Ugh, cooling vest shootout bummers

[ActiveMSers]

Between you guys, I am seriously bummed about the results for two of the vest companies. Steele and Polar are both solid businesses that make decent vests. I've talked with them a number of times and they support ActiveMSers. And I know they have many happy customers. But the two tested vests just didn't match up to the Glacier Tek phase change vest.

With the issues I experienced relative to cold, I do wonder if they wear their own vests extensively before they go to market....

[mstile]

I have yet to take the dive, but after 16 miles on the bike in hot humid new england hills... I need something to cool me off. I had chills when I got back in the house - was running a fever. Happens to me a lot, both after long rides and soccer games.

Going to talk to my Dr. and see if insurance will cover one - it should as long as i have a prescription, and my deductible is long since paid off

Thanks for your hard work and skin sacrifice!
-mike

[mstile]

Do you think the Steele vest may be useful for this type of scenario? I'm thinking selfishly for a minute here, but I definitely appreciate your thoughts:

1. freeze vest
2. pack vest in bag to go soccer game - drive 25 min
3. play game in outdoor/indoor heat for 1.5 hours
4. plop on vest 2 hours after taking out of the freezer

Think it would still be cold? And, under the same circumstances, would the ArcticHeat have any cooling power left after approx. 2 hours. My main objective would be after high heat activity cooling, because I think cooling vests sounds like a better solution than Tylenol/Advil to bring my body temp down.

Thanks Dave,
-mike

[ActiveMSers]

Hey Mike. The answer is probably for the Steele, especially if the cooling packs are layered with the vest stored folded closed (don't leave the vest wide open).

I actually experimented with the Glacier Tek vest this weekend during the World Cup. My sister's A/C doesn't work that well, so I brought the vest and left it in the car for backup. Five hours later, after sitting in the hot, hot car with windows closed (95 degrees), there was still cooling power left. I put our leftover pizza between the phase change packs and drove home.

The Steele vest though might give you more cold relief as the vest itself will likely feel colder. The ArcticHeat vest will definitely need a cooler to last that long, but it is another option. It's often used for pre or post workout cooling.

[ActiveMSers]

Mike, I'd also recommend you wear the vest prior to the game while you are driving there. Precooling can be quite helpful....

[mstile]

Never thought of that (pre-cooling), I might try that tonight on the way to indoor with the neck wrap that I have. Pushing 96 and humid in Boston area today... the arena could be an oven, I actually will consider the pro's/con's of playing when I get there if it's too oppressive.

Thanks for you advice, I left my Neuro a message to see if she can write me a prescription and get it under my insurance plan. Though to this minute I haven't decided.

ty,
-mike

[stev-o]

stacool vest

I recently purchased a Stacool vest. It wasn't in the test but I liked the fact it came with an extra set of paks so I could keep some in the freezer and keep going - and the black one didn't look too bad in the pictures. My first real test was the exciting task of cleaning out my garage which was still full of junk from my home remodel. The temperature was low 90s and low humidity out here in Ca. I wore it over a t-shirt and it felt good when I first put it on and it still felt cool after a couple hours but I still felt hot - not unbearably hot but still sweating. Oddly, after taking it off my chi-chi's looked red like Dave's and felt like ice cubes. Wondering if frost-bite is a possiblity.
It's nice not to be a prisoner in my house when it gets hot.