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[atloperator]

Even in a T Shirt and sandals I sweat like crazy in the summer if I'm in the sun.  Unfortunately the more breathable fabric is the less substantial it is and wouldn't look good for soft parts.  Would it be ok to do some sort of jersey mesh in the armpits and on your back under the back plates to help get some air moving?  I wouldn't want it anywhere visible but back and under the arms could make a big difference.

I also plan on using a fan in my helmet but any other hot weather advice you guys have I'm all ears!

[Seras Vaintir]

Have you considered a liquid cooling garment? Adam Savage wears them to great effect on his various spacesuit cosplays. Its a system that consists of a special shirt with rubber hose snaked through it, with hookups to tie into a system tied into a backpack or belt pack (disguised as a jetpack perhaps?) with a small reservoir of cold water and a pump to circulate it. More advanced models are coming on the market with actual miniature refrigeration units but these are still really expensive. The benefit of this setup is its active cooling, that helps cool off your whole core rather than just have passive cooling dependent on external forces and restricted to certain areas. This obviously is a bit more complex solution but the amount of relief those things offer is amazing.

[atloperator]

Thanks!  I was actually planning on wearing that as well.  I'm into car racing as well and have one of those suits already. 

[TurboTeaBagger]

 liquid cooling seems extremes,
i was looking at 1.9 rip stop nylon military fabric, its about half the weight of 4 oz duck cloth, and a heck of a lot less than the standard 7oz canvas duck cloth,
does anyone have expedience with this stuff,
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nylon-Ripstop-1-1-Oz-Tent-Fabric-Navy-Blue-64-Camping-Breathable-Military-DWR/272740027713?hash=item3f80928d41:g:V08AAOSwb7dfjbQf

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Jet-Black-Military-Coated-Diamond-Fabric-Outdoor-1-9-OZ-Ripstop-Waterproof-60-W/253088944630?hash=item3aed46d1f6:g:KUcAAOSwcj5ZVBxu

any of these you think can work for the flak?

[jethroskull]

Yes, and I can’t imagine it holding armour plates without sagging and bunching.
And regardless of what the header says nylon isn’t particularly breathable or comfortable when you sweat. Supplex would be better for that but you would still need to keep your plates up.

[TurboTeaBagger]

Yes, and I can’t imagine it holding armour plates without sagging and bunching.
And regardless of what the header says nylon isn’t particularly breathable or comfortable when you sweat. Supplex would be better for that but you would still need to keep your plates up.

thank you

[Arminius]

Have you considered faux leather/ leather vinyl?

I was going to use duck cloth for my build too but my clanmates suggested I use leather vinyl instead. I don't know how true it is but they say that it's somewhat more refreshing, especially after you take off the vest and the heat "stays" in the vest and off of you. I'm not sure this will apply to me since my vest will be black but I trust them.

[TurboTeaBagger]

how about a mesh?

[OriKad]

Have you considered faux leather/ leather vinyl?

I was going to use duck cloth for my build too but my clanmates suggested I use leather vinyl instead. I don't know how true it is but they say that it's somewhat more refreshing, especially after you take off the vest and the heat "stays" in the vest and off of you. I'm not sure this will apply to me since my vest will be black but I trust them.

It's not that the 'heat stays in the vest', it's that you've been wearing a vest that doesn't breathe at all for a few hours and you've gotten used to it, and suddenly you have it off and there's airflow to your torso!  That sudden airflow is a wonderful feeling.

I'll also recommend a personal cooling shirt or vest, which can be made with aquarium tubing.  If you use quick-connect hoses, you can use a cooler at any event table or changing space, fill it with ice, run coiled tubing through it with a pump on one end (no water in the tubes, just air, the ends are outside of the cooler).  Pump intake comes from cooler, output connects via quick connect to the cooling shirt, shirt exit hose connects to the other end of the cooler's tubing.  Sit for a couple minutes every hour or so and run the pump, it'll bring your core temperature down a couple degrees and keep you going for longer.

[Arminius]

It's not that the 'heat stays in the vest', it's that you've been wearing a vest that doesn't breathe at all for a few hours and you've gotten used to it, and suddenly you have it off and there's airflow to your torso!  That sudden airflow is a wonderful feeling.

Thanks for the explanation! I guess it will take me some time to get used to it as well, I live in a colder but more humid climate than most of my clan so I guess we'll see how it goes.