Driving in hot weather: Chillows?
 

I've seen Chillows advertised on television and in stores for sale priced at $10. They are pillow pads that you place in your freezer and claim to keep you cool as you sleep at night.

Being a Native Texan, I'm all too aware of the heat here during summer.


I've been curious lately if using a couple of these on your driver's seat would help keep one cool during the summertime as opposed to using the air conditioner.


Has anyone else thought of this before or something similar?


Could this work and cut down on fuel consumption?



Thanks!

I've had the idea as well and have even taken ice packs and put them in a custom made seat cover. I've found that for anything longer than a 15min. drive they usually don't work all that well. I've never heard of the Chillow though. So maybe it would work better?

I think that air flow is just as important as temperature in order to make you feel less hot.

I was contemplating what I could do to reduce A/C usage other than drive when it's cooler during the day.


I wish I had more ideas.

Yes, I have done this with ice packs and with other things that have come along somehow for free, but no "Chillows." A small icepack behind my lower back in the seat does nicely for a while. An average person's blood circulates fully once per minute or minute-and-a-half. It's like a human cooling system. Your blood circulates instead of coolant. Instead of a radiator the icepack cools the "fluid" as it passes a cooler surface.

Effect is stronger when you tolerate direct contact with skin! :)

Very nice! :)


How long will they stay cold? Should I keep extra in a small ice chest?

I can't say really. But it is more than 15 mins in my experience. I have not done it this summer yet. All I used was a small plastic seal ice pack maybe 4"x4"x1" or something. I move it around behind me. The key, I think is that it's against your skin with little or nothing between it and flesh (maybe your shirt). It is wicked cold at first, but in the strong heat, that's a relief. The great thing about direct contact is that you can continue to benefit from it even as the ice gets fairly melted, since anything close to your skin that is cool provides a kind of relief on the hottest days, like a cool glass of water touching the forehead. I also liked how the small brick was neat clean and portable, I just brought it inside, rinsed it, and threw it into the freezer again. I have done that at work too, for the ride back home later...

Yes, yes and yes. I have been experimenting with something like this on highway trips last summer and this summer and have gotten some of my highest tank averages ever. (Just shy of 1,000 miles on 16 gallons of diesel) I am using a chiller I got after an injury, used to reduce swelling. After I healed the device was just sitting around so I decided to re-purpose it. Basically it is like a small cooler filled with ice and water with an electric pump and two insulated hoses. When it is plugged in it circulates the chilled water through a bladder that I placed at the back of my neck below the headrest. It works surprisingly well and lasts for about 2-3 hours, depending on sun and outside temperatures.

Low Tech A/C
 

I use a beaded seat cover and a "Tornado" fan that blows a strong breeze directly at my chest and head. I got both items on Amazon, but you can also
get the fan at a Pilot Truck stop for about $25. The beaded seat cover was about $33. It allows your sweat to evaporate as the air circulates between you and the seat. I guess that's why you see so many drivers in other countries using items like this.

I also turn on the fan in the dash on outside air (no A/C) to bring in fresh air since I also have my windows rolled up for aero.

This works great up to about 90 degrees outside and I am able to tolerate it up to about 98 degrees.:o



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Nothing can replace good old fashion AC. I had a fan and beaded seat cover, but I still had a shirt soaked in sweat. :eek:

Thanks everyone!

I will try these different techniques to see which works best for me.


I think investing in window tint may help as well.


This is what I already do to help keep it cool...


-Park in shade as much as possible
-Use sun shades on both front and rear windows
-Keep windows cracked for air flow
-Roll down windows using battery power before starting car
-Turn on air vents