Adventure gear - what are you wearing?

**Tazz** · 9th January 2016, 08:54

Originally Posted by puddytat

Yeah the collar setup seems ok, though not having a brace means I cant really give an informed opinion, but I can see it'll work.
Funny thing today happened as I was in Murch searching for a pie. I came across a couple of fellas on bikes
(a LC ktm & CRF450) who were hummin & ha- ing over their rain affected plans for the Maruia saddle, Mackley rides. One of them was wearing the leatt adventure jacket with a waterproof shell over it....also not waterproof.
Both of them were wearing neck braces.They mentioned that the Maruia saddle was impassable with the rain...a creek blew out somewhere.

As Woodman said, waterproof boots hold water really well too. My waterproof boots are good in rain, but hopeless in knee deep water

We live in a day and age with such technological marvels as the waterproof teabag, yet they can't advertise correctly or apply the same properties to a wee jacket eh. Very disappoint.

**eldog** · 9th January 2016, 08:59

If it's too waterproof and doesn't breathe like a waterproof tea bag, I find that humidity from me makes it feel like it's raining on the inside.

a dri as a bone seems to help

**puddytat** · 9th January 2016, 09:13

That's true...I have been using techni-flex jacket & over trou which are advertised as breathable & waterproof (farmer Ken stuff)....waterproof they are but breathable they aint. That may have something to do though to the amount of sweat an adventure rider may generate as they manhandle their machine in their quest for adventure & the meaning of life...

Does oilskin stand up to the wind pressure associated with rain riding?

**MarkH** · 21st January 2016, 12:59

Holy Shit!
My jacket and pants from Germany just arrived, WTF?
I was expecting a call asking for some GST and a little forcible butt secks from customs, but no, package just turned up.
It cost me NZ$1100 so I was sure I couldn't avoid customs holding the package until they squeezed me for some of my hard earned.

Now that I'm over two hundred bucks richer than I thought I'd be I might have to go over to Hamilton to look at some new boots.

**JayDNZ** · 21st January 2016, 13:09

Originally Posted by MarkH

Holy Shit!
My jacket and pants from Germany just arrived, WTF?
I was expecting a call asking for some GST and a little forcible butt secks from customs, but no, package just turned up.
It cost me NZ$1100 so I was sure I couldn't avoid customs holding the package until they squeezed me for some of my hard earned.

Now that I'm over two hundred bucks richer than I thought I'd be I might have to go over to Hamilton to look at some new boots.

Spend some of that $200 on lotto ticket if I was you!!

**Waihou Thumper** · 21st January 2016, 14:27

Originally Posted by MarkH

Holy Shit!
My jacket and pants from Germany just arrived, WTF?
I was expecting a call asking for some GST and a little forcible butt secks from customs, but no, package just turned up.
It cost me NZ$1100 so I was sure I couldn't avoid customs holding the package until they squeezed me for some of my hard earned.

Now that I'm over two hundred bucks richer than I thought I'd be I might have to go over to Hamilton to look at some new boots.

They got your number boyo!
Was that a door knocking?

Lucky you is all I can say.....better be worth that $1100 smackers!
So I won't be the best dressed DR650 rider in Matamata Piako district anymore!

**MarkH** · 21st January 2016, 16:08

Originally Posted by Waihou Thumper

[I]better be worth that $1100 smackers!

That's pretty cheap:
The 2015 Badlands Jacket - $1695
The 2015 Badlands Pants - $1200
When I look at those prices I think my Klim jacket & pants for $1100 seems pretty cheap.
If I only had $2895 kicking about spare I could get the really nice stuff, but that is a big chunk of change to spend.

My Badlands Pro pants & Overland jacket seem pretty nice considering they cost only 38% as much money.

**eldog** · 21st January 2016, 16:38

Originally Posted by MarkH

Holy Shit!
My jacket and pants from Germany just arrived, WTF?
I was expecting a call asking for some GST and a little forcible butt secks from customs, but no, package just turned up.
It cost me NZ$1100 so I was sure I couldn't avoid customs holding the package until they squeezed me for some of my hard earned.

Now that I'm over two hundred bucks richer than I thought I'd be I might have to go over to Hamilton to look at some new boots.

So, what do you think of them, once you've had a chance to give them a go of course.

**MarkH** · 21st January 2016, 18:23

Originally Posted by eldog

So, what do you think of them, once you've had a chance to give them a go of course.

I checked how they fit, I think I managed to work out the size exactly right.
I'll try wearing them to work & back tomorrow, the vents will be nice for the ride home.
I ride to work at 3am where the cheap non-vented gear has been fine, but then I ride home around midday where vented gear would be real nice.

I'll report back after work tomorrow with my initial impression.

**Night Falcon** · 22nd January 2016, 16:26

Went for a 2hr ride on the 530 round midday, temps were above 30

....loving the venting on the Traverse jacket and XD4 helmet!

**MarkH** · 22nd January 2016, 18:12

Riding home today at 12:30pm it was pretty warm, the vents definitely helped although the ST1300 does have a lot of bodywork that blocks the air.
The Badlands Pro pants are a little baggy (something that I've read about and the newer model has been improved in this respect) but are not ridiculously so.
The Overland jacket is really nice and the vents cooled my pits.
Definitely a step up from my other textile gear.

The Klim gear is supposed to be completely waterproof, will have to wait for some wet weather to test that.

**MarkH** · 22nd February 2016, 17:47

Tested the gear more thoroughly on the weekend, the Badlands pants and Overland jacket worked pretty good, much better than the cheaper gear I had been using. It was still hot work but the vents did help. I had a few offs with no problems except for an achy wrist (can't blame the gear for that one).
I bought some Gaerne Adventure boots and I was pretty happy with them, until putting my feet down in water higher than the tops of the boots - oh well, without wearing waders I guess there's nothing I can do about that. I had also bought some better gloves for off-road riding, they allow some air through and really helped a lot in the hot weather while riding Fishers Track & 42nd Traverse - I'm not too sure one what gloves they are except they are made by Rev-It.

**Night Falcon** · 22nd February 2016, 18:51

Originally Posted by MarkH

Tested the gear more thoroughly on the weekend, the Badlands pants and Overland jacket worked pretty good, much better than the cheaper gear I had been using. It was still hot work but the vents did help. I had a few offs with no problems except for an achy wrist (can't blame the gear for that one).
I bought some Gaerne Adventure boots and I was pretty happy with them, until putting my feet down in water higher than the tops of the boots - oh well, without wearing waders I guess there's nothing I can do about that. I had also bought some better gloves for off-road riding, they allow some air through and really helped a lot in the hot weather while riding Fishers Track & 42nd Traverse - I'm not too sure one what gloves they are except they are made by Rev-It.

photos of the weekend Mark?

hope that wrist is OK mate!

**MarkH** · 22nd February 2016, 19:53

Originally Posted by Night Falcon

photos of the weekend Mark?

hope that wrist is OK mate!

Wrist will come right, left hand is fine so my sex life wont take a dive.

Not all that many photos, got some of my camp setup and packed on the bike:

Apart from borking the wrist it was heaps of fun!

**Night Falcon** · 22nd February 2016, 19:59

Originally Posted by MarkH

Wrist will come right, left hand is fine so my sex life wont take a dive.

Not all that many photos, got some of my camp setup and packed on the bike:

Apart from borking the wrist it was heaps of fun!

my plan is to do it next year on the 530.....lack of further injury/crashing/surgery/ISIS invasion permitting