Getting ready to ride out of Phoenix to Denver. Going to be hot this weekend along the route. Plan to drink lots of water. I have a hydration vest to wear. Have any of you used one of this type vest, and how well did it work? Thanks for any feed back you provide.

 

I live in Phoenix and made a run up to Denver last August. I also have a hydration vest and it works great for about an hour. It will get you out of town and up to a little core elevation. They dry out pretty fast in this dry climate. I always leave town either early in the morning or later evening so I don't have to deal with the heat as much. What route are you planning to take?

 

Never had a vest but I can tell you it's getting hotter here in Colorado. No rain in the forcast.

 

the vest would work best with some type of mesh jacket. dries out quickly...but stays damp for a long time. have to hang it up in motel room at night or strap it on top of your other gear so it can dry out. to reactivate vest you need to soak it in cold water in a sink or something similiar. it gets you going in the morning, but not easy to use in the heat of the day when stopping for gas. a long sleeve tee shirt and drink lots of fluids and you will be fine.

 

i cant say that I have ever tried one on the street but I have used them extensively on offroad. they can be great to an extent, but if the humidity is very high the effectiveness of most cooling vests is pretty short and can actually turn dangerous if worn to long. in a high humid environment once the jacket warms up it basically turn your body into a radiator.

 

Get a Camel pack and fill it with Pedialyte. Hydration vests help. Make sure your skin is covered. Sun block of corse.

 

I used one for a stretch of the California desert during Run for the Wall. Wore it under a mesh jacket from Barstow to Needles. It helped, but it dried out pretty much by Needles. To be fair I didn't have an opportunity to soak it in Barstow, but I had soaked it before we left RC and carried it in a trash bag until I needed it. Didn't think I would need it anymore after that so I dropped it off with my daughter in Holbrook.

By the way, It's supposed to be 105° up here this weekend.

 

Get a large ziplock bag and re-hydrate your vest at fuel stops. They work best under a mesh jacket. Don't forget to hydrate yourself as well. I also wear a Chillipad http://www.froggtoggs.com/chilly-pad-9.html you can pick one up at Wallys

 

Stay away from coffee and soda. Both are diuretics and actually inhibits your body from absorbing water.

 

As the folks ahead of me said - The vest is helpful and lasts about an hour in the heat. In the past I have used a restaurant toilet tank while eating breakfast to re-soak.

I would suggest departing at 2 or 3AM if possible. The forecast for this weekend is 118+ in the metropolitan area.

Wear plenty of sunscreen on the exposed areas.