Cooling Vest ????

[curdog]

Dave are anyone else that might have a answer for me .
I'm a 6ft 3 in male that weighs to much around 275 lbs and I decided that to be active in this southern hot and humid weather that I would spend the money and purchase a cooling vest . But I really need some help on which vest will work best for me .
I want to make it as simple as possible and get a vest that will work for a xxxl or xxxxl male that you can put in freezer and charge it . I think that's the term . The having to soak in ice water and having a extra unit to keep vest cool would give me fits . I don't mind wearing it outside my clothing ect .
Any idea's are suggestions would be greatly appreciated .
Dave I found your site by searching the net about vest and read your reviews but it all became a blur to me . The size hurts my choices and I have to get my choice right the first time because I'm on a fixed income . Not to cheap to buy the first one but a second one would put me in a bind .
I really like your forum section just hope I can get some help . I even noticed that some companies offered vest to help lose weight which is great but most important to me is being able to go outside and do my chores without becoming over heated and trenched in sweat . Thanks everyone . Randy

[MrsBones]

Hi, Randy!

I have a Cool58, which has phase change packs. I'm very happy with it. I did previously have their Cool Max, with ice packs, which sounds like a pain, but realistically wasn't so bad. However, comparing the two, the phase change is a more comfortable, more gentle cooling vest that keeps me at a more consistent temperature.

Polar has standard and big and tall sizes. You may fit either L/XL or XL/XXL. Measure yourself from where a shirt's shoulder seam would be to your waist or upper hip and your chest, then go from there. I think you should have a decent selection. The idea is to pretty much center the packs on your torso, so the styles with Velcro adjustment may work well for you. Zipper vests are designed to do that, so you can choose those, too. Just do those measurements and you should be good.

Also, ordering online, most of the cooling vest retailers will exchange for size. It's an extra step, but still better than buying another.

[curdog]

Mrs Bones thank you so much for your reply . I took your advice sorta I ordered the cool max because I could get a larger size without a ext belt and they told me that the water would be cooler for me in this southern heat than the 58 I tried to get the one you said but they kept saying the cool max was the way for me to go and I got a extra set of ice packs . So I'm set just have to get it . Again thanks and the people were really great to deal with . Hope all goes well for you . Randy

[MrsBones]

Great to hear, Randy! Yeah, the Southern heat is different than the Mid-Atlantic. . The Kool Max did make a huge difference for me, though sometimes it could be a bit too cold for the weather here.

The extra packs are a great idea, too. When going to something like a BBQ, I carried the extra set in an insulated bag. The spares would go in the host's freezer, and as needed, could be switched out for the melted ones. I really like that you have some flexibility in how cool/cold you keep the vest by using all the pockets or just some. Being small, I rarely used them all, since some ended up on my kidneys, which becomes uncomfortable fast.

Wish you luck with your vest!