but what will it cost?

THE FAN JACKET FOR COOLING

Japanese manufacturer of electric power tools Makita to develop a fan-cooled jacket which it claims is the first to incorporate a “two-layer pressure-controlled cooling structure”.

The structure allows air to enter through the jacket’s outer shell and inner lining in both the front and back. The air is discharged through openings in the neck, underarms and chest of the garment by a fan unit, developed by Makita. It has a rechargeable battery.

The jacket fibres which make it waterproof, stretchable and anti-static. The zippered arms and neck can be removed to convert it to a fan-cooled vest.

Sales of the new fan jacket will start mid-April through Makita’s existing marketing channels.

Will Black and Decker be next?

The importance of staying cool in an insulated jacket is a contradiction. If you are wearing an insulated garment and you find yourself heating up the simplest action to take is the open the collar area of the garment and that will allow ALL of the heat that you have generated to very quickly escape. This action has been used by many millions of people all over the world for centuries. It is a free action. This jacket will probably be costly and then you will have to pay the electric company to charge the battery. And of course this garment will not work as described.

I believe the need to ventilate your body has become a primary concern of oh so many in the outdoor industry. If this were not so why are so many making an effort to make clothing that will act to ventilate; because they already make base layer clothing that does not allow ventilation to occur. (I forgot they make “breathable” base layers or so they say but never use the word ventilate which is the proper description of what they want to accomplish).

Obviously for proper ventilation it is imperative that the very first layer be fishnets. There is nothing that compares to fishnets as a first layer of clothing; a base layer.

All of these electrical jackets will wind up in the Hammacker Schlemmer catalogue.

Do you think that “maybe” one of the individuals who is employed at one of these companies that offers garments that they claim will do what fishnets do will suggest to their boss that maybe they should reconsider what they are selling in view of the fact that what they are selling is NOT doing what is claimed? I do not think or believe that a scenario of this nature will ever happen.

What Makita is making is a novelty item that I suspect will be pricy and have no real purpose, except for the buyer to show friends the garment.

So much for what is claimed as progress!!!