A thermal stand-off includes a rigid thermal stand-off section within a spatial region that extends along a distance between a first location and second, opposed location. The rigid thermal stand-off section includes a tortuous solid-wall thermal conduction path that extends from the first location to the second location. The tortuous solid-wall thermal conduction path is longer than the distance of the spatial region. The tortuous solid-wall thermal conduction path can include a tensile spring constant that is greater than a maximum tensile spring constant of a coil spring that fits in the same spatial region and is formed of the same material composition. The tortuous solid-wall thermal conduction path can include an antegrade section and, relative the antegrade section, a retrograde section.