Cooling Vests

While on a trip to Vegas this summer, I stopped for a rest in Baker.

While in the rest room, I watched two motorcyclists come in, fill the small sink with water, soak their vests, and then exit dripping water all the way.

Those must be the "cooling vests" I've seen and read about.

Yesterday, I wanted to ride in the heat (95+ deg. F), so I took an old cotton t-shirt (black thick with a rock band logo on the front) and soaked it in water.
I put it on wet and then put a mesh jacket on, then the bright yellow safety mesh vest.

Wow! What a difference! It cost almost nothing, and it lasted about 45 min!

I will not cross the desert to Vegas WITHOUT that next time.
It's low tech, cheap, and dependable.... highly recommended.

Funny you should mention this, I just got an email from twistedthrottle.com about such a vest. Macna Dry Evaporative Cooling Vest at TwistedThrottle.com - YouTube

I think this is a nifty idea.

this week's daily temperatures in "sunny" California.

Sun: 95, Mon: 97, Tue: 99, Wed: 104, Thu: 102, Fri: 97, Sat: 99

I've grown up with that my whole life, but it makes riding harder. Wet T-Shirts are my new friends.

A wet short works great. The only difference between a wet short and a manufactured cooling vest is that the manufactured one holds more water, and will therefore last longer before drying out. The Macna vest looks interesting, as it doesn't actually get you wet. However, it doesn't get hot enough often enough where I live to justify the price for me. If I lived in a warmer clime, I would consider it. As it stands, my mesh gear serves me well, and if I need a little extra I can do the wet shirt thing.

StratTuner said:

Wet T-Shirts are my new friends.

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I've always been a fan of properly worn wet T-Shirts too!

I was going to ask if this means you weren't selling your NC700, StratTuner, but then I saw your other post. Tis a happy day.

More importantly, what rock band logo?

I've always liked wet tee shirts. At Daytona bike week every year I always go to the wet T-Shirt contest at Dirty Harry's. Very interesting!

JDE said:

I've always been a fan of properly worn wet T-Shirts too!

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(I knew someone would go after that!) Yes, but not on guys like me!

bamamate said:

More importantly, what rock band logo?

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Van Halen - still one of my favorite bands.

StratTuner said:

Van Halen - still one of my favorite bands.

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And I was beginning to think I was alone

Last August I was riding my NC across GA headed to the mountains and it started to rain. Seeing as it was about 90 degrees I decided to ride on through it without stopping for rain gear as late summer rain tends to last but a few minutes. It did but the second, third, fourth, etc. rain clouds lasted longer. I got soaked through and through. I started shivering after maybe 60 minutes of this and realized I was getting hypothermic even though it was probably 80 - 86 degrees air temp. The power of evaporative cooling.

I usually wear a microfiber neck gaiter all year round. In the summer heat I'll wet it and just that around my neck helps cool my entire body.

Over here, we are needing the HEATED vests....brrrrr...

California really doesn't have "seasons"...just HOT (summer) and PERFECT (winter-with some rain) the rest of the time.

I haven't had a motorcycle in rain for 30 years, but even that's not too bad. It's never freezing rain or anything like that.

StratTuner said:

California really doesn't have "seasons"...just HOT (summer) and PERFECT (winter-with some rain) the rest of the time.

I haven't had a motorcycle in rain for 30 years, but even that's not too bad. It's never freezing rain or anything like that.

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That's Southern California. Here up north, I ride 12 months a year. (Yes, I am bragging!) There are a few days where the rain is heavy enough or cold enough where riding is too much like work. Then I take the car.

I haven't really needed additional cooling in MN yet... it was a fairly mild summer up until a few weeks ago... been hitting heat indexes in the 100's for the past week (up until yesterday which was beautiful) but it's mostly been humidity which seems to matter less when you are moving.

That being said, has anyone with a benchtop thread injector (sewing machine) found a cheap source for the "Shamwow" style towels and sew one into a cheap t-shirt/vest?

I saw a cool idea on another forum. This person took a Camelback bladder, and attached a squeeze bulb and length of hose that went into his jacket and over his neck/shoulders. When his shirt dries out, he sqweezes the bulb and his shirt is wet again. Sounds pretty good and cheap way to keep cool

Sent from a Speak & Spell wired to a record player, a saw blade, a fork, and an umbrella.

FieldSheer Iceberg Cooling Vest

I did buy a Iceberg Cooling vest and used it twice, works very well for cooling but is heavy when soaked. Learned to use it for only longer trips, a short trip to the local BBQ joint left my clothes soaked after taking the vest off.

FieldSheer Iceberg Cooling Vest - $24.99 closeout special! In stock NOW! :: MSRP: $49.99