Hi All, thanks for the replies! The wet denim jacket in front of a fan, yes, I've done that myself! But I have air conditioning in my house (it does a poor job these days) and none in my van.
Anyway, I got the vest yesterday. I was so excited I could hardly get the package opened. Unfortunately, the vest comes in a vinyl bag, its carrying case that was so loaded with chemical odors I instantly got a headache and light headed. So I had to air the vest out for a bit (and put the storage bag outside to outgas) before I could try it on. It's made of superb materials and very light. It's half the weight of the one advertised on coolsport, BG (I looked at that site and liked the model, except the weight of it and the site hadn't been updated since 2008). At that point this one had already been ordered anyway.
So the other bad news for now is that I had to go by my chest size to order. I have a rather large chest, and couldn't believe the size I had to order. Sure enough, it fits across the chest all right but is very big in other areas, especially arm holes and the shoulders. I imagine they don't take women into consideration-- I noticed that no matter where I looked, they are all the same type unless you get one made custom. One site had ladies' versions but it only meant in the style/color, not over all design.
I am thrilled with it. I haven't activated it, but that's because I'm still debating whether or not to have it altered, or to send it back and get a smaller size. It needs to fit snug against the body. The gel is part of the vest, it's not removable, which I like. I won't activate it for now (either way, the smell from being stored in plastic would prevent me from wearing it) and get a few opinions from some friends. It does stretch a bit.
Alex, I noticed this company has a lot of endorsements and is the official vest for many sport teams in Australia (wonder why, is it hot there, lol??) as well as around the world. It's great for MS as well, and so I'm excited that it will be a good thing for me. I know what you mean, Tammie-- I have passed out as well.
Caldonia, I tried another one on a few years ago and the weight alone was too much for me. I'll let you guys know how well it works once it's activated (until it's activated the vest will not get cold). Oh, this vest can also be heated to help the body in winter.
SJ