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GoreTex WaterProof riding Jackets in Texas. Yay or Nay?

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Apr 25, 2016
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I'm considering purchasing a Badlands or Poseidon, but a little concerned about how well they vent and riding in the Texas summers. I ride dual sport with a focus on the offroad so i'm a little concerned about prolonged slow speed riding in a hot jacket.

any thoughts? looking to ride the TAT or OAT in the future.

also, some people have suggested getting a cooler jacket and putting a rainsuit over when it comes down.
 
I am pretty sure they will suffocate you for the time being, that or you will drown in your own sweat, thanks to the water proofing. I know its been raining a lot lately but honestly, the lightest mesh you can find with a stoweable rain liner is going to be the only way to survive the summer.
 
Rode back from Durango in my Badlands last month. Was I cool, heck no, but no hotter than I would have been in anything else that gives real protection.
 
Throw an ld comfort shirt underneath, the gortex breaths well. Klim is vented very good in the right spots.


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Your actual question concerns slower technical riding on dirt, where you are expending enough energy to get hot without a jacket, in addition to warm ambient temps.

There is no jacket that will be comfortable in this situation. It doesn't matter how vented it is. I own lots of Klim gear including two different Gore Tex jackets.

The best thing in this scenario is a packable/stowable Gore Tex jacket. Klim makes one that stuffs into its own pocket and has velcro straps to secure it to a chest protector or any other handy place. It packs up very small, so it could go in a tank bag, saddle bags, etc.

The TAT or similar is a bit different. High elevations, cool weather, rain a bunch of the time, etc.--then you can get away with a full jacket. Plus, the TAT is comprised of roads where you will have the opportunity in many places to get going fast enough to let the venting of a jacket do some good.
 
Throw an ld comfort shirt underneath, the gortex breaths well. Klim is vented very good in the right spots.

I wear the long sleeve turtle neck LD Comfort shirt and full length pants with my KLIM Baldlands Pro jacket and pants. Even in 100+ F temps, I am usually quite comfortable as long as I am moving. When stopped, nothing helps other than shade and a breeze ;-) I find the jacket vents quite well. I think it is actually more comfortable in really hot temps than my mesh jacket. The bonus is that the jacket is just as comfy in cold weather. I have worn it in heavy rain in 100+ temps here in East Texas and in cold wet rain in Montana. I love it. The LD Comfort stuff really helps though.
 
Your actual question concerns slower technical riding on dirt, where you are expending enough energy to get hot without a jacket, in addition to warm ambient temps.

There is no jacket that will be comfortable in this situation. It doesn't matter how vented it is. I own lots of Klim gear including two different Gore Tex jackets.

The best thing in this scenario is a packable/stowable Gore Tex jacket. Klim makes one that stuffs into its own pocket and has velcro straps to secure it to a chest protector or any other handy place. It packs up very small, so it could go in a tank bag, saddle bags, etc.

The TAT or similar is a bit different. High elevations, cool weather, rain a bunch of the time, etc.--then you can get away with a full jacket. Plus, the TAT is comprised of roads where you will have the opportunity in many places to get going fast enough to let the venting of a jacket do some good.

great insight.. thank you.
 
I wear the long sleeve turtle neck LD Comfort shirt and full length pants with my KLIM Baldlands Pro jacket and pants. Even in 100+ F temps, I am usually quite comfortable as long as I am moving. When stopped, nothing helps other than shade and a breeze ;-) I find the jacket vents quite well. I think it is actually more comfortable in really hot temps than my mesh jacket. The bonus is that the jacket is just as comfy in cold weather. I have worn it in heavy rain in 100+ temps here in East Texas and in cold wet rain in Montana. I love it. The LD Comfort stuff really helps though.

it seems its all about tradeoffs. thanks for all the great input gentlemen.
 
I will add my two cents worth. When I first started riding in Texas a bit ago I bought a Klim mesh jacket. It has been HOT as heck, the sweat evaporates so quickly there is no benefit from it with the high summer temps we have been having.

Just over a month ago I bought the new 2016 Klim Badlands pants and jacket and love them. When I am moving they are much cooler than the mesh. The vents are plentiful and well placed. Whenever I stand up you get a rush of air into the huge vents in the pants and it is quite a nice feeling !!!

Soon as you stop and start trials riding or struggling everything gets hot, that is just the way it is. I have a feeling the mesh will be nice when it is cooler, perhaps in the 80's but I personally don't think it is very effective over that...
 
I will add my two cents worth. When I first started riding in Texas a bit ago I bought a Klim mesh jacket. It has been HOT as heck, the sweat evaporates so quickly there is no benefit from it with the high summer temps we have been having.

Just over a month ago I bought the new 2016 Klim Badlands pants and jacket and love them. When I am moving they are much cooler than the mesh. The vents are plentiful and well placed. Whenever I stand up you get a rush of air into the huge vents in the pants and it is quite a nice feeling !!!

Soon as you stop and start trials riding or struggling everything gets hot, that is just the way it is. I have a feeling the mesh will be nice when it is cooler, perhaps in the 80's but I personally don't think it is very effective over that...

wow.. very insightful. thank you very much for sharing your experience in this texas heat!

btw--i ordered both jackets from revzilla and going to try them out. from my research, it seems the badlands has got better protection, but the revit suit is supposed to have a more 'fitted' look. the research also seems to suggest that the venting wasn't that great on the Poseidon.
 
Oh by the way the pants are pretty heavy, I ordered the better quality Klim suspenders and they really help. Much more comfortable


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Oh by the way the pants are pretty heavy, I ordered the better quality Klim suspenders and they really help. Much more comfortable


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:tab I have the suspenders as well. Even with the straps on the waist as tight as they would go, the pants were still a bit lose. Beth sewed some extra velcro on the strap so I could pull them tighter. That helped a LOT. I still use the suspenders though. I like the old fart look :-P

:tab I totally agree with Mike about mesh not being real effective once it starts getting really hot. I have a Motoport/Cycleport Air MeshII Kevlar suit. It is a fantastic suit, but I much prefer the Badlands Pro stuff when it starts getting really hot. Most of the time when I am riding slow, I am standing, so the KLIM stuff still vents fine. It is only hot when I stop, but then, so is the mesh.

:tab I do prefer the mesh pants to the Badlands pants just because I can put them on and take them off while wearing my bulky dirt boots. Both legs zip all the way up to the crotch. They also have better armor coverage than the KLIM. They were custom fitted and I had extra hip armor added as well. I will often wear the mesh pants with the KLIM jacket.
 
So i got both jackets in Tuesday.

My Assessment:

I'm 5'9" 158lbs 37" chest.

the Poseidon was a medium and too big for me. in a pouring rainstorm, i'm certain it is better at keeping the rain out. The venting options are limited. It seems like a jacket built for <80 degree weather and rainy conditions. I was expecting this one to be more fitted--maybe i needed a small.

the badlands in a small fit perfect. It literally feels like my track leathers. i definitely felt more protected with the provided back protector. the arm and shoulder padding feels more substantial. one might argue the klim feels that way because the poseidon's armor is better fitting and softer. the P certainly felt more like a coat instead of armor. I tried on my down jacket underneath and there's enough room for it along with a fitted windbreaker and I'm confident layering with those two will keep me warm when it gets cooler.

on the venting department, no question. They really seem like two completely different jackets with the badlands geared for warmer conditions. The material on K, with the mini b' b's. in the abrasion zones seems to make sense.

I've been off at the Track on high speed and low speed low sides and the material feels like it would slide well.

Stoked about my purchase! feels like a got a great piece of kit. Ordered the pants and may get the suspenders as someone else has suggested!

the return process at revzilla was painless btw and it only cost $8.00.

thanks for all the input. looking forward to trying it out in October @ MexTrek!

guestaccess.aspx
 
So i got both jackets in Tuesday.



My Assessment:



I'm 5'9" 158lbs 37" chest.



the Poseidon was a medium and too big for me. in a pouring rainstorm, i'm certain it is better at keeping the rain out. The venting options are limited. It seems like a jacket built for <80 degree weather and rainy conditions. I was expecting this one to be more fitted--maybe i needed a small.



the badlands in a small fit perfect. It literally feels like my track leathers. i definitely felt more protected with the provided back protector. the arm and shoulder padding feels more substantial. one might argue the klim feels that way because the poseidon's armor is better fitting and softer. the P certainly felt more like a coat instead of armor. I tried on my down jacket underneath and there's enough room for it along with a fitted windbreaker and I'm confident layering with those two will keep me warm when it gets cooler.



on the venting department, no question. They really seem like two completely different jackets with the badlands geared for warmer conditions. The material on K, with the mini b' b's. in the abrasion zones seems to make sense.



I've been off at the Track on high speed and low speed low sides and the material feels like it would slide well.



Stoked about my purchase! feels like a got a great piece of kit. Ordered the pants and may get the suspenders as someone else has suggested!



the return process at revzilla was painless btw and it only cost $8.00.



thanks for all the input. looking forward to trying it out in October @ MexTrek!



guestaccess.aspx



You need to return the Klim jacket, the K and the title Klim is backwards. LOL


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:tab I think you will find that the KLIM works really well even in cold weather. I wore mine with nothing but a windbreaker liner in high 30s with rain. I was quite comfortable and stayed very dry. Of course my hands were a little cool, but the heated grips did help with that. Once you get the vents zipped and adjust the pull strap on the back of the collar, it does a great job of keeping out the wind. If you are worried about cold and bulk with layering, I would suggest a good heated vest. I have one and love it. With it, I am actually a little too warm at times even when the ambient temps are in the upper 30s and damp. My face gets cold, so I got a KLIM Balaclava and it works great. It doubles as a hat when off the bike to keep my head warm. I even used it at night when camping and the temps got down in the high 20's. I also slept in the KLIM jacket and pant liners I had (Inversion model I think).
 
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