Qore Performance: Using Water for Cooling and Heating Your Gear

Most hydration systems are designed primarily to carry water. Qore Performance takes a different approach. Its ICEPLATE^® and ICEFLASK^® technologies use water not only for drinking, but also to cool or warm the body directly through the user's gear. How do these systems combine hydration with thermoregulation, and why have they attracted so much attention from military personnel, law enforcement officers, and shooting enthusiasts?

In the previous article, we looked at the origins of Qore Performance, the company's philosophy, and the reasons why its products have gained recognition among soldiers, police officers, and other professionals who spend long hours wearing tactical gear. This time, we'll focus on the ICEPLATE^® and ICEFLASK^® technologies themselves and explain how they turn ordinary water into an effective tool for personal thermoregulation.

How Qore Uses Water for Hydration, Cooling, and Heating

When people think of a hydration system, they usually picture a water supply for long days in the field, a shooting course, or operational duty. Its primary purpose is simple: to let the user stay hydrated without having to stop and reach for a bottle.

Qore Performance, however, looks at water from a different perspective.

The ICEFLASK^® makes use of existing radio pouches, combining hydration and thermoregulation without adding extra equipment. Photo: Rigad

Most Hydration Systems Focus Primarily on Drinking Water

Whether it's a hydration bladder in a backpack, plate carrier, or running vest, its primary purpose is to carry and store water. The design typically prioritizes low weight, comfortable carry, and sufficient capacity.

That makes perfect sense. Staying properly hydrated is one of the basic requirements for physical performance and prolonged activity in the field. But hydration alone addresses only part of the problem.

The Bigger Challenge Isn't Thirst—It's Heat

During extended activity in full gear, it's often not a lack of water that becomes the limiting factor, but heat buildup and the risk of overheating. Body armor, plate carriers, backpacks, and other equipment trap heat close to the body, reducing its ability to cool itself naturally. The result is increased discomfort, faster fatigue, and a gradual decline in performance.

This is exactly the problem Qore Performance set out to solve. Instead of asking, "How can we carry more water?" its engineers asked a different question: "How can water help people perform longer and more effectively while wearing gear?"

Overheating Affects Both Performance and Decision-Making

Heat is more than just a comfort issue. As body temperature rises, cardiovascular strain increases, heart rate climbs, and the ability to concentrate begins to decline. Fatigue sets in more quickly, decision-making suffers, and overall performance decreases.

That's why Qore focuses not only on hydration but on thermoregulation as a whole. In this concept, water serves not only as drinking water, but also as a thermal medium capable of absorbing or delivering heat wherever it's needed.

This principle forms the foundation of both the ICEPLATE^® and ICEFLASK^® systems, which we'll examine in more detail next.

The compact ICEFLASK^® turns otherwise unused space on tactical gear into additional capacity for hydration and thermoregulation. Photo: Rigad

How Qore Uses Water for Cooling and Heating

At first, the idea may sound a little unusual. After all, water is primarily something we drink. But its physical properties also make it an excellent medium for transferring heat.

The principle is simple. Cold water absorbs heat from its surroundings, while warm water releases it. We rely on the same process every day, whether we're holding a hot cup of coffee or applying an ice pack to a bruise.

The key mechanism is thermal conduction. Whenever two objects at different temperatures come into contact, heat naturally flows from the warmer one to the cooler one. Place a container of cold water against your body, and it begins absorbing heat. Fill that same container with warm water, and it transfers heat back to you.

Qore Performance built its entire concept around this straightforward principle. Instead of relying on fans, batteries, or active cooling systems, it takes advantage of water that's already being carried as part of the user's equipment. In this case, water serves not only as a source of hydration, but also as a practical means of regulating body temperature in both hot and cold environments.

ICEPLATE^®: When a Hydration System Becomes a Cooling System

Qore Performance's best-known product is the ICEPLATE^®—a rigid hydration reservoir designed to function not only as a water supply, but also as a personal thermoregulation system.

Unlike a conventional hydration bladder, the ICEPLATE^® is shaped like a ballistic plate. This isn't simply a design choice. Its dimensions match a medium ESAPI plate, allowing it to fit directly inside a plate carrier, where it rests against the body and efficiently transfers heat through thermal conduction.

The ICEPLATE^® holds approximately 1.5 liters of water. When filled and frozen overnight, it becomes a passive cooling system capable of providing up to 70 watts of cooling for approximately two to four hours, depending on ambient conditions and activity level.

The same principle works in reverse. In cold weather, the ICEPLATE^® can be filled with warm water, allowing it to transfer heat back to the body. According to the manufacturer, it can deliver up to 52 watts of heating output in this configuration.

Hydration remains an important part of the system, but it is no longer its only purpose. The water serves not only as a drinking supply, but also as a practical tool for regulating body temperature.

Designed to match the dimensions of a ballistic plate, the ICEPLATE® serves as a source of hydration, cooling, and heating. Photo: Rigad

Why the ICEPLATE® Is More Than a Conventional Hydration Bladder

At first glance, the ICEPLATE^® may look like an unusually shaped hydration bladder. In reality, it was designed with a very different purpose in mind.

While traditional hydration bladders are intended primarily to carry water, the ICEPLATE^® also uses that water as a medium for transferring heat. Its rigid construction and plate-shaped design allow it to fit directly inside a plate carrier or other load-bearing equipment, where it remains in close contact with the body.

The result is more than just another way to carry water. By combining hydration and thermoregulation in a single system, the ICEPLATE^® offers capabilities that conventional hydration bladders simply weren't designed to provide.

ICEFLASK^®: Making Use of Space You Already Have

Alongside the ICEPLATE^®, Qore Performance also offers the ICEFLASK^®—a compact 500 ml thermoregulation bottle. At first glance it may seem less distinctive, but it perfectly illustrates Qore's approach to making the most of existing gear.

The ICEFLASK^® isn't designed as a conventional round bottle that has to be carried in a dedicated pouch. Instead, its dimensions match those of the PRC-152 military radio, allowing it to fit standard radio pouches. In doing so, it solves a problem many users never consciously consider: how to make use of space on their equipment that's already available but not currently occupied.

In practice, the ICEFLASK^® can serve as an additional source of drinking water while also providing cooling or heating. According to the manufacturer, a frozen ICEFLASK^® delivers up to 23 watts of cooling, while filling it with warm water provides up to 17 watts of heating. As with the ICEPLATE^®, hydration is only part of its purpose—the system is also designed to help regulate body temperature.

Its compact size also makes it highly modular. The ICEFLASK^® can be carried individually, in pairs, or in larger numbers depending on the user's equipment and mission requirements. While the ICEPLATE^® provides primary thermoregulation on the back, ICEFLASK^® bottles can make use of the sides of a plate carrier, chest rig wings, or other areas where a conventional bottle would be bulky or impractical.

The ICEPLATE^® and ICEFLASK^® are based on the same thermoregulation principles but are designed for different carry methods and applications. Photo: Rigad

Why the ICEFLASK^® Is Shaped Like a Military Radio

The ICEFLASK^® wasn't given the shape of a military radio for appearance's sake. It was a deliberate design decision based on how tactical gear is actually used. PRC-152 radio pouches are a common feature of modern load-bearing equipment, yet many users don't need to carry a radio all the time—or in every configuration.

Qore saw an opportunity to put that space to better use. Instead of forcing users to find room for a conventional round bottle, the company designed a flat, rectangular bottle that fits a pouch already found on many loadouts.

That's what makes the ICEFLASK^® unique. It doesn't require an entirely new way of carrying water. Instead, it gives an existing piece of equipment a new purpose by making use of space that's already part of your gear.

When Water Becomes Part of the Equipment

When looking at the ICEPLATE^® and ICEFLASK^®, it's easy to focus on their shapes, specifications, or carrying methods. More interesting, however, is the idea behind their design.

Both products are built around the same principle. Water serves not only as a source of hydration, but also becomes part of the equipment itself. It helps regulate body temperature, improves comfort while wearing protective gear, and in certain situations can contribute to maintaining both physical and mental performance.

While the ICEPLATE^® uses its large contact area against the back to provide primary thermoregulation, the ICEFLASK^® makes use of additional space on a plate carrier or chest rig. Both systems rely on the same principle of heat transfer, using water's ability to absorb or release heat depending on the conditions.

This systems-based approach is what sets Qore Performance apart from most hydration equipment manufacturers. Rather than designing standalone products, the company has developed a complete concept focused on making the most effective use of the water already carried in a user's gear.

The same philosophy underpins Qore's broader Heat Injury Prevention Solutions (HIPS) concept, which aims to help organizations reduce the risks associated with heat stress. We'll take a closer look at why hydration alone is often not enough—and how thermoregulation can help prevent overheating while wearing tactical gear—in a future article.

The ICEFLASK^® matches the dimensions of the PRC-152 military radio, allowing it to fit standard NATO radio pouches. Photo: Rigad

Simple Physics Instead of Complex Technology

One of the most interesting aspects of Qore Performance's technology is how straightforward the underlying concept really is. Neither the ICEPLATE^® nor the ICEFLASK^® relies on revolutionary materials or complex mechanical systems. Instead, both make use of the natural thermal properties of water, integrating it into the user's gear so it serves not only for hydration, but also for thermoregulation.

This is what sets Qore apart from most conventional hydration systems. Water is no longer just something to drink—it becomes an active part of the equipment. It can help remove excess heat in hot weather or transfer warmth back to the body in cold conditions.

Whether it's the ICEPLATE^® integrated into a plate carrier or the compact ICEFLASK^® making use of existing radio pouches, both products reflect the same design philosophy: make smarter use of the equipment people already carry.

That may be the reason Qore Performance has attracted the attention of soldiers, law enforcement officers, shooters, and other professionals who spend long hours in tactical gear. Not because it changes the laws of physics, but because it puts them to practical use.