Keep cool with tech to fend off the coming heat apocalypse
20 August 2019
REASONS TO BUY
- Highly effective cooling
- Easy to use
- Comfortable and light
- Remains cool for hours
REASONS TO AVOID
- Zilch
Okay so that’s the boring stuff out of the way, on to some proper gadgetry. Of all the cooling products on the market, this evaporative tank vest is far and away the most effective for long-term cooling on the move. Small wonder it’s such a hit with the construction industry.
This writer followed the instructions and submerged the vest in a sink of tap water for about two minutes. I then squeezed out the excess water and slipped it over my T-shirt (Techniche advises wearing it against the skin or under a breathable sports top). The result was Holy Grail-esque. In fact I had to take it off after 45 minutes to warm up again – and this was during the last UK heatwave. Perhaps even more surprising was how light it felt to wear, even though it was loaded with water.This writer followed the instructions and submerged the vest in a sink of tap water for about two minutes. I then squeezed out the excess water and slipped it over my T-shirt Techniche advises wearing it against the skin or under a breathable sports top). The result was Holy Grail-esque. In fact I had to take it off after 45 minutes to warm up again – and this was during the last UK heatwave. Perhaps even more surprising was how light it felt to wear, even though it was loaded with water.
The Kewlshirt 6201 is constructed out of soft Spandex with a sponge-like HyperKewl fabric inner and a waterproof nylon liner to keep the body dry. According to Techniche, the vest cools down by up to 15˚C, reducing the body’s core temperature in the process. You can safely expect it to remain cool for five to ten hours on a single soaking and this writer can vouch for that, because our test model was still cool to the touch six hours later.