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Hmp. I ride in Michigan. I'm usually trying to not freeze my seeds in the morning -- usually have the winter gloves, fleece vest, lined leather coat, wool socks, and full-face Shoei with all the vents closed. And I still have to stick my hands on the cylinder heads to warm them up when I get to work. The sizzling pork smell lets me know it's working...

The main thing to remember here is that above 98 F, your body is not emitting heat, it is absorbing it. That raises your core temp, leading to heat exhaustion/heat stroke. Having a jacket on, mesh or otherwise, in weather above 98, regardless of the humidity, is always going to be better for you because it provides an insulating layer and protects you from the sun. Below 98, a mesh jacket will still keep a t-shirt wet with sweat wet and cooling you longer than the t-shirt alone. Only if you are sitting in traffic or standing around would wearing a t-shirt be better than wearing the mesh.

MetricRider wrote:The main thing to remember here is that above 98 F, your body is not emitting heat, it is absorbing it. That raises your core temp, leading to heat exhaustion/heat stroke. Having a jacket on, mesh or otherwise, in weather above 98, regardless of the humidity, is always going to be better for you because it provides an insulating layer and protects you from the sun. Below 98, a mesh jacket will still keep a t-shirt wet with sweat wet and cooling you longer than the t-shirt alone. Only if you are sitting in traffic or standing around would wearing a t-shirt be better than wearing the mesh.

Close, but no cigar.

When the air temperature is above 98, especially when it's sunny, the temperature inside the jacket will quickly climb above 98. The insulating effect of the vapor barrier/insulation will hold that excess heat in. The air temperature inside the jacket will be higher than the ambient air temperature, especially when the insulation itself is heating up due to the effects of the sun.

depends on how much insulation and such there is. Nomadic desert inhabitants are in full coverage, keeps the inside to only 98deg, considering they've figured this out and perfected it over thousands and thousands of years over there, its less open to debate

Dichotomous wrote:depends on how much insulation and such there is. Nomadic desert inhabitants are in full coverage, keeps the inside to only 98deg, considering they've figured this out and perfected it over thousands and thousands of years over there, its less open to debate

That's not so much that it keeps you cool, but that it's the only pre-sunscreen way to keep yourself from roasting alive due to UV rays.

Thin, light colored cloth is a great defense against the sun and heat, of course.

you're in upstate NY, same climate as me, we've got humidity up here so its different.

I spent the first 18 years of my life in New Orleans. I know all about humidity

Nibblet99 wrote:

Beach wrote:I used to soak my welding cap in ice water and wear it under a straw hat on job sites.

ok this made me laugh my "O Ring" off

Welding and straw hats just doesn't seem like a good mix, whatever way you cut it

A welding hood took the place of the straw hat when actually welding, there are lots of other things to do out in the sun. The welding was a small part of my job when in the field. The straw hat is like the mesh jacket in alot of ways, it looks foolishly hot to some and smart to others.

yeah NO is fairly deadly, got family down there. Forgive me to those of you who live around there, but it just reminds me of being in an "O Ring". smells bad, is always hot, and always humid. I figure that we've got the heat and humidity for a little part of the year, but then everything freezes to kill off the bugs.

Its funny the rationalizations that people use not to wear gear. Im sure on a hot day a t-shirt will be comfortable to wear, but thats not the point. The point is that without gear you greatly increase your chances of injury in an accident. There are always consequences for being irresponsible, and the consequences in this area are pretty grim. To take them lightly is foolish IMO. Its just like if you want to smoke, go right ahead. Some years down the road you could be suffocating to death... but thats not now so people dont care. Not very logical IMO.

I consider it a responsibility not only to myself, but to my family to wear gear.