So much for beer jackets keep punters warm after a few pints, this one had me next to freezing.
A brand new beer-powered jacket was something I had to try out, even if it meant getting stared at by everyone who set eyes on me.
To passers-by hurriedly making their way from Canary Wharf's towering office blocks to the Elizabeth Line tube station, I was simply a bright orange blob on legs. What they couldn't see, however, was the crazy tech going on beneath the surface as tubes ran around my back, arms and chest.
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Despite wearing what felt like a cross between a sleeping bag and a strait jacket in 17C heat, I was probably the coolest bloke around – even if not most chilled out as I became centre of attention surrounded by suits.
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Saving me from being absolutely roasting That's down to chilled water being pumped through the network of tubes and kept cool by an ice-cold Tiger Crystal.
The Singaporean lager brand has teamed up with Izzy Du and Japanese tech firm, Whatever Co to create what they're billing as a winter statement jacket that can be worn in any climate. Having experienced the giggles and stares from folk in work mode, I'd argue wearing it to your local or a football match are a couple of climates it's less suited to.
When I asked a fella walking to the tube what he made of my garish garms, he replied: "it caught my eye quite far away". Certainly not a jacket for the shy and retiring type, but I didn't need him to tell me that.
I'm told the hood draws inspiration from actual tiger ears and fangs and the "subtle" stripes running across the jacket are designed to make the wearer look 'effortlessly fierce'. Yet, judging by the looks I was getting I couldn't help but feel that wasn't the impression I was giving off. If Tony the Tiger and the Michelin Man had a love child I was certainly that.
Given all the tubes on the jacket, I was disappointed none of them led to a straw. Catwalking in public is thirsty work after all. I may not have been able to drink from my insulated hood like some kind of CamelBack runner's bag, I was still impressed by the tech.
This is wow it works: The innovative cooling system uses the cold beer to chill water which is then pumped around the wearer’s body via a network of tubes. These tubes make contact with key points where the arteries are closest to the skin, cooling the body down by up to 5° Celsius in the sun. It was a very weird sensation feeling parts of my body get cooler, bit by bit.
Masashi Kawamura, Chief Technology Officer of Whatever Co., said: “Inspired by the same tech that keeps astronauts cool in extreme temperatures, we tried a variety of cooling system designs, each making the jacket more effective at keeping the wearer cool for as long as possible. We tested various tube placements, tube materials, water tank designs and electronic wiring before landing on the final mechanism."
Fans can also learn more about the TIGER Summer Puffer by watching the Launch Film or going Behind-The-Scenes of its creation.
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