The Original Ultra Cool RVU Under Shirt for Body Armor Found!

Wow, I’ve just tracked down the original Ultra Cool RVU Undershirt!

From this bloggers vantage point, I feel like I’ve just hit the jackpot and met a celebrity in the process!

Note: Check out CoolShield Kevlar Undershirt – A new & re-imaged version of the RVU.

How The Discussion Started

The discussion started about 3 years ago when I engaged in a discussion with a police officer blogger about wearing moisture wicking undershirts under body armor.

In short, most law enforcement folks agree that no moisture wicking undershirt, including Under Armour, keeps them as cool and dry as they’d like in hot weather conditions.

The “what undershirt to wear under body armor” discussion has continued over the years. Between the various articles on my site, 30,000+ visitors have come looking for a solution.

In fact, I had an ongoing undershirt discussion with a police officer in Florida who had tried a bunch of different performance undershirts.

Ultra Cool RVU Undershirt. The Tube Shirt

Out of all the undershirts he had ever tried, he kept coming back to his “tube-shirt”, saying it was the most effective under kevlar shirt he’d ever worn:

One last thing, my weird old under the vest tube-shirt ripped this week so I can’t wear it any more.

If you have any friends in the undershirt business that want a new idea to try, let me know and I’ll send you my old tube shirt to show them.

I think the company that made them originally went out of business, but maybe the market has changed.

Who knows, maybe someone else could make something of it. I know I swore by it…

I searched high and low on the internet for this mysterious undershirt product to see if I could find more information on it, but my search yielded no results.

A few days ago a police officer stopped by my site, also looking for an undershirt solution, and posted a comment asking about how this “tube shirt” worked.

This got me wondering if I could use my savvy google-tastic search skills to finally find this phantom undershirt, and sure as shit, I hit the jackpot!

The Product

the Ultra Cool RVU (ribbed, ventilating undergarment), invented by Debi Gioello.

By way of eBay, I ran across two listings for the Ultra Cool RVU.

Without hesitation, I purchased the first one I came across.

In the second listing, the seller had a variety of them to choose from, so I decided to email the eBay seller to inquire about how I could purchase a handful.

The seller promptly replied and closed the email with the name “Debbie”??

Could it be a coincidence that I’m exchanging emails with a woman named Debbie (same name as the inventor) who happens to be selling what seems to be a good number of Ultra Cool RVU undershirts?

I had to ask, and this is the response I got:

Yes…I am the one Inventor, manufacturer and distributor of the RVU.

WOW! Can you believe it!

After 3 years, not only did I locate what is considered to be the best undershirt to wear under kevlar, I was also exchanging emails with the woman who invented it!

Although the Ultra Cool RVU is no longer being manufactured, Debbie is still selling her remaining inventory on eBay here:

POLICE ARMOR TEE Coolmax RIBBED shirt crew neck RVU

Product Information:

• Product Name: Ultra Cool RVU (Ribbed Ventilating Undergarments)
• Fabric: Coolmax
• Unisex Sizing: XS – 3XL
• Collar Styles: Crew Neck, V-Neck
• Colors: White, Black, Navy
• Styles: Short Sleeve, Long Sleeve
• Original Retail Price: $49.99 – $65

Ultra Cool RVU Description

The RIBBED VENTILATING UNDERGARMENTS have the technology of the ribs and the wicking power of CoolMax fabric to keep the body cool, dry and comfortable.

Strategically placed ribs on the front and back of the garment create air space to reduce heat stress and heat buildup.

The wicking action of the fabric transports sweat away from the body and dries quickly.

Additional Info

Ultra Cool’s patented ribbed, “air tunnel” configuration acts as a body cooling system for the wearer, channeling out the hot air.

The Ultra Cool RVU, in effect, equalizes his/her internal and external environments, reducing perspiration and preventing overheating.

Conversely, this technology also helps the body retain heat in cold conditions, making it ideal as a winter undergarment as well.

In asking Debbie why she stopped manufacturing the RVU 9 years ago, she indicated it simply wasn’t economical to continuing manufacture them at the time do to cost increases.

Plus, the massive popularity and adoption of Under Armour at that time created an environment where she could no longer compete.

The good news is the Debbie is open to discussing the possibility of bringing back an updated version of the RVU with companies who express an interest in doing the manufacturing.

So, if you’re interested in having that discussion with her, feel free to visit Debbie’s website and drop her a line.

Photo Gallery