Columbia’s new tech could make your armor cooler

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Military Times

Don’t waste all that sweat! Columbia Sportswear has come up with a way to turn (certain) bodily fluids into fuel for their new apparel-based cooling system called Omni-Freeze Zero.

The evolution of cooling fabrics up until now has been focused on wicking materials – fabrics that absorb sweat and transport it through the fabric to the fabric’s surface, where it can evaporate. Columbia has gone a step further with Omni Freeze Zero, a material that absorbs moisture and cools it in the process.

(Don’t confuse Omni Freeze, which is Columbia’s current line of warm weather apparel, with the yet-to-be-released Omni-Freeze Zero technology hitting the market next year.)

How it works: The material is a polymer that is printed as tiny blue rings on the inside face of polyester fabrics. As Columbia explains it, the soft rings absorb sweat and cool it during the mechanical process of absorption. This leaves the slightly chilled polymer rings laying against the skin. In effect, the technology uses sweat as fuel to run these tiny cooling machines; that’s about 41,000 tiny cooling packs in an Omni-Freeze Zero infused medium T-shirt.

Columbia cautions that it’s difficult to predict just how much cooling is going on but calls the effect an “instant and prolonged cooling sensation.” I won’t say the tech is going to be some kind of refrigeration suit that cools your core down, but more like running through a cool mist that takes the edge off a stinging heat. Columbia says once the polymer has been activated through moisture, the sensation lasts as long as the rings are swollen. This is because Omni-Freeze Zero depends on a mechanical reaction that is persistent as long as the fabric stays wet.

Why rings? Columbia chose the shape for two reasons. The first is because the rings allow airflow through the center. The second, because the rings have the least effect on the shape and fit of the garment as they swell.

The technology becomes particularly compelling when paired with UV-shielding fabrics. Protection from the sun’s radiation calls for covering exposed skin. But covering up isn’t going to make you any cooler… Unless you’ve got a way to cool that doesn’t rely on evaporation. That’s what Omni-Freeze Zero does.

nitial Uses: Columbia is releasing the technology in 40-plus styles of apparel in spring 2013. Look for the Omni-Freeze Zero on everything from T-shirts and shorts to fishing shirts and shoes. The new clothing will be priced to compete with other performance apparel. Don’t be shocked to see $50-$60 price tags on Omni-Freeze Zero T-shirts. Sure, the tech is great on its own, but looking at the Freeze Degree Short Sleeve Crew at left, you can see how Columbia uses it as a complimentary component, along with vent panels, different fabrics and other body-mapped areas, to produce a highly technical garment.

Future Uses: Since the Omni-Freeze Zero material is printed on a base fabric, the benefits can be realized in other arenas. Without testing, though, it’s unclear how pronounced the cooling effect might be when used with nonporous fabrics such as coated ballistic Nylon. The company has not yet licensed the material for other uses. Company spokesman Scott Trepanier tells us Columbia is not opposed to the idea of expanding the technology beyond athletic apparel.

While adding the tech to PT gear is a clear hit, we are just as excited about the technology’s application in cooling service members on the battlefield. One obvious place the tech could be useful is in body armor.

“We are always looking for ways to enhance the performance of warfighters,” says Travis Rolph, the president of Mayflower Research and Consulting, a body armor and tactical Nylon manufacturer. “Cooling body armor-clad warriors has always been a challenge, but this technology seems like a lightweight, relatively uncomplicated approach to enhancing battlefield effectiveness.”

Omni-Freeze Zero apparel can benefit anyone participating in an activity that triggers sweat, says Woody Blackford, Columbia’s VP of global innovation. “This sweat-activated cooling technology can positively impact anyone who is active in hot, humid environments. I can see it as being particularly relevant for our military servicemen and -women who are often deployed or stationed in hot and humid environments.”