Cooling Vest

[Sir Brian]

I'll have to look these over. I'd be tempted to get them gold plated so they hold their shine without tarnishing.

I did get them gold plated and strapped...which is probably why I haven't received them yet and I ordered them three weeks ago. 

Sir Brian, you could probably get by with just a lightly padded jacket, or doublet....

Yeah but I want to try to stay semi-authentic even though my mail gloves aren't and I have aluminum mail! 

In that case, good luck Sir Brian!

Thanks Bill!
I'm sure it will workout ok...it's got to fit and breath better than what I have been using! 
http://www.maskworld.com/english/products/costumes/costume-component-parts--250/gambesons-brigantines--2501/gambeson-tiberias--MR-100586

[Sir Brian]

I'll have to look these over. I'd be tempted to get them gold plated so they hold their shine without tarnishing.

I did get them gold plated and strapped...which is probably why I haven't received them yet and I ordered them three weeks ago. 

UPDATE on the spurs...
They arrived yesterday and they are beautiful! Raymond did a really great job with both
the gold plating and the straps which can be easily changed when they wear out. 
Here are some picts.

[Dragonlover]

Suh-weet!!!!

[Sir Brian]

UPDATE on this cooling vest:
http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/product_pages/View_Catalog_Page.asp?ID=3471

I soaked it in cold water for 30 minutes as directed and put it on over a dry t-shirt
and wore my new gambeson for awhile. The vest has evenly spaced chambers filled
with some absorbent crystals which caused the chambers to expand but it wasn't
noticeable wearing it under the gambeson. It definately kept me cold...also damp
of course but that is actually a good thing to help keep you from dehydrating since
the dampness acts as artifically induced sweat. - (it just isn't too pleasant!) 

After wearing it for awhile I hung the vest up to see how long the chambers would
remain expanded and cold. It lasted a good 8 hours!

So I'll give it a try at NCRF to see how it works, but so far it looks promising and the
price is an added incentive...I also got the hardhat cooling pad to put inside my helm
which I'll try at the NCRF as well. 


Oh and Bill, You were right about the gambeson being cut weird. I can easily tell that
it would NOT be suitible for anyone's need for actual WMA...but it does work well for
my lesser needs and besides that I love the longer sleeves.
- So I would not recommend the gambeson for anyone who is into WMA. 

[Sir Brian]

So I'll give it a try at NCRF to see how it works, but so far it looks promising and the
price is an added incentive...I also got the hardhat cooling pad to put inside my helm
which I'll try at the NCRF as well.

An update on this endeavor...

It was mid-upper 70’s on Saturday with a nice breeze. Overall the cooling vest
and most especially the helmet cooling pad worked wonderfully! 

A little background information first:
Typically when I’m in the hotel getting dressed; I’ll put on almost all of my armor and
surcoat except for the gorget, vambraces, helm and elbow cops…so that by time I’m
ready to leave I have begun to sweat profusely which just continues on throughout
the day after walking around in the sunlight etc, until I achieve a mediocre condition
of heat stress that is barely tolerable and leaves me in a smelly and soggy state that
seriously makes me too self-conscious to enjoy hanging out in a restaurant after the
faire with my renfair friends. 

As of Saturday that was NOT the case. I barely broke a sweat by time I left the hotel
and I did not feel the least bit heat stressed all day! I didn’t even feel the need to
keep hydrated! Like I stated earlier, the helmet pad was the best! These are DEFINITELY
a must have for anyone wearing armor! 

[Dragonlover]

Alas, we have to remember Sir Brian, that it wasn't a typical steamer of
a hot day out like we're used to. We actually had damn nice weather to
be sporting armor. Nice breeze, ya' couldn't ask for better! Feeling the effects
of the cap though, still ought to serve you well!

[Sir Brian]

UPDATE on this cooling vest:
http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/product_pages/View_Catalog_Page.asp?ID=3471

UPDATE on the UPDATE: 

Well I had to toss this vest into the trash because one of the straps got torn off and the fabric for one of the
chambers ripped open. All in all it worked adequately but I'd have to fail it for durability. I wore it six/seven times
and it's trashed? - Good thing it was only $20.00! 

I'll have to try a different one. - I don't think any cooling method will work as well as we would like but I am
convinced that some cooling scheme is better than none! The alternatives is less time in the harness -i.e. at
the faire and the added risk of succumbing to heat exhaustion/stroke. 

[Sir Wolf]

linen under tunic, wool over tunic

[Sir Edward]

Oh man, sorry to hear it failed so soon.

So far I've done OK just pouring lots of water into my under-tunic. But I haven't been wearing any padding, so the air flows through pretty well and the mail doesn't retain much heat anyway since it's aluminum. Still, by the end of the day I'm sometimes wilting. When we went to VARF as a group a few weeks ago, the last 30 minutes before we left, I was dehydrated and getting lethargic, even though I guzzled 4 or 5 waters over the afternoon. When I went back last week, I only had 2 and never got dehydrated like that. The weather makes a huge impact.

[Sir Matthew]

I have never had the heat really bother me in my armor, and I wear padding under it that I made myself.  I generally drink ALOT of water all day, though.  I also work outside and I think being used to the heat makes a big difference as well.  I know my wife has gotten heat exhaustion in her corset on some of the warmer days, but I have been just fine.  She works inside though. 

[Sir Edward]

You're right, I think that makes a big difference too. I work at a computer constantly, so I'm usually not well acclimated to the outdoor heat. I usually do OK with enough water, but by the end of the day I'm sometimes dragging.

[Sir Brian]

I'd have to say I was between those two ends of the scales. I do some of my work outside but not
any long durations however the AC in my car doesn't work and only the driver side window goes down
so I guess that gets me accostomed to sweating profusely. 

[Sir Wolf]

why not do an experiment. the week before you goto faire try to live without AC (house and car) or be outside as much as you can. then see how you deal at faire that Saturday... then reward yourself Sunday with AC again hehehe. I know it seems to work in the winter with me, I work a lot outside and then during hunting season when I'm outside for 10+ hours sitting I'm not as cold.

[Sir Edward]

try to live without AC (house and car) or be outside as much as you can.

Uhm... no thanks

[Sir Brian]

Well since my lighter wrestling jacket had to be exchanged and the correct sized one isn't here yet,
I'm forced to consider cooling options again!

So here are some pictures of my new $10.00 cooling T-shirt!




I'm glad I'm wearing my headphones while you read this so I can't hear you all laughing! 

It will hopefully keep my body core temperature cooler than that cooling vest did, which was marginally
successful. 

So I guess I could call it cold pockets?