SURPRISE! Cooling vest durability issues unveiled after unpacking vests in storage

[ActiveMSers]

So, as Laura and I have been hard at work cleaning up our house to make room for extra items we are inheriting from her dad, we brought out boxes of cooling vests I'd previously tested and also a few in my regular rotation. And lo and behold, I got a few surprises!

• Maranda FlexiFreeze Panels made of distilled water were basically useless, with cubes holding a fraction of the original amount
• Steele Thermo-Strips, which I find too cold for comfort, were still in mint condition—they are extremely well made
• Polar Products Soft Ice packs were totally or mostly deflated (30% left maybe?), even a complete set of new ones left in an unopened bag
• Polar Products Cool58 packs were greasy and perhaps slightly deflated, but otherwise mostly fine
• First Line Technology PhaseCore packs were unchanged
• Thermapparel PCM were unchanged
• Glacier Tek RPCM were greasy and perhaps slightly deflated, but otherwise mostly fine
• Glacier Tek Flex Vest cooling packs were unchanged
• Vests from Oro Sports, StaCool, and ArcticHeat require water to active, so they were not tested

Hope this new data helps you make a more informed opinion!