Staying cool

[4mulaGuy]

Does anyone have experience with the CoolShirts or Cool Vests (RPCM)? The coolshirt Porta Cool system uses a small can of refrigerant which you press when you want a cool shot. The Cool Vest has cool packs you stick in your icechest and they recharge quite quickly.

I borrowed Darrell Benner's Coolvest packs and stuffed them into my suit and it worked well. I wondered if the CoolShirt worked any better because it has the tubing in the front and back - but then you got to hit the button anytime you want to be cool. I just wonder if I have to hit it every lap, I might be a little distracted. Thoughts?

- Rob

[Keith Carter]

I use the CoolVest and it works as desired. We can only use the packs in the front of the vest though due to them jabbing me in the back if we try the back pockets too. It's still enough to keep my body temp down when roasting in the sun. The only real time I notice using it though is when we're on the pre-grid. Once on the track, I don't feel anything.

[John Green]

For the financially impaired, Bruce May taught me this years ago. Get a plastic IV bag. (sneak into the old folks home and steal one from your Grandmother)
Fill it with ice , loop it around your neck upside down with a string.zip it up under your drivers suit, Run the tube up in to your helmet...instant cool vest with drink bottle as the ice melts!
Just don't use it on a cool day. I did once and damn near froze to death.

[Ted Idlof]

We can only use the packs in the front of the vest though due to them jabbing me in the back if we try the back pockets too

I just bought the packets and made my own vest with a tank top, some extra material and a sewing machine. I postioned the packet pockets exactly where they fit best with the front two packets outboard of the shoulder belts (below the arm pits) and the back two horizontal in the small of my back. They fit nicely and are quite efficient there. I don't notice them with belts snugged and ready to go.

[SStadel]

I second Keith's post. The cool vest works great, especially on pre-grid. I too only use the fronts in the race car. When loading the trailer in the hot sun, I put them in front and back.

[Clat91]

Last year I used the coolshirt with the refrig cans. IMHO, they work good, but not great. I never mounted the can because it never lasted to the 1 minute whistle anyway so I would just toss it before engine start up on the grid. Also, it is extremely cold where the refrigerant enters but it doesn't make it the whole way around the shirt that cold, so there is unevenness. After using it, I can understand why they work better with continuous water cooling.

This year I am using Ted's method. A homemade shirt with pockets under the armpits for "Ace cold compresses" and also a neck cooler from Pegasus. On the grid I close my arms to get extra cooling but once rolling they don't interfere with anything. I think it works much better and it "Keeps It Simple Stu".

Good luck and stay cool!

[carnut169]

I use the phase-change cooling packs. We sewed 4 pockets into the front of my driver's suit and slip the packets in before I get in the car. The packets will help keep your core temps down for the entire secession then only require about 30mins to "recharge". They are absolutely wonderful and inexpensive. Lots of places sell them- even found a guy on Ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Phase-change-coo...QQcmdZViewItem

I think they are better then ice (too cold, does not last as long) or the cool shirt system which is not practical for formula car drivers.

[EYERACE]

i tried one of the "shaving cream" cans with the cool-shirt a few years ago........ there's virtually no place to mount it in a formula car cockpit......so i bought the thing that is sort of a drink holder made out of what looks like 2" seat belt material, which you put sideways onto one of your shoulder belts...... so that the can can now flop around....... .........in the car, the connector for the can and tube leaked so that a lot of the coolant didn't get in there but at home it had worked fine. i could tell the idea was to give it a nice long shot of coolant on the same straight maybe each lap and that i would indeed get a strong cold jolt when i did it long enough but i would then slowly warm back up. i couldn't reach the can top push button easily in the formula car and depressing it strongly enough and long enough for a sustained cold jolt was a challange.
in the hotter coupe of the MGBGT, it seemed like the better idea if it was to be a one hour race............but the car didn't last the only time i tried it in the coupe......MG all too often stands for "might go" or "mighty good" - there may be no inbetween
i wouldn't recommend the shaving can/cool shirt to a formula car driver
i would recommend being in great physical condition
maybe an enduro driver would like the can/shirt

[4mulaGuy]

Thanks

[4mulaGuy]

Thanks everyone. It looks like the phase change packs are the solution. I like the idea of sewing pockets into the suit - seems simple and easy.

Having to push the button every lap (and hold it) seems too complicated.

- Rob