It's 2022, what's your rain gear?

TomMcD

Active Member
#1
Realizing I'm spoiled by riding in the west the majority of the time, and in two weeks I'm heading for the South East in June. It occurred to me that I don't have dedicated rain gear. Generally I just use the liner that comes with my gear, because when a storm rolls through out here, the temp tends to drop, and at highway speed you'll dry out in short order with the low humidity.

I'm aware this is not the case in the South East. It only takes a small shift of warmth to water ratio, to go from a steamy afternoon to bucketing down, then back to a steamy afternoon and that it doesn't really dry out until some time in October. Finding a solution that will not leave me just as wet from sweating as if I had no gear on seems likely the holy grail.
 

Shawn K

Professional Cat Confuser
Premier Member
#2
What you want is a full Gore-Tex setup, laminated to the shell (no removable liners).

Some of the most respected names are Aerostich, Klim, and Rev-It, but there are others as well.

Personally, I switched to an Aerostich Darien jacket this year and was amazed at the difference. Even in two days of constant rain down to Miami last March, I stayed dry as a bone with no sweat buildup.

Go full Gore-Tex, you won't regret it. You'll spend some money, but it's worth it.
 

SteveAikens

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#3
I have relied on Aerostitch for longer than I ca recall. I have both a one-piece and a two-piece. The one piece is generally for winter or very heavy rain expectations when I leave, the two-piece for hotter riding conditions where Levis make more sense for my legs. I wear the Levis that the Stitch jacket and zip on the lower part of the stitch if I need it.

Aerostitch makes very good, long lasting riding gear IMO.
 

rneal55555

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#6
My Klim gear is inherently rain gear as well. Never need to change clothes due to rain.
Us as well my wife has a Klim Jackets and Pants I don't rate quite so high so I have First Gear Kilimanjaro/Katmandu not Gortex but it works. I've had the original Kilimanjaro Jacket for 9 or 10 years now It's always worked. I wanted new stuff before the last IBR a new Kilimanjaro wasn't available so I got a Katmandu with Kilimanjaro pants. While the last IBR certainly wasn't the wettest on record we were in some pretty heavy downpours and it all worked. FWIW I prefer the Kilimanjaro jacket for the pockets while I like the Katmandu for the cut.
 

Baxter

Well-Known Member
#8
If you don't want to buy all new gear to get the ones with built-in waterproof membranes, I can recommend Frog-Togs. I've used them several times when riding in the summer months when I wear a mesh jacket, and they've never failed me. Just remember that you'll also want waterproof gloves.
 

TomMcD

Active Member
#9
I'm looking at the Frogg Toggs due to availability against my schedule. I'm working from home for the last couple years. Currently I'm winding my way through bureaucracy for a new position that would require travel between a couple locations. At the point I'm back to commuting in a motorcycle friendly state, I think an Aerostitch is a slam dunk.
 

EricV

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#13
I used to live/ride in Oregon and Utah, now I live/ride in MS. I travel all over, but when you don't live in the SE, you can put up with vented goretex while passing through.

It's getting to the time of year when the humidity goes up and rain gear is a facet of life because the only gear that will really be comfortable is mesh gear in high humidity. This is from a guy that has over 100k on a Klim Latitude goretex jacket and over 100k before that on a Aerostich Darien. I still wear my goretex riding gear, but not much in the summer in the SE.

I'm cheap on rain gear. Nelson Rigg bib pants and the rain jacket that came with my mesh riding jacket. A tip though, my mesh jacket's rain "liner" is designed to fit over or under the jacket. This means I can quickly put it on over for rain, then remove it and no need to 'dry out' afterwards. And in cooler temps when I'm traveling, putting the rain jacket over my mesh means I don't get chilled in sub 60F temps with the mesh on. And when it warms up it's quick to remove and pack away w/o taking my main riding jacket off.

Hope that helps. Check out Motorcycle Closeouts for deals on rain gear, (and mesh gear).
 
#14
I've had some luck with Joe Rocket Atomic Jacket, which I've run in the south, California's central valley, the Sierras, the Mojave and the Colorado Plateau. Works great with a heated vest, works fantastic with evaporative cooling, and in the south you can open it all the way up and it's almost as good as mesh.

In my somewhat limited experience, that's about as close as you're gonna get to a single-jacket solution; unfortunately it's not as waterproof as they say it is. Version 5.0 sounds like it might be better in that regard, but I'd torture-test it first before relying on that

I still think stich has a lot to recommend it, I'm carrying it as a rain suit on my next cross country. Without the pads in it, it rolls up tight enough, goes on over my Klim easy enough, and it's a heck of a lot easier to get into / out of than those doggone frog togs. Nothing quite like the one-legged-dance-on-the-side-of-the-road in a 30kt cross wind with people trying to kill ya. Good times
 

Baxter

Well-Known Member
#15
I just returned home from a non-IBA tour through the Appalachians. I'd not packed my Frog-Togs because I was wearing my winter gear, which has been waterproof in the past. Notice the word "past." Yep, I got myself thoroughly soaked through. Twice. I've apparently washed the factory waterproofing coating out of my winter gear. I've ordered up some waterproofing wash stuff. We'll see whether that works.

In the meanwhile, I'm becoming much more invested in this thread.
 
#17
Now I carry a set of Joe Rocket Rain Gear in my side case. I only use it in down pours, otherwise leather jacket and pants work great. When I was younger wearing jeans I would just dump the water out my cowboy boots during stops, my leather jacket kept my top half dry, as long as my rear stayed dry in my seat I was happy.
 
#18
I have a Scott Ergonomic Pro rain suit, pants and Jacket. These are the best I've ever seen and I have over 40 years of ridding. That rain suit is in 2 pieces, black or yellow and between 80 to 90$/piece. It breathes and is completely waterproof (personnaly tested in a pourring rain for over 15 to 20 minutes) and an all day of rain and warm weather. I also put it on when I did my SaddleSore 1600km and 2000km rides. I have a yellow top that reflects pretty much and black pants. I have worn that suit in a 30 degree celcius and was really impressed on how comfortable they are.
 

Rusjel

Premier Member
#19
Klim Badlands. Very good, but in sustained Far North Queensland wet season conditions they will eventually overwhelm the Goretex and you get wet. But we are talking about 3-4 inches per hour sustained for a couple of hours here, normally they are pretty good.
 
#20
I still have had such a nice experience with my Scott rain gear I had for the past 5 or 6 years. I remember the salesman in the garage telling me he had the best rainsuit and costed me over 300$, when I put it on, I was wetter than if I didn't have it on.