Dutch cooling vest geared to athletes: lightweight, form-fitting

[ActiveMSers]

It helps if I include more than one sentence. Here's a quick pic. It's a great go-to vest and is super comfy. I have been thwarted in my detailed testing as I am waiting on other vests to compare it with, which have been slow to arrive this season....

-Dave

[cruiserkb]

It helps if I include more than one sentence. Here's a quick pic. It's a great go-to vest and is super comfy. I have been thwarted in my detailed testing as I am waiting on other vests to compare it with, which have been slow to arrive this season....

-Dave

Did you get the Delux or the XL? I am geting the Delux ones and I was wondering how they where over a shirt or no shirt? I know they are not lined like the XL so I was wondering if they would burn the skin. I may just have to see how it goes when mine get here.

[cruiserkb]

I finaly got the two custom made ones yesterday. They are awesome. Verry light weight uncharged and the finish is flawless. I am waiting on the directions to be sent in english so I can try them out. I will take some pics and see if Dave can post them for me. I will keep you all updated as to how they work here in AZ.

[JourneyFree]

I'm researching which cooling vest I would like to buy and I'm very interested in the Hydrogel vest deluxe from this company, the unlined version. I can't seem to find a picture that gives a good view of the sides of the vest and I'm wondering if they have a way of tightening the sides to fit more snuggly? Also, would anyone be able to point me to some more reviews or have some more personal experiences they could share?

[teena marie]

I just took mine out of the freezer to wear to work-it's a heat wave here in Montreal. It is meant to fit snugly and I wear mine next to my skin for optimal cooling. I also have an Arctic Heat vest. I like them both.

Happy cooling.

Teena Marie

[MS Mom]

Hi! My name is Cynthia and I am running my first sprint triathlon in July in AL. Do you think this shirt is easy enough to get on after coming out of the water? Is it something that could be worn during my swim (which comes first)?
Thanks for any feedback you can give.

[ActiveMSers]

I have not tested the shirt, but perhaps AMF Adventures can provide some insight. Good luck in the sprint, Cynthia!

[Whitney]

Ordering the Dutch cooling vest

Hi all! Can anyone tell me the trick to ordering the vest (XL) and the cost? There doesn't appear to be an online shopping cart. I emailed them on Monday with questions, but haven't heard back from anyone. I initially bought the Glacier Tech concealable vest and, after playing with it a bit, realized it just wasn't going to fit me well (okay, I looked like a pregnant member of a SWAT team and I'm NOT pregnant). It seems like a great vest, and the company gets a big gold star for customer service, but I need something shorter and smaller. If not the Dutch vest, then maybe the ArcticHeat. Thanks!

[AMFADVENTURES]

The Izzy Dry Pro Shirt

I've owed Dave this review for two years now. I'm sorry it's more opinion than scientific but it does include some specifics and although the shirt may not be appropriate for everyday use, overall, the Izzi Dry Pro Shirt is a worthwhile investment.

Review: Izzi Dry Pro Shirt
Type: Evaporative Cooling
Recommended for emergency evaporative cooling

Positives:

• Very light weight, less than 7 oz dry, about 20 oz wet.
• Made from extremely efficient evaporative cooling material.
• Can conveniently be carried in a zip lock sandwich bag, wet or dry.
• Can be charged anywhere you can find water and only takes a minute or two.
• Even if the shirt gets warm, like sitting in a bag in the car, it cools in seconds with exposure to air, slightly longer for the gel packs.

Negatives:

• The cooling effect only lasted about 20 minutes in hot, windy, low humidity conditions like riding a bike.
• The black gel packs on the back do heat up from the sun after they have dried out, about 40 minutes under those same conditions.
• It is very form fitting and can be difficult to put on wet. Although I didn’t find it restrictive, I wasn’t performing any kind of full range of motion in it.

Test 1: Moderate to high heat, 85 to 95 degrees
The charged shirt, just less than dripping wet, was packed in a zip lock sandwich bag and taken on a bike ride in approximately 90 degree temperatures. It fit easily into one of the pockets of a bike jersey. When the temperature was over 90 degrees, the bike jersey was switched for the Izzi Dry Pro Shirt. The shirt was quite warm, almost hot when removed from the baggie but cooled quickly upon exposure to the air. Although it was a little awkward to put on because of the wet material and the tight fit, there was an immediate refreshing cooling as soon as the material touched the skin. It continued to cool for the next 20 to 25 minutes before the material had lost all of its moisture. The black gel packs on the back of the shirt remained charged for the next 20 minutes but only produced very moderate cooling.

Test 2: Extreme heat, 105 degrees ambient air temperature, probably much higher coming off the pavement.
The Dry Pro shirt was packed dry, uncharged in a zip lock sandwich bag and stuffed it into the pocket of a bike jersey for a ride on a very hot day. When the heat became noticeable, the shirt was charged at a convenience store in the sink of the rest room. It seemed harder to put on than the last time, maybe because overheating and loss of muscle control had already begun, but again, as soon as it was on, it did deliver welcome cooling relief. Although the material dried within about 20 minutes of being back on the bike in that heat, the gel packs did continue to deliver noticeable cooling. After about 30 minutes the shirt was recharged again. The initial cooling effect was even more noticeable this time. It seemed the hotter it got, the more noticeable the cooling effect of a freshly charged shirt became. The shirt did dry out after about 20 minutes and the gel packs dried completely after about 40 minutes. After another 5 minutes the heat from the dry gel packs was felt but the subject remained reasonably functional, at least enough to get the AC on the car going and the bike loaded.

My suggestions:

• Put a full-length frontal zipper in for easier donning when wet.
• Put a pocket on the lower back of the shirt, much like a bike jersey.
• Consider buying one size larger than normal.

My overall impression:

• This could be a life saving piece of emergency equipment for what you know will be a hot day and in the presence of readily obtainable water.
• The evaporative qualities of the material in this shirt are very very good.

The Izzi Dry Pro Shirt can be found here:
http://www.izibodycooling.com/FINAL%...2020110912.pdf

[ActiveMSers]

Great and thorough review, AMF!

[Yen]

Glacier tek's

Hi teena marie, and any other member with info for Montreal,
I live in Montreal. I would like to know where I can purchase glacier tek's cooling insert. I want to make a cooling mat or small blanket with inserts for my son. he sleeps in a dormitory with other students and can't have the heating lower b/c that will be too cold for them. Any info will be appreciated.
Thank you very much
Yen

[teena marie]

Hi Yen,

You can see my reply in the "from Canada" thread. My colleague just told me there is a cooling mattress-she thinks it was Serta.