Arm cooler sleeves

TH3 FRB

Who has experience with arm cooler sleeves?  I much prefer to run minimal - shorts and shoes.  If it's cool I don't mind a shirt but once it's pushing upper 70s that shirt just starts to feel suffocating.  Racing is different obviously because the top is required but my one-piece racing suit doesn't bother me.  So I'm considering some arm cooling sleeves in anticipation of hot conditions at IMNY next month.  I'd like to try them on a couple of training runs but first I figured I'd find out if anyone has any feedback on brands or how well they work in general.  From what I understand they work better with more air flow and you want to keep them wet - makes sense.  I'm more concerned about managing heat on the run.

Joe Matchette

@Joel - last year I used the DeSoto Cool Wings for two very warm IMs, in addition to numerous training runs and rides. I found them to be very helpful on two fronts: (1) a sun block, and (2) a cooling device. By keeping direct sunlight off my skin, I felt a lot cooler. And during training, the evaporation factor seemed to definitely help. And then during the race, the cooling effect was very noticeable when I would pour water on them. At bike aid stations I would squirt a bottle's worth of water up and down my arms. And then during the run, in addition to pouring water on them, I would take ice and put it inside the sleeves so that the ice would rest on my arteries on the insides of my elbows.

Bottom Line -- I found them very useful. The only downside is putting the CoolWings on in T1 as neither of my races last year was wetsuit legal.

TH3 FRB

I'm probably picking up a set of the arm sleeves. I'm not sure about the wings - having 2 layers of fabric on my back doesn't sound like something I want to do. I race in a Forza tri suit and I may pick up a new white one. They have some Skin Cooler fabric and the white also uses the new Shield del Sol FWIW.

Dino Sarti

Try this thread out.... A lot of good infer here: http://members.endurancenation.us/Training/TrainingForums/tabid/101/aft/8440/Default.aspx

[Deleted User]

+1 re the EN branded arm coolers. Big help at Eagleman. I use them on the bike and run.