Inspired by tried-and-true emergency responder protocols known as “Tactical Combat Casualty Care,” Justin Li initially thought to combine first aid science with athletic base layers while on duty as a law enforcement officer in the California desert. Faced with difficult terrain, a formidable adversary, heavy protective gear, and high altitude, Justin was looking to improve his odds in the field.
Unwilling to add more weight to his kit, he realized that efficiently offloading heat to stay hydrated was the best way to boost his endurance, strength, focus and recovery. After the mission, he realized that solving this problem could have implications far beyond just law enforcement. Improving performance through hydration could help any human who sweats—especially athletes seeking a competitive performance advantage and the military (particularly near and dear to Justin given how many close friends he has lost, were deployed or are still downrange in Active Duty service).
Armed with Otter Pops, a sewing machine he barely knew how to turn on, and his favorite compression shorts, he set out to build the first prototypes. After hacking together some crude samples, Justin then teamed up with former Stanford Baseball player and problem-solving guru J.D. Willcox to form Qore Performance.
Taking a crash course in apparel design and American manufacturing, they traveled the country to source and build out the Wearable Hydration (WHT) line, culminating in a set of premium next-gen USA-made products that could boost hydration by 40%, giving athletes a distinct competitive advantage on the field.
Qore successfully launched their latest WHT innovation–The Hydration Shirt–on Kickstarter in late 2015. During the campaign, some folks from an office associated with the US Army called us and asked if we would be interested in licensing our innovations to the US Army. They told us they were looking for a way to solve the “soldier-cooling” problem under body armor, downrange.
While WHT is a potent and efficient weapon in helping your body offload heat, they also knew that there would be some situations, such as extended missions and desert deployments with limited infrastructure, where operators simply needed more power than WHT could provide. The trade off had always been weight – nothing on the market was light enough and cost-effective enough to be feasible. Most of the more powerful initiatives involved ‘ground-up’ approaches, redesigning a soldier’s whole kit.
Working with WHT, the Qore team had examined many different options for absorbing heat. It turns out that the single most powerful coolant available is water, which operators already carry. By the repurpose of this water, the weight problem was effectively solved. They started working on how to do this by talking to end users, interviewing dozens of veterans from Special Mission Units, SOF, Marines, Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen.
Operators were constantly talking about the drawbacks of their current canteens and bladders, and that they would shove frozen bottled water in their plate carriers, cargo pockets and every nook and cranny available. In doing so, they were marginally cooler, but the inefficient placement and the limited mass of each water bottle was providing only a fraction of what was possible.
The IcePlate was designed to minimize weight, maximize duration, and maximize body contact. It has a a drain so operators can finally drink all their water. And it is thinner and lighter than what they were being issued. As an added bonus, it also provides added protection for users! Working with the top thermoplastic engineers and designers in the US, IcePlate has gone from concept to prototype to reality in only six months’ time.
Staying hydrated and cool in the field is the key to endurance, mental acuity, and performance. IcePlate by Qore Performance provides an innovative, American-made solution for nearly any active, outdoor application. You can get your very own IcePlate HERE.
