PVA Cooling Towels

[36654]

A friend of mine gave me a promotional item called a PVA cooling towel.  It's 10 by 30-inches.  You soak it, wring out the excess and wrap it around your neck to provide evaporative cooling.  It worked really well for me with a mesh jacket and moisture-wicking shirt in mid-80s weather.

[Grumpy Goat]

Interesting material this PVA (Polyvinyl Acetate). They are said to be super absorbent and will hold more water than most of the fancy neck gaiters often made out of light polyester or similar material. Also said to be dry to the touch.

How long did it stay moist as you rode?

[darrell]

I have one of those PVA towels same size as described.  About 3 years ago a manager of a sports soccer team gave me one when I asked him what his players were wearing around their necks on the sideline.  I don’t use mine often enough but I find about an hour before it drys out vs the polyester neck gaiters about 20 minutes.  Works well in even humid weather if there is air flow over the towel.  When I do carry I keep a freezer bag with some water in it to rewet the towel.  Stop at a convenience store and add a few ice cubes to the plastic bag helps cool it as well.  You can also put it wetted in a plastic bag and leave in the frig overnight giving you plenty of cool moments when first draped around your neck.

[36654]

Interesting material this PVA (Polyvinyl Acetate). They are said to be super absorbent and will hold more water than most of the fancy neck gaiters often made out of light polyester or similar material. Also said to be dry to the touch.

How long did it stay moist as you rode?

Being my first use, I didn't completely read the directions........so, the towel wasn't fully recharged.  It felt slightly moist to the touch and my ride lasted about 2 hours on a low humidity day.  The result was a fairly rigid piece of art.....

Held horizontal.........    

Held vertical from the bottom............    

So, some evaporation is occurring.  I think.

According to the mfg, 3~4 hrs is the claimed drying time.

Klein tools sells a similar towel as either singles or two-packs at less than $10 per towel
Amazon.com: Klein Tools 60230 Cooling Towel with Evaporative PVA Technology, Comes in Resealable Bag with Carabiner, Blue, 2-Pack : Everything Else

[Grumpy Goat]

Great ... thanks for the good feedback on this. I do have the thin polyester neck gaiters but they tend to dry out pretty fas a Darrell mentioned. May have to try one of these PVA towels, although in searching I came across this link at The Warming Store that has PVA towels as well as other solutions.

[Lee]

Great ... thanks for the good feedback on this. I do have the thin polyester neck gaiters but they tend to dry out pretty fas a Darrell mentioned. May have to try one of these PVA towels, although in searching I came across this link at The Warming Store that has PVA towels as well as other solutions.

We have several of the thin neck gaiters we wear in cold weather to seal the neck opening of our jackets.
In 2020 they were handy to double as a mask when getting off the bike.
A few times we would soak them in hot weather but they dry out very quickly.

[Grumpy Goat]

We have several of the thin neck gaiters we wear in cold weather to seal the neck opening of our jackets.
In 2020 they were handy to double as a mask when getting off the bike.
A few times we would soak them in hot weather but they dry out very quickly.

Yes they are quite handy as a mask for Covid but as you said they do tend to not only dry out quickly, but even if damp they lost most oif their evaporative / colling efficacy. After replying to the thread above yesterday I went out for a ride to exercise the RS and took one of my gaiters for a review. Video coming soon. 

Now I have to buy a PVA towel and do the same test.

[36654]

We have several of the thin neck gaiters we wear in cold weather to seal the neck opening of our jackets.
In 2020 they were handy to double as a mask when getting off the bike.
A few times we would soak them in hot weather but they dry out very quickly.

Yes they are quite handy as a mask for Covid but as you said they do tend to not only dry out quickly, but even if damp they lost most oif their evaporative / colling efficacy. After replying to the thread above yesterday I went out for a ride to exercise the RS and took one of my gaiters for a review. Video coming soon. 

Now I have to buy a PVA towel and do the same test.

Place the towel under the collar of your jacket.  If exposed to the airflow above the collar, the towel will quickly dry in those areas.

[Grumpy Goat]

Place the towel under the collar of your jacket.  If exposed to the airflow above the collar, the towel will quickly dry in those areas.

They dry out as described under the collar of the jacket as the video will show.

[Grumpy Goat]

After replying to the thread above yesterday I went out for a ride to exercise the RS and took one of my gaiters for a review. Video coming soon. 

[Lee]

Mission is the Gaiter we use most of the time in cold weather.
In 2020 when it was around 108 in Western Colorado we wet it trying to stay cool but it dried out way too fast.
It did have the advantage you can pull it up and wear on your head. When we did that the part under the helmet stayed wet longer.
Most of the time Debbie wore it like her Balaclava.