DIY cool shirt info
 

Thought some people here may find this useful for their track cars. I am putting one in after using one last weekend in the lemons car.

http://specthismiata.com/2008/08/03/...-shirt-system/

Also:

http://www.trackhq.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3260

Pretty cool, I could use that here in Az

That project is definitely on my to-do list.

I worked for the company that made the original Exotemp shirts and pants for the military back in the 90's. We made a few prototype units for a Cascar team from somewhere near Ottawa, Canada. They loved them but the concern was that in an emergency the hoses might get hung up. We made a disconnect that separated under tension but by the time we got everything sorted it was too expensive.

Hell that might be good for a DD even, plumbed into the back of the seat. If only I felt comfortable tearing up my Start...

Thats badass.

I'd want to rig up some sort of peltier system to cool the water in a smaller container vs a huge container with ice. Wouldn't cost a huge amount more.

I've had something like this in mind to throw together once I'm downrange to use during convoys... Hopefully I can pull it off :giggle:

By the time you're in body armor, and you've got your water on you, and your M4, and everything else on you, you would be lucky to have the room for the hoses - let alone finding a place to store and power the setup in whatever 24v military vehicle you're in.

The part that's worse though: The extra layers you're wearing that WONT be cooling you when you're dismounted, or even just walking around whatever base you're on...

(Run it off a 9v battery out of your camelback!!!)

:giggle:

Stay alive and safe - we don't want the terrorists to discover our state-of-the-art cooling technology!! It'll be something else for them to get mad at us about!! ;)

+1 - won't be hard too do either, and cheap. You know Cool Shirt wants $7000+ for theirs?!? Insane - http://www.coolshirt.net/racing-liquid-cooler.html

I could have used this walking out to my car this morning. It was 82*F and 80% humidity. By the time i reached my car I was already sweating. I at least I smell like a man.

We ran ours off a Makita battery pack from a drill and achieved a 9 hour duration. They can be quick changed and recharged in-vehicle too. You don't need a lot of flow when properly designed and insulated. In fact, too much flow can reduce your core temperature to the point of hypothermia. (rectal thermometers are fun). A half gallon of solid ice should run for two hours at 110F ambient.

Just remember that thermoelectric coolers are very inefficient. It takes a lot more power to transfer heat with one than you think.

I wonder if the marshal will let me on the track with an Igloo on the back of the bike...it was friggin' hot Saturday, hot enough I'll probably wait til fall to do another trackday.

Word. Some of those July/August CMRA Endurance races are brutally hot. Trying to go fast on a bike for over an hour at MSR-C in 100 deg temps in the sun is tough even with full-perf leathers. A cool-shirt would be like heaven. Getting an ice chest strapped to the bike through tech inspection, well that would be another issue :)

Some riders have been experimenting with ice packs in their speed humps on their leathers. I think some of the custom leather suppliers will mod or add speed humps on suits with pouches for ice. Maybe that would work. I know I seriously considered it.

EDIT: Actually, what would be easier would be a camelback. I've seen some of the riders using them so they will work over leathers. Use the water tube to supply a small pump running off of a battery. Dump the return line into the cap on the top. Run dry breaks though a hole on the leathers. Done.

What would keep the water from just getting ungodly hot ungodly fast?

Wow cry me a sweat river. It was 92 here yesterday with 90% humidity. 80% humidity is child's play.

Drafting another bike will keep it from getting hot. Get close enough, and the time-space continuum folds in half. Stay there, and the water will stay as cold as it did when you left the line. As soon as you break the draft though, you get all that energy added to the water at once - tends to get a little warm in a matter of milliseconds :giggle:

I'm doing a motorcycle track 2-day on monday and tuesday. It's not enduro thank god. My leathers are about half-perf, and i'll likely be wearing bicycle shorts + back protector underneath, and nothing else. I'll just be sure to have a cooler loaded with lots of gatorade, so i can chug after each session...

I wouldn't buy one from here but a couple good ideas you could make yourself for a fraction of the price (aimed at you bike guys)

http://www.coolshirt.net/industry-comfort-cooler.html

http://www.coolshirt.net/port-a-cool-system.html