A pressurized gas source feeding an array of exhaust lines or conduits in association with a user-worn or retained garment is provided, thereby offering a portable cooling systems. The system is optionally adapted to provide powered cooling to locations where only very small and portable cooling systems can fit. Various user retainable appliances or articles may have cooling features incorporated therein including helmet and torso garments. The wearer of one such device integrating cooling features as described would experience cooling to the head or chest, respectively. Other user-wearable articles and associated cooling targets are contemplated as well. To provide the intended cooling effect, a conduit system in connection with a pressurized gas source is tuned, without nozzles or orifices, by way of various pipe-flow parameters to deliver a programmed distribution of cooling gas. Greater cooling effect may be targeted toward “hot” spots; alternatively, uniform cooling flow distribution may be achieved.