Abstract
A number of ice vest manufacturers offer cooling garments containing gelled coolant rather than pure water. No data has been provided on the heat storage capacity of gelled coolants, however, or on product-specific guidelines for the use of these ice vests. An experiment was designed to compare the heat storage capacity of three commercial ice vests containing gelled coolant materials to the heat storage capacity of a water-ice vest. The experimental data show that the gelled coolants tested have significantly lower heat capacities than water. The potential effect of reduced heat storage capacity on stay times in hot environments is discussed.