Redesign of TechnoCool Vest using Reusable Dry Ice Sheets as a Preventive Action of Heat Exhaustion in Indonesian Hajj Pilgrims

The Hajj, one of the five pillars of the Muslim faith, occurs outdoors in and surrounding Mecca in the Saudi Arabian desert. The elderly are at high risk of heat-related illness (HRI) during the Hajj. TechnoCool Vest is a microclimate assistive device that protects from heat illness. Six Indonesian Air Force personnel became subjects in testing the efficacy of using Techno-Cool Vest on physiological and subjective responses at the Depohar Sura-karta field. Subjects were selected based on the similarity in the appearance of fatigue due to exposure to environmental heat between the subject and elderly Indonesian pilgrims. During the test, the environmental exposure was 25.70 ± 0.20oC wet bulb temperature, 40.80 ± 3.80oC globe temperature, dry bulb temperature 32.00 ± 0.01oC, and 45.50 ± 2.50% relative humidity. Head and body temperature was significantly lower when wearing TechnoCool Vest. Based on Pugh’s matrix scoring and calculation of IREQ, the Piramida-type TechnoCool Vest is the best suited for maintaining individual temperatures in a hot environment.