLY wring out the excess, it truly is only the excess. When we demo the vests in our store, we show people how to lightly walk their hand down the vest to ease out just a bit of water. Sometimes NO water comes out. It doesn't need much at all and a "shaking" as you describe might be an even better way.