The microclimate temperature was measured with a microclimate temperature sensor placed
above the BDU pants pocket, which is one layer of fabric from the skin of the thermal manikin. The
design of QG II with the open thigh area helped keep microclimate temperature lower than the other
two armor systems for both ballistic materials. In fact, the microclimate temperatures for the three
armor systems only ranged from approximately 32.3_C to 34.6_C, less than 2.5_C. These findings
suggest that a soldier could wear an armor system with the greatest amount of surface coverage without
a large increase to the microclimate temperature. However, it should also be noted that the core
temperature of the thermal manikin was maintained at a constant temperature, whereas a real person’s
core temperature would fluctuate with different activities and external climate influence. It
could benefit the future development of body armor systems to test with real persons, rather than
a thermal manikin.
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or
publication of this article.