Shopping Cart [ 0 ] July 15, 2024
Every two years the International Santa Celebration (ISC) brings together members of the Christmas Community from around the world for socialization, learning, networking, and camaraderie. Sponsored in part by IBRBS, the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas, the world’s largest organization of professional Santas and Mrs. Clauses, ISC events are open to all types of Christmas performers, whether members of IBRBS or not.
ISC 2024 was held in Memphis, TN, April 25-28, 2024. ThermApparel was there as a vendor and boy did Julia and Claire have fun!
We unveiled our new cooling products at ISC 2024 and the Santas loved them! We introduced UltraCool 3, RallyWrap, UltraCool, CoolSleeves, and the Headband. Our Santas were blown away by the new UltraCool with 360 degree cooling. M/L holds 8 Cooling Packs and the XL/XXL holds 10.
Here is Santa Scott trying out the UltraCool and testing how the RallyWrap can be used on the head. 😆 😂 Silly Santa.
Mitten State Santa Tried on the new UltraCool and love it!
and here's 5 of the coolest Santa's around
Julia taught a class on "How to Stay Cool in Your Suit: The Effect of Heat in Your Portrayal
Our Santa-themed slideshow was bursting with heat facts for Santa and Mrs. Claus that knocked their stockings off! Like, Did you know temps above 85˚F can turn you into a melted snowman? And if it hits 95˚F or higher, Your Santa magic and performance nosedive by 45%!
They left loaded with tips to keep cool, How To Craft a Cooling Plan, and the scoop on 5 different types of cooling vests—so they'll know which ones will have them ho-ho-hoing all the way and which ones are on the naughty list!
Here are some of the highlights from the talk.
The human body is like a fine-tuned machine that needs to operate within a specific temperature range for optimal performance it's a Goldilocks situation, not too hot, not too cold, but just right.
Anything outside the 92˚F to 104˚F range can lead to dangerous symptoms.
When your internal body temp reaches 80˚F your heart and lungs cease to operate and at 109˚F your brain shuts down.
For every degree, the body’s internal temperature rises your heart beats about 10 beats per minute faster. The result is a dramatic increase in stress on your heart.
Here is Mrs. Claus in her costume without a Cooling Vest during a photoshoot. She is overheating and reaching 101.2˚F.
We put the cooling vest on her and her body started to cool down immediately.
"But to talk about how hot it really is all I need to know is the temp, and I am good to go right?"
Well…. Sort of. There are other factors to consider like the official day's temp is taken in the shade and the direct sun is 15 degrees hotter than the ambient air temperature.
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There are many things to consider besides the day's temperature to understand how the heat will affect you.
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Medications we take for everyday conditions like diabetes, hypertension, anxiety, allergies etc... also have heat-related side effects and it's simple things like allergy meds, antidepressants, Beta-blockers, diuretics, and many more.
Do us a favor, please talk to your doctor about heat-related side effects related to your medications and please note: The information in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or qualified health provider with any questions about medical conditions or health goals.
To explain how sweat, your core temp, the environment, your health, medications, humidity, and air-flow all work together, let me explain with a little weather math. Pretend that you're performing in a Christmas in July parade in the hot summer heat in the southern United States. This would be a high-humidity situation.
The feels like temp (Heat index) of 101 + direct sun (add 15 degrees) + Santa Suit (add 5 degrees) + age, health, and medications (add another 5 degrees) equals a potential 126˚F degrees!!!!!!!!!
Now let's look at a low-humidity situation like a private event or at the mall.
70 ambient temp + fireplace (add 15 degrees) + Santa suit (add 5 degrees) + age +health conditions + medications (add another 5 degrees) = 95˚F
So here’s your Heart Temperature. This is the temperature your heart is calculating while trying to cool your body.
We know that 126˚F looks crazy… and it is. That is a recipe for heat stroke or death. No one should be outside in that weather in a Santa suit.
Think back on what we just went over. Remember the human heat threshold?
At 85˚F our bodies can no longer dissipate the heat fast enough to keep our core stable. And at 95˚F work output drops by 45%
That means you're giving 45% less of yourself and your performance to the children you visit.
Let's talk about how to make a Santa Cooling Plan.
Don’t wait until you get hot to put on your ThermApparel UnderCool Cooling Vest. Use Pre Cooling, Event Cooling, and Post Cooling to keep your heat sensitivity under control.
Assemble Your Cooling Tool Kit
-ThermApparel Cooling Vest Garment and Cooling Packs
-Cooler or Cooler Bag or Large NASA inspired 3-gallon Zip-Lock type bag with ice and water as ThermApparel Cooling Packs will refreeze in ice water in 30 min.
-Water bottles
-Towel to wipe off Cooling Packs when they come out of the ice water.
-Portable Travel Fan
-UV Umbrella
-Sweat Wicking T-shirt & leggings
Download the Santa and Mrs. Claus Cooling Plan
"Won't a cooling vest not work because it can't get to the air inside my Suit?"
ThermApparel Cooling Vests and Cooling Packs work in any situation because they don't rely on evaporation to keep you cool so they work in humid and dry climates.
This graphic shows how your blood makes you sweat. Think of this as being your back. Now think of Conduction “the transfer of heat between two objects in contact with each other”. Our Cooling Packs act like a heat sink and pull the heat out of you.
Just like evaporation your skin and blood are cooled by the Cooling Packs and then cool blood is pumped through your entire body cooling you down. This is why it works under your suit
The cooling packs don’t sweat and will not get you or your suit wet.
And when worn under your coat, no one will know you have it on.
ThermApparel Cooling Gear is also photo-friendly because all the cooling packs are in the back or low under your belt. No lumps or bumps in the front.
ThermApparel Cooling Packs melt and refreeze at 70˚F degrees making them safe for skin contact and they will refreeze in 30 min in ice water making them easily transportable. All you need is a cooler of ice water in your breakroom, car, or a large 3-gallon ziplock bag full of ice water.
Then you can go from this...
To this!
Julia and Claire from ThermApparel send a big thank you to everyone who stopped by to try on a vest, purchase a vest, or gave us an update on how their vest has made a difference for them this past year. We were excited and honored to hear all the stories. Also, thank you to everyone who came to our Heat and You lecture. We hope it was useful. Cheers!
I'm a big Santa. Do you have big sizes?
YES! We have 5 sizes - Check our sizing page for all sizing info and a video explaining how to get the correct fit.
XXL fits a natural waist of 51"-64"
Large fits a natural waist of 40"-51"
Medium fits a natural waist of 31"-40"
Small fits a natural waist of 24"-31"
XXS fits a natural waist of 18"-24"
If you fall in between the 2 sizes order the larger size.
If you need help with sizing give us a call 855-232-7233. We are happy to help.
How do I order a cooling vest?
Go to our shop page, select your size and cooling pack type, enter your address and credit card info and we will ship it to you.
If you need help placing an order give us a call at 855-232-7233. We are happy to take phone orders.
How do ThermApparel Cooling Vests keep me cool under my red Suit?
Our cooling vest is a PCM Cooling Vest, not gel or ice. PCM works better than gel and ice. Why is that and why is it important?
- When your body is hot your blood vessels open up to allow heat to be released. In other words, you sweat and when the air hits your sweat it cools your body down.
- Ice and Gel Packs cause blood vessels to constrict, preventing cooled blood from reaching your core. Ice is wonderful for cooling down a specific part of your body or bringing down swelling, but it doesn't cool your entire body. There is a reason doctors say 20 min on and 20 min off with ice packs. You need your blood vessels to open back up to allow the blood to start flowing again.
- ThermApparel PCM Cooling Packs cools the blood without constricting your blood vessels. As your blood flows past the PCM Cooling Packs they cool your blood and your body keeps pumping cool blood through your system keeping your whole body cool.
Will it be comfortable while seated?
YES! Pilots and race car drivers have worn our product with great results. It's so comfortable, most people forget they have it on.
Will it interfere with the sizing of my red suit?
Because our cooling packs are in the lower back area and are worn directly against the skin and their low profile design It won't cause you to need a larger red suit size than you normally wear.
When someone sits on my lap will they know I am wearing it?
Nope. UnderCool has a velcro closure right over your belly button and with its low-profile design it won't add any bulk to your red suit. The cooling packs are in the back so no one will notice.
How long will it keep me cool?
YES! UnderCool will last for 90 min to 3 hours depending on your choice of pack. Our SlimCool Packs last 1-2 hours and the ExtendedCool Packs last 2-3 hours. If you need it to last longer the packs can be refrozen and placed back in the vest, or you can purchase additional cooling packs. The cooling packs can be doubled up in the vest to make them last longer, but this will add a little more weight and bulk to the vest on your back.
The unique thing about our packs is their recharging time and ability. the packs can refreeze
- ice water in 20 min
- freezer in 40 min
- fridge in 60 min
The frozen cooling packs can be placed in an insulated cooler and they will stay cold for a few hours until you need to switch.
