Frequently Asked Questions

The chemical in the phase change material technology cool packs is completely nontoxic, safe, and environmentally friendly. If swallowed, it acts as a laxative. Should the Cool Pack become punctured and bleed onto your skin, it may cause very minor irritation, so it’s important that you scrub with soap and water. If you’d like a Material Safety Data Sheet on this product, please email us and we’ll be happy to send it to you.

Evaporative vests work like perspiration. The water evaporates and the fabric temperature drops. As the relative humidity increases, there is less room in the air for the water to go, so it slows or stops evaporating. Like when you start to sweat and water beads start to form on your skin. Inside a chemical suit, there is a limited amount of air for the water to evaporate into, also your body is sweating into the same closed atmosphere. The suit will reach 95% Relative Humidity (RH) inside and when you sweat and your boots fill up with water. Our phase change material is 65 degrees. It absorbs the heat, into the cool packs. Unlike Ice packs our cool packs are above dew point and will not sweat or condense water from the air.

If the Cool Packs are not punctured or otherwise damaged then they will last 5 years. If they are stored in a cool dark place and taken care of properly sometimes they will last longer. However, they are rated as a 5-year useful life.

Typically 20 minutes in ice water, and approx. 35 minutes in a freezer. They recharge more quickly in ice water because of the conductive method of chilling. In a freezer, they chill convectively, which takes slightly longer. The packs will recharge when ever they are below 65 deg.

There are four key benefits to Genuine Texas Cool Vest products:

• Our genuine Texas Cool Vest “cool packs” will not start leaking or sweating after 6 months like the other PCM vest. This is because of the type plastic used to hold the chemicals. This is why we have a three year warranty. Others use cheaper materials to increase their margins. Texas Cool Vest will not compromise on quality, that’s why we only use pure chemicals, and real milspec fabrics and double stitch our vest. We have tens of thousands of vests in service world wide.
• Texas Cool Vest phase change material technology Cool Packs operate at a much more comfortable temperature. Others will claim 50 or 70 degrees PCM. Some are too cold and others are not cold enough, NASA studied this and that means it won’t cause skin or tissue damage, or cause extreme discomfort like ice packs.
• Texas Cool Vest, phase change material technology Cool Packs will be effective for a longer period of time between charges. The reason? The difference in temperature between ambient (surrounding) air and the Cool Pack is much less than the difference in temperature between ambient air and ice. That means more cooling is absorbed by the body and less is lost to the air.
• Texas Cool Vest phase change material Cool Packs are cooled to a temperature that is above the dew point. That means they won’t condense or sweat against your body or clothing. Ice and frozen gel packs are below the dew point, so they sweat, making them uncomfortable to wear and adding to the weight of the vest or jacket. Condensation also robs the ice pack of efficiency because condensation creates heat, which is absorbed by the pack, further reducing its efficiency.

Phase change material technology Cool Packs provide much greater efficiency and better performance. Evaporative-type products, by their nature, retain water, so are always wet and can absorb bacteria. This makes them uncomfortable against your skin. And it means they’ll mildew quickly over time, since they never dry out. Further, evaporative-type products can’t operate in high humidity, because the atmosphere is already saturated with water, so there is no place for the evaporation to go. Phase change material products, on the other hand, are unaffected by humidity.

Yes, they will. But keep in mind that our products are worn to maintain core temperature. The purpose of phase change material cooling technology is to maintain a comfortable core temperature and prevent that temperature from increasing. It’s our goal to help you avoid heat stress in the first place.

Yes. A phase change occurs whenever matter changes from one form into another. Water can change from a solid (ice) to a liquid, as well as to a vapor. Water changes into a solid at a specific temperature: 32º F. But phase change material Cool Packs change into their solid form at 65º F. Since water changes into its solid form at such a low temperature, it loses more of its cooling ability to ambient (surrounding) temperature. It’s also below the dew point, so it causes condensation as it warms. Further, it’s uncomfortable and requires a freezer to refreeze.

Not at all. That’s a great benefit of our 65 degree phase change material Cool Packs: They function within a comfortable cooling range that doesn’t allow vasoconstriction of blood vessels, unlike ice. This benefit is important, as nonconstricted blood vessels allow your circulatory system to freely move blood throughout your body, then release heat at the skin surface. With ice, the body is fooled into thinking it’s cold. It reacts by constricting the blood vessels near the skin, limiting the body’s natural cooling system. The heart then works harder, expending extra energy in the chest cavity and creating yet more body heat.

Yes. These products will slow the rise in your heart rate so that you can exercise longer and with more intensity, allowing for higher calorie burn. Of course, it’s important that you check with your doctor before undergoing an intensive exercise program.

You can still purchase products by downloading our order form from the Technical Info page, and mailing a check or money order to Texas Cool Vest (see Order Form or Contact Info page). You may also order Texas Cool Vest’s products directly from the individual product pages. Each vest has a buy button that will add your vest to a secure shopping cart. Simply indicate the desired size, quantities, and/or colors, and click on the “Add to Shopping Cart” button(s). You will be prompted for payment information from that point on. We accept credit payments from Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. We process these cards through PayPal for a secure and prompt billing.