Columbia is working a new line of Omni-Freeze Ice clothing that will cool you to the core even on the hottest of days.
The clothing is made of flat fibers that lay close to your skin and help remove both your body heat and sweat on a hot day. Columbia's current line of Omni-Freeze clothing already does this, but these new Ice fibers are infused with a special chemical that reacts with water or sweat to produce a cooling effect. Your clothes cool down and you do too.
As with any chemical process, the cooling effect has a limited life span, about 50-70 washes. As long as you don't wear the same shirt everyday, you should be fine. You also need to stay wet with sweat or humidity in the air to keep the fabric cool. These are minor inconveniences, especially when your other choice is to battle heat stroke while biking your favorite mountain path.
The technology won't hit retail clothing racks this summer, but prepare yourself for summer 2012 when Omni-Freeze Ice makes its grand debut. [Engadget]