Thanks to everyone for the positive comments...Skillet as to your questions, yes it definitely cuts down on the heat I normally felt on the inside of my legs and the material is made so that is actually cools down to the touch more quickly than metal alone. I haven't touched it with bare hands, but it definitely doesn't radiate the heat I used to feel from the pipes. Have fun at the rally...sucks cause I'm in Georgia already but had a mass tactical airborne drop today that my superiors wouldn't let me out of...so I'm afraid I'm missing this one.
