Any recommendations for 3-season long distance touring jacket and pants?

[UtahPete]

I'm going to be checking off my various bucket list rides throughout the US and Canada starting next Spring. I imagine I'll be encountering all kinds of conditions but hopefully nothing extremely hot or cold. I'd like to avoid having to carry several different sets of gear for varying conditions, because of the hassle and the limited luggage space. I'm not going to say money is no object but I don't feel particularly constrained to accept unnecessary compromises in exchange for saving money.

For some of the touring, I'll be camping with my Lees-Ure Lite camping trailer. I won't be dining out or doing major hikes at my destinations, although exploring the visited areas (like museums, national parks, etc) is likely. So bring separate clothing for that, or is there good touring gear that can do double duty as casual wear?

What are your thoughts (and thought-provoking questions) on this? I'd particularly like to hear from people who have toured a lot and have experience with different gear setups and have come down to a clear preference based on personal experience. I'm interested in knowing brands, fabrics, 2-piece vs 1-piece, etc.

 

[Deanna777]

I have not done any long distance touring, but here is a thought - get something that is wind proof, water proof, and breathable.

Deanna

 

[JayBros]

Riding gear is very personal IMO. Based on my experience with 12 years of riding with a Firstgear jacket and pants, a Kilimanjaro jacket, and both mesh and winter pants, I would consider a search incomplete without considering the brand. I'm long legged and the brand has sizes for blokes like me. The main zipper on my winter pants failed and the company sent a replacement pair no questions asked, and didn't ask for return of the original pair; said it wasn't worth the shipping cost. The mesh pants have a zip out liner that I wore for the first time last winter instead of the winter pants; was very comfortable. I do not wear Levis under riding gear; prefer Columbia or Duluth Flex Dry On The Fly pants.

 

[jzeiler]

We ran into a new brand of gear at the BMW MOA Rally two years ago and it was Gryphon. We each bought the Wanderer Water Proof jacket and the Pacific Coast 2 Waterproof pants. They are comfortable up to about 85° in humid climates but at 91° they were down-right hot. The jackets have large zippered panels on the chest and zippers on the back and arms that let a large amount of air through. But we had to stand on the Spyder to get the full cooling effect. Two days later, we rode for 5 hours in the rain with all the zippers closed and were bone dry when we got home. They both have liners for the really cold weather riding and ample room for heated jackets as well. Great amour and reflective bits on the gear. Very happy with the new gear.

 

[Raknid]

I am on my second KLIM Latitude jacket. Waterproof, durable, good ventilation for warmer days. I have a random pair of BMW pants which are also waterproof. I would say pants are a much more subjective thing. Body types, inseams, comfort more critical than jackets.

 

[Longtimer]

I am also looking for riding gear for Spring, Summer, and Fall riding. It's kind hard to figure out the best all round gear - do you go with a mesh jacket with a liner or what? We have First Gear jackets now, which are great in cooler weather, but a little too heavy in Summer. Thanks.

 

[Bfromla]

Not for full on touring, but they'll handle some not ideal conditions for sure; gloves - both thin mechanics gloves & a thicker set, (heated grips help - if you have them); I have a Cortech Sequoia jacket (door pride) that has a zip out Summer thin layer which has been useful by itself when various temperature changes occur, with zippered pockets for keeping things in place; & Frog Togs overalls. Some over the ankle water resistant boots (LoUiSiAna climatized, so I'm quite used to crazy weather, which helps a lot!) I prefer click heat reusable therapy packs rather than single use hot hands packs, and ace bandage or some kind of wrap & place it at arteries <wrist, armpits, thighs> (not with direct skin contact tho!) to keep my core temperature up & it's better than just shoving them in gloves or wherever without interfering with grip & control. Know your limits & don’t test them, take plenty of of stops & just wander around, stretching (for circulation), adjusting, or drying your gear. Some things are gonna take longer & it may suck, but that's not as bad as not getting back! And each trip is a learning experience. Good luck, and enjoy the trip.

 

[jdgretz]

The weapon of choice for the hard core long distance crew (IBA/IBR) is Aerostich or Klim (for those who don't think Aerostich is expensive enough). Most 'Stitch folks prefer the one piece as they are more interested in pounding out miles and not worried about socializing along the way (The Roadcrafter is the Gold Standard for one piece although the newer R3 is gaining a solid following. For two-piece, it's the Darien jacket and pants). The Klim folks are solidly in the two piece camp. The Badlands or Latitude are the preferences there.

I wear MotoPort jacket and pants. The jacket is mesh Kevlar and the pants are stretch Kevlar. That's my 4-season gear. What I wear under it changes based on the weather. The gear is custom made to fit you. Not inexpensive, but it may well last your lifetime.

On most of my trip this summer (see the map), it was over 100°F and well into the 80%+ humidity, so shorts under the pants, wicking shirts, and sleeves from LD Comfort. When it gets cooler, I move to regular shirts (sometimes I add the jacket liner) and jeans. Below 40°F, I add a heated vest, gloves, and socks. The Gloves are Alpinestars SMX-1 Carbon Air V2 for everything except the cold. Boots are Alpinestars Celer riding shoes. They're Comfortable and look good enough off the bike that most people don't notice that they are motorcycle boots.

When it rains, I just plan on eventually getting wet. All the gear leaks at some point and I don't see the point in playing with uncomfortable and hot rain suits. My MotoPort pants do as good a job of keeping me dry as anything. My heated gear keeps me warm enough and my gear dries out over night, or I hit up the local Cycle Gear and buy some inexpensive "water proof" boots (that still allow my feet to get wet) that I can alternate between two pair of boots while it's raining (yeah, I have three pair of those now).

I don't do motorcycle camping - I got enough of that with the Army, thank you very much. These days, roughing it is staying at the Holiday Inn Express because the Marriott is full (although I have spent a night or two at the Iron Butt Hotel).

jdg

 

[UtahPete]

@jdgretz, thanks. Lots of good info and insights in your response.

@Raknid, right to the point and another endorsement for Klim. I like the comment about jacket vs pants.

@JayBros, I still have my 20 y.o. Kilimanjaro and it's in good shape, but I hadn't thought about it as a 3-season jacket. I'll give that some more thought. Thanks.

So far, the responses seem focused on jackets, which probably makes sense, since it takes the brunt of the weather conditions and is more critical for overall protection and moderating body core temperatures.

When it rains though, and water creeps into the crotch and butt, that's when I wish I'd paid more attention to the pants. For rainy conditions, up until now, I've mostly relied on rain gear of one sort or another, from waxed cotton, to Frogg Toggs, to a lightweight rain suit, which out here in the arid West has been adequate, if somewhat of a pain to dig out and put on in wet, windy conditions (as noted above). I think something in the lightweight Gore-Tex category is probably better East of the Rockies.

I've noticed that when it comes to Gore-Tex, there are two approaches, one having it be the outer layer and the other being the inner layer or separate liner. For those with experience, what are your thought on that? I had always thought Gore-Tex was too delicate a membrane to survive the abrasion of being on the outside.

 

[mecsw500]

I'm going to be checking off my various bucket list rides throughout the US and Canada starting next Spring. I imagine I'll be encountering all kinds of conditions but hopefully nothing extremely hot or cold. I'd like to avoid having to carry several different sets of gear for varying conditions, because of the hassle and the limited luggage space. I'm not going to say money is no object but I don't feel particularly constrained to accept unnecessary compromises in exchange for saving money.

For some of the touring, I'll be camping with my Lees-Ure Lite camping trailer. I won't be dining out or doing major hikes at my destinations, although exploring the visited areas (like museums, national parks, etc) is likely. So bring separate clothing for that, or is there good touring gear that can do double duty as casual wear?

What are your thoughts (and thought-provoking questions) on this? I'd particularly like to hear from people who have toured a lot and have experience with different gear setups and have come down to a clear preference based on personal experience. I'm interested in knowing brands, fabrics, 2-piece vs 1-piece, etc.

Whatever adventure type clothing you get, I always carry a pair of 100% waterproof over pants in a size to fit over what you are wearing. The cheapest set of Bilt from CycleGear work grea. Likewise I have a roll of disposable over shoes I got from Amazon.

The reason I do this is that every pair of supposedly waterproof breathable Goretex pants and supposedly waterproof boots leak after a whole day of riding in the rain. They take up zero space. I also carry two pairs of supposedly waterproof gloves.

I don’t mind riding in the rain, but I cannot bear to be cold and wet whilst doing it. When I lived in England and rode to work year round I learned how to stay warm and dry.

 

[UtahPete]

Whatever adventure type clothing you get, I always carry a pair of 100% waterproof over pants in a size to fit over what you are wearing. The cheapest set of Bilt from CycleGear work grea. Likewise I have a roll of disposable over shoes I got from Amazon.

The reason I do this is that every pair of supposedly waterproof breathable Goretex pants and supposedly waterproof boots leak after a whole day of riding in the rain. They take up zero space. I also carry two pairs of supposedly waterproof gloves.

I don’t mind riding in the rain, but I cannot bear to be cold and wet whilst doing it. When I lived in England and rode to work year round I learned how to stay warm and dry.

Excellent suggestion focusing on the pants and boots. Thanks.

 

[UtahPete]

I do not wear Levis under riding gear; prefer Columbia or Duluth Flex Dry On The Fly pants.

I'm with you on that one. Duluth Flex DOTF pants are the bomb for most of my outdoor activities.