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Dropped $800 on a heated vest for a winter river job and it was a total game changer
We were doing a month of bridge inspections on the Ohio River in January. The water was 38 degrees and the topside wind chill was nasty. I was getting through it, but the cold was just grinding me down by the end of each shift. I saw an ad for a heavy duty heated vest that ran off a tool battery and bit the bullet. It cost about $800 with the extra battery packs. Wore it under my drysuit top. That steady warmth on my core changed everything. I wasn't fighting the shivers anymore, so my focus was better and my hands were steadier. It felt like cheating, but good cheating. Anyone else use something like that for cold water work, or did you find a cheaper trick?
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