cooling vests. which is best?

[Kane Mcguire]

i have not tried one but it does make a difference when i soak a tshirt underneath my jersy before a race. its hot up here in qld and racing starts soon! there are a few on the market and dont know which to get.

[brent j]

I haven't tried a cooling vest but I wear a 2XU compression "TEE" top and it certainly helps.

They are tight fitting but they wick the sweat away and allow it to evaporate in the breeze. Wetting them makes them work even better.
I ride in hot conditions and for trail riding I wear the 2XU top and a Dainese wave jacket. It's the most comfortable I've found up here.

They do make a dedicated cooling vest, one of the guys tried one and he had to spray a gel on it every so often. Maybe an alcohol based stuff.
His conclusion was that it was not worth the extra effort over the normal top but you may want to try yourself.

Brent

[Kane Mcguire]

thanks, i will google it.

[crash n bern]

I have my doubts about the compression tops. Although it would come down to personal preference.  I trail ride in QLD heat and have spent time stuck in gullies in 40 degree heat were everyone looked like they had beetroot heads that were about to explode.

In those situations I couldn't get the compression top off quick enough. It just wouldn't let enough breeze through to cool me.  My theory is, yes they wick away the sweat, but sweat is the body's air conditioning system and you need it for cooling.  In cold to moderate temperature I love the compression shirt, but come summer I wont use it.
I wear a Dianese pressure suit with nothing under it and one of those Fox ventilated jerseys and the Fox ventilated pants.

As for the vests, if your talking about the ones you soak in water, they get pretty heavy.  But if you put them on top of whatever you have in your esky they keep it cool for days and make your ice last longer.