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March, 2010
Cool Champions Cooling Vest | Silver Eagle Outfitters Australia won Best Canine Related Product of the Year at the Master Dog Breeders Association Dog Owner’s Choice Awards held in Sydney March 20th 2010.
The award is designed to give dog owners the opportunity to nominate, to recognise and to honour excellence in all areas associated with dog ownership.
Maureen has owned and loved dogs all her life and her husband John is an owner/breeder/trainer of Greyhounds for over 40 years.
In early 2003 dogs were suffering badly with Heat Stress – we needed to find a comfortable, snug fitting cooling vest to keep them cool during the day and particularly whilst travelling as well as after activity. Samples of the fabric we chose were tested to find out how long it cooled. Samples were heated in an oven, starting at a temperature of 22 degrees and (at 50% relative humidity) and gradually increased to 76 degrees (at 1.5%) relative humidity. When compared to other fabrics,
the three layer evaporative cooling fabric samples lasted five times longer.
Textile research, Veterinary reports, Testing of a prototype cooling vest on our own dogs took over 12 months and when completely satisfied with amazing results we had 50 vests made from a pattern we cut to fit the Greyhound. In April 2004 (very excited about our product) we began with an informational website and contacted several organizations informing them we have a great new product for dogs. It didn’t take long before we were receiving emails/phone calls asking if we had a
cooling vest to fit “my dog”. Of course we didn’t…it took another few months to find dog owners and get permission to cut a pattern. By November 2004 we had some sizes, XL, M, L, S with two colours (Royal Blue and High-Visibility Yellow) to offer at KCC Park for the first time and introduce Cooling Vests for the Show Dogs. At first we had a lot of talking to do i.e. explanation; fabric used; how it works, how long does it last and demonstrate how to activate the vest. Our first
customer purchased a HiVis Yellow Small vest for her Staffordshire November 2004. Am pretty certain we activated that same original cooling vest for the customer at Sunbury 2009!
Over the years we improved on our patterns, designs, fabrics and introduced many more colour choices. We are proud to Sponsor many Clubs (too many to name) throughout the canine industry, i.e. Agility, Obedience, Show Dog Clubs, Flyball, Greyhound Clubs, Rescue Organisations. Today, Sniffer/Customs, Police, Army and Assistance Dogs are wearing Cool Champions Cooling Vests.
A HUGE thank-you to our customers (whoever you are) for taking the time to nominate the Silver Eagle K9 Cool Champions Cooling Vest for such a significant award and we are honoured to accept it. We would also like take this opportunity to congratulate all other nominees and category winners.
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October
7, 2004
Silver Eagle
Outfitters Announces Affordable Line of
Outdoor Cooling Apparel to Fight Heat Stress
While most
outdoor-athletes and enthusiasts see the challenges
offered by Mother Nature as par for the course,
Silver Eagle Outfitters changes that assumption by
offering a line of cooling apparel and blankets that
can increase both comfort and physical performance
in outdoor activities-all while decreasing the risk
of heat stress.
Silver Eagle Outfitters' evaporative
cooling apparel, made of a specially-designed,
durable composite cooling fabric, is proven to keep
wearers cool and safe at a fraction of the cost of
other personal cooling gear.
Silver Eagle
Outfitters created their range of cooling apparel
for any individual who is exposed to heat and the
associated risks of heat and sun-related illnesses
through their jobs, exercise, or hobbies.
"We have
customers who buy our vests and headwear for
numerous applications, whether they are biking,
working outside, or living with an illness that
requires assisted temperature regulation for
comfort," said Bill Case, Silver Eagle Outfitters
Cofounder. "Cooling apparel is becoming increasingly
important as more studies illustrate the dangers of
heat-related illness for people who work, train, and
exercise in warm temperatures."
Finding a reasonable
way to combat heat stress, which causes muscle
cramps, fatigue, irritability, poor judgment, and
increased numbers of accidents has been a
frustrating quest, especially when the issues of
bulk and weight are large factors in outdoor
activity apparel. Thus far, most personal cooling
gear has required refrigeration and ice packs,
pumps, tubes, chemicals, or other appliances. Not
only is such gear expensive to buy, it is also heavy
and uncomfortable to wear, adding to a wearer's
burden and rendering many outdoor activities
impossible.
Rather than using
cooling gels or ice packs, Silver Eagle garments are
made with a specially constructed, three-layer
fabric composite to offer effective,
ultra-lightweight cooling relief. Activated in
minutes by tap water, the products use evaporative
technology to cool the wearer for two to eight
hours, depending on the climate and environmental
conditions. Fully activated, Silver Eagle apparel
remains lightweight and breathable, allowing the
wearer full range of motion and consistent comfort.
Water is held tightly in special fibres inside the
apparel and released through evaporation to produce
a gentle cooling over an extended time period, while
a water-resistant inner lining pulls heat away from
the body and wicks moisture away from the skin,
keeping the wearer cool and dry.
Silver Eagle's vests
fit comfortably over or under other clothes and can
be worn directly against the skin. Worn dry, the
garments provide an effective ultra-light barrier to
the cold and wind. All Silver Eagle products are
machine washable, line-or machine dry.
Silver Eagle Outfitters hopes the physical benefits,
convenience, and affordable cost of their cooling
products will allow more people to become involved
in outdoor avocations. "Studies have shown that
involvement in outdoor activities has numerous
advantages, from decreasing stress, increasing
mental and physical agility, to strengthening family
relationships," said Nancy Keen, Cofounder of Silver
Eagle Outfitters. "Likewise, our apparel has been
proven in university tests to extend numerous
physical performance benefits that lend to increased
endurance."
The testing Keen
referred to is an independent investigation in which
the thermal responses of subjects wearing vests made
of Silver Eagle's fabric were measured against their
responses when not wearing the vests. After a
one-hour ride on a stationary cycle, the trial in
which the subjects wore the vests showed 21 percent
less water-loss through dehydration and a
considerable reduction in the skin and core body
temperatures than in the trials without the vests.
In the examination when the vests were worn, the
subjects' heart rates were significantly lower.
Additionally, the participants reported appreciably
less exertion when wearing the cooling vest.
With the prices of their Rugged Cooling Vests
ranging from A$90 to A$185, Silver Eagle's garments are
competitively priced to other outdoor apparel and
substantially less expensive than other cooling
garments. Our cooling apparel maintains the level
of quality that customers expect of outdoor
garments, and it also cuts the cost of providing
protection against the hazards and discomforts of
participating in outdoor activities during the
warmer months.
Silver Eagle's vests
are designed to provide the strength, durability,
and performance demanded in outdoor apparel. Their
Rugged Cooling Vests are available in pullover and
zip-front styles featuring a lightweight, quick-dry
outer shell made of pure finish, two-ply Supplex® to
resist odours, abrasions, punctures, and tears. For
additional protection, the Supplex fabric carries an
ultraviolet protective factor rating of UPF 25+ to
provide excellent UV protection from the sun's
damaging rays. The company also produces
high-visibility cooling vests for the
industrial workforce but has been useful to
bicyclists and hikers for added visibility.
Topping off Silver
Eagle's cooling garments are the Kula Wide Brim Hat
with
an ‘Excellent’ ultraviolet protective factor (UPF) rating of 50+,
the Kula hat complies with AS/NZS 4399:1996 which
offers unsurpassable sun protection by blocking
98%-plus of the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays
linked to skin cancer and premature aging, Cooling
Caps and
Do-Rags.
Silver Eagle headwear is available in
multiple colours from A$35. Just add H2O and go.
Activation takes just a few minutes for hours of
cooling.
In July 2004, the
company allied with its Victoria, Australia based
dealer, Coolweave Pty, Ltd., to form the Australian
division of Silver Eagle Outfitters. Australian
consumers can now purchase products directly from
the Silver Eagle Outfitters - Australia division by
calling (03) 5998 8336 or through the division’s
internet store at
www.coolingapparel.com.au. |
