Hello,
I am a college mascot in California. I was told by a friend of yours to visit your website and ask you about an air conditioning vest type thing that is worn under the suit - it has some kind of battery pack that is worn around the waist. Can you tell me where I can purchase one of these nifty devices and approximately how much they are?

Thank you for your help,

Matthew B.

Matthew,

The devise you are looking for isn’t an air conditioning unit as much as it is a unit that pumps cold water through tube in a vest or a vest that holds ice packs.  (you can see one of these products on this web site).

However, I personally do not recommend using these devices for most mascot performances.  They can provide some relief from heat and perhaps extend your time in costume however they have two drawbacks.

1. Weight and comfort.  What you gain in “cool” you lose in added weight and limited mobility.  With the intense heat inside a costume you can quickly turn ice packs into just a weighty vest.
2. Body Temperature.   These vests can cool you, but don’t let that cool relief fool you.  Mascot costumes are hot, dangerously hot.  The best way to combat that is to let your body do its thing (like sweat), hydrate constantly, and take breaks as needed.  Vests can send your body the signal that your body isn’t that hot, when in fact your core temperature can be climbing.  This limits how your body compensates for the heat, which in turn can be dangerous.

The reality is that performing in costume is hot.  Your best remedy is breaking often, drinking lots of fluids and work with your costumer to make your costume as cool as possible.

Also when you break, pay attention to your head, feet and hands letting them all cool by removing costume parts that cover those areas.

The cases were I might consider this is when you are in costume, limiting your movement and may be in costume for long stretches….for example if you are riding in a car for a parade.  You probably won’t be generating as much heat since you are just sitting, the weight wont have a lot of effect since you are not moving around, and the added cool will help you work through the parade if you can’t get a chance to remove your costume for a break.

I hope that helps.

–Cudo