Karting??..

I understand entirely. Just to get out and ride, I might take some thicker shoes, thick blue jeans and a heavy jacket. Like you said, you're not trying to set the world on fire. But that neck brace helps if you hit any bumps, or if you're leaning with your head. That was actually one of the first things we purchased after getting the kart. Maybe the guy you got the kart from has one he will let you use for the time being?
Definitely getting one from the previous guy to borrow is a no-go he lives up in Washington and that's just the gas money and time alone would be worth just buying it... When it comes to safety equipment my wife's not going to blink an eye at me getting what I need. But in a nutshell this month's budget took a 3K hit just getting it. I need just a little bit of time to pass before I take another hit on the budget...