Cool Coat/Vest

Yes, in humid areas, you're better off with the cooling packs.

Airflow (the fan) will allow for cooling in humid areas though. We sell the evaporative vests in Japan to bikers and bicyclists all the time and they do work during the crazy humid summers here because of the airflow.
 
Thought I'd update this since I've been testing the new "Drykewl" dog mats with Sansa. (Full disclosure: I will be selling these here in Japan but this is not a sales post and I don't have anything to do with sales outside Japan, just want to let you guys know these things are out there and work)

Sansa loves the mat but I also couldn't get my friend's cat off of it so they seem to "get it." Same basic concept as the previous "HyperKewl" mats, they cool up to 15 degrees (Celsius) via evaporation. They work surprisingly well despite the pretty crazy humidity here in Japan. (a fan aimed at the mat will yield even better results) The "DRY" in the name is from these waterproof covers the manufacturer added to them. Somehow they allow evaporation without getting your pet or whatever the mat is on wet. (so easy to be used indoors) Lots of reviews I saw complained about the dampness of the original "HyperKewl" mats and this seems to be a good solution.

WARNING: There are also many complaints from dummies who didn't read the instructions and wring the things out like a washcloth...which squeezes all the "HyperKewl" material out and basically ruins the mat. Don't do that! If you want it less wet, you can just soak it less or just use a spray bottle to make it damp, personally used run water over it in the sink for a little but and gently squeeze it to eliminate excess water. Also, I wouldn't buy a larger size than needed as many reviewers seem to think it's a PITA to handle the larger wet mats and get them inside the covers without getting wet. I haven't messed with one that large yet but I can see what they're saying being true....so if you have more than 1 dog, buy 2 medium mats instead of 1 XL mat and it will make your life easier.

JiM3SSl.jpg


Using it my RV and at home...this is a Medium sized mat.

stS2gmG.jpg


Need to take more thermal pics inside as well but this gives you an idea of how effective it is outdoors on a tile entryway under the blazing sun. (you can actually see the "insert" inside and I kinda wish they made them the same size as the waterproof cover but that's a minor complaint)
 
Last edited:
DSC_0032_2.JPG DSC_0033_2.JPG DSC_0034_2.JPG DSC_0035_2.JPG

Just in case any of you order one of these, this is a Small....unless your sheltie is larger, a Small is going to be the ideal size.
 
If you have a place you can put it the night before Sca's new cool bowls are a hit. Outdoors you get 3-4 hours but indoors the water was noticably cooler at the end of the day using a fingometer.
 
Jess041 said:
Looking for advice/opinions on cool coats/vests and recommendations from those who use them. We have always battled the heat during these hot, Texas Summers. We no longer practice flyball outdoors, so that's been a relief. But we still do agility outside. I've noticed this year Missy is really struggling with the heat. It doesn't take much for her to get hot and want to stop doing whatever we're doing agility related. She will decide she's done and run to her crate to get a drink. She does fine at the dog park or any other place where she has access to a pool to lay down in. We don't have one at agility class, so I'm looking into the possibility of cool coats or vest, or even a pad I can put in her crate.

Do cooling coats have any benefit on double coated breeds like Shelties? I'm worried that putting a frozen coat or vest over her back would trap heat rather than help cool her off. I thought I remember an old thread saying if you wanted to cool your dog off with a hose, just hose off their belly instead of their back. Missy doesn't have a very "full" coat, but she still gets hot. I currently make sure she has a lot of cold (ice) water and I put a small fan on her.

If anyone has any product recommendations, please post! Clean Run has cooling coats on sale 20-30% right now (Christmas in July!).
Click to expand...

We just purchased a "Ruffwear Swamp Cooling Vest" at a local REI. We love it! After a hot walk you can put your hand between the vest and our Zoe's coat, and really feel the cool! We do not freeze the vest, although you can, instead we just really wet it down. This has sure been of benefit to all of us, as no more dodging from shade to shade! We first used a shammy cloth type vest, but it wore out and the cool didn't last as long.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top