rbooska
Jul 31st, 2007, 6:40 am
I've heard many folks discuss that they get only an hour and a half or two from PCM vests before the cooling packs need a recharge. That's true. However, there are a couple solutions to that situation.
1. Carry a spare set of RPCM® packs, recharged the night before. Get a piece of bubble wrap from the local department store and a couple of those small frozen gel packs that you use to keep your lunch cool. Lay your spare set of cooling packs on the bubble wrap, place the blue ice packs on top, and then roll it all up. ( A soft-sided cooler works well also and takes up very little space.) They will last all day and will be ready when you need them.
2. Carry an empty garbage bag and a ziploc bag of salt, which take up nearly no space. When you stop to get fuel and a drink, get a bag of ice. Break it up on the cement, put in an equal amount of water from the hose bib on the 7-11 or from the water spigot at the gas station (do they still have those?) and pour in the salt and shake it up. (Salt provides an effect called "supercooling," which is aka "freezing point depression" and causes the water to drop below freezing while still remaining liquid.) This will make the water extremely cold VERY fast. (It also works great in a bucket of beers.) By the time you have your fuel, your nature call, and finish your drink, your packs should be recharged and ready for another go.
Make sure you see the post with the coupon code...if you order a vest from the website and wait until prompted at the end, you'll get an extra forty bucks off a spare set of packs. (little known secret)
1. Carry a spare set of RPCM® packs, recharged the night before. Get a piece of bubble wrap from the local department store and a couple of those small frozen gel packs that you use to keep your lunch cool. Lay your spare set of cooling packs on the bubble wrap, place the blue ice packs on top, and then roll it all up. ( A soft-sided cooler works well also and takes up very little space.) They will last all day and will be ready when you need them.
2. Carry an empty garbage bag and a ziploc bag of salt, which take up nearly no space. When you stop to get fuel and a drink, get a bag of ice. Break it up on the cement, put in an equal amount of water from the hose bib on the 7-11 or from the water spigot at the gas station (do they still have those?) and pour in the salt and shake it up. (Salt provides an effect called "supercooling," which is aka "freezing point depression" and causes the water to drop below freezing while still remaining liquid.) This will make the water extremely cold VERY fast. (It also works great in a bucket of beers.) By the time you have your fuel, your nature call, and finish your drink, your packs should be recharged and ready for another go.
Make sure you see the post with the coupon code...if you order a vest from the website and wait until prompted at the end, you'll get an extra forty bucks off a spare set of packs. (little known secret)