What's your/the best COOLING riding gear?? :flame

Freebird

Freebird

Moto Fueler
With the summer hot-slam :flame coming now I see all of these 'COOL VEST' and neck gear etc. and wanted to ask everyone to share which one's actually work and which are overhyped and useless -- and your experiences??? [as my last dupe to this stuff was in the Sharper Image era = fake and broke in 1 use]

Please share - with photos too -- you best and worst of what's out there . . . oh I smell the BBQ coals . . . :later

Cheers!
 
dravnx

dravnx

Well-known member
Pretty much any cooling vest works if used properly. As long as you're moving, wearing a non perforated, non mesh jacket with a few vents open and the vest wet, it will drop the temps significantly. Here in the west where we have low humidity, they work great.
I pack my vest in a small dry bag. I used to use a zip lock but it always leaked. Before the ride, I fill the bag with water. When it start getting uncomfortably hot, I put the vest on. If it's really hot, I won't ring it out, just put it on dripping. It'll last about 45 minutes to an hour before it needs to be soaked down again.
 
m0t0_ryder

m0t0_ryder

RYD!
dravnx said:
Pretty much any cooling vest works if used properly. As long as you're moving, wearing a non perforated, non mesh jacket with a few vents open and the vest wet, it will drop the temps significantly. Here in the west where we have low humidity, they work great.
I pack my vest in a small dry bag. I used to use a zip lock but it always leaked. Before the ride, I fill the bag with water. When it start getting uncomfortably hot, I put the vest on. If it's really hot, I won't ring it out, just put it on dripping. It'll last about 45 minutes to an hour before it needs to be soaked down again.
Click to expand...

What he said, but... I use ice instead of water in the storage bag.
It's usually melted down by the time I decide to put the vest on. Nice & chill.
I will also stop during gas stops to re-wet it with cold water from the gas station (convenience store) beverages machine (with ice).
 
O

ocoas

Well-known member
I like my cooling vest and have used it in temps up to 107 without it I would not have been able to ride for a few miles.

I carry the vest in a 1 gallon zip lock bag dry.
When it’s time to put on the vest I stop at a gas station / convenient store.
I always ask if if I can get a cup of ice. I place the ice in the bag, add water, let the bag set for 10/15 minutes while I get gas.

If it’s hot when leaving home I cool it and put on and bring a thermos with ice water in it for the first re-wetting

I put the vest on, my rain fly over the vest and then my perf jacket.
I can ride for over an hour before re-wetting it.

The down side you have to stop ever so often to re-wet.
 
norcalkid

norcalkid

Well-known member
I don't have a vest but the Klim Induction jacket is tough to beat for airflow. (I'm not a big fan of the matching pants)
 
Starpower

Starpower

Well-known member
Cooling vest as well. When left at home and stuck in the heat I'll fill all the pockets of my Aerostitch with ice.
 
ucmgrad

ucmgrad

Well-known member
I finally pulled the trigger and bought some summer/mesh gear. The real test will be today (Supposed to be 106' here in Modesto). I bought Joe Rocket Phoenix 5.0 Jacket, Phoenix Ion pants and Phoenix 5.1 gloves. So far the breath ability has been great on my commute home. I'll report back on how it feels today.
 
afm199

afm199

Well-known member
ucmgrad said:
I finally pulled the trigger and bought some summer/mesh gear. The real test will be today (Supposed to be 106' here in Modesto). I bought Joe Rocket Phoenix 5.0 Jacket, Phoenix Ion pants and Phoenix 5.1 gloves. So far the breath ability has been great on my commute home. I'll report back on how it feels today.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, mesh doesn't protect skin much in a crash. It just melts and ends up in your hide.
 
ucmgrad

ucmgrad

Well-known member
I completely agree with you, eventually I'll purchase another higher quality set but I was getting desperate and needed something because my A-Star gear doesn't breath at all (Winter Jacket/Pants). The Joe Rocket set I have now at least has canvas/fabric in the butt and shoulder area, so for now it'll have to suffice.
 
budman

budman

General Menace
Staff member
m0t0_ryder said:
What he said, but... I use ice instead of water in the storage bag.
It's usually melted down by the time I decide to put the vest on. Nice & chill.
I will also stop during gas stops to re-wet it with cold water from the gas station (convenience store) beverages machine (with ice).
Click to expand...

I do this too. Pretty much lasts for gas to gas.. and then reload.

A lot of wetness though. Not good for leather really. I don't have a mesh jacket but enough vents to keep it cooling. Probably keeps it from evaporating quicker and does give you additional protection.

If I remember I will look at the name of the product tomorrow and share.
It holds an amazing amount of fluid. Super happy with it.

I am going to add a cooling neck tie to the mix before heading to Weaverville.
 
CDONA

CDONA

Home of Vortex tuning
Only seen it once, I found a helmet cooler made of the same stuff as a cooling neck tie. Only a 5" to 6" flat circle of this that sits on top your head, under the helmet.
May be easier to make one than to find, it was a vendor that made his own stock to sell.
Works good with a beanie, my unvented 3/4 not so much.
 
ST Guy

ST Guy

Well-known member
I don't recall the name of my vest but it worked well enough. Nowadays there seems to be many, many options available. I just ran across this site and there's probably two dozen manufacturers.

http://www.mycoolingstore.com/cooling-vest.html

Besides a good cooling vest, if you have a big touring jacket like the Darien, you can pack the pockets with ice cubes. I did that once riding in the high desert of Oregon on the way to Idaho. Temperatures were around 115. I stopped at a small store out in the middle of nowhere and bought a big bag of ice. After removing all normal stuff I carry in my pockets (don't forget to do that), I packed all the pockets on the front of my Darien with as much ice as they could hold. I then poured a bunch of water down my front and back and sealed up the remained of the ice and put it in my trunk. It worked pretty well.

I was going to see if I could rig up a cooling system for my helmet where tiny hoses routed through the vent channels between the liner and the foam would be connected to a pressurized water source and a press of a button would mist inside the helmet. Never built it, though.
 
moto-rama

moto-rama

Well-known member
As long as it doesn't matter what I look or smell like after a long ride in the heat, I wear my one-piece Roadcrafter, with the pockets filled with ice. Kind of damp and clammy, but dam cold.

Ice water in the helmet with a wet bandana on top of my head, and another around my neck. Every fill up, fresh cubes in the 'stich, and new ice water everywhere else.

Sounds ridiculous, but that method got me from SLC to Reno without heat stroke in a 100 plus heat wave.
 
Last edited:
Freebird

Freebird

Moto Fueler
dravnx said:
Pretty much any cooling vest works if used properly. As long as you're moving, wearing a non perforated, non mesh jacket with a few vents open and the vest wet . . .
Click to expand...

Wow, thank you!

So if you have one of those vests you soak or fridge/freeze, then it works better to have 'NON-Perf' outer gear on?? Trippy?
 
Freebird

Freebird

Moto Fueler
Thanks/Any brands better than others?

ocoas said:
I like my cooling vest and have used it in temps up to 107 without it I would not have been able to ride for a few miles.

I carry the vest in a 1 gallon zip lock bag dry.
When it’s time to put on the vest I stop at a gas station / convenient store.
I always ask if if I can get a cup of ice. I place the ice in the bag, add water, let the bag set for 10/15 minutes while I get gas.

If it’s hot when leaving home I cool it and put on and bring a thermos with ice water in it for the first re-wetting

I put the vest on, my rain fly over the vest and then my perf jacket.
I can ride for over an hour before re-wetting it.

The down side you have to stop ever so often to re-wet.
Click to expand...


Thank you so much for this man! Will follow your guidelines here for sure!
Any recommendations as to all the brands of vests out there? I see many, and the pricers vary so much it leaves the CVN (Cooling Vest Newbie) totally perplexed as to where and what is true and what does not work or isn't worth the $$. There's vests, short sleeved, $30, $150, $225? And the reviews are all over the place, so watned to hit the trusted wizards of heat exchange here on BARF - first! :thumbup

Cheers . . and thanks again!
 
MikeL

MikeL

Well-known member
I don't think I've ever been so hot riding a motorcycle. Today was brutal. It's supposedly cooler but it felt worse. :thumbdown

After getting home I almost don't feel good after all that heat.

No recommendations except don't wear black gear in this heat like I did :twofinger
 
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