Waterproof Gear, Really Waterproof, You Know So You're Dry! Who Makes Them?

[Guest VictorFoxtrotRomeo]

So I live in the rainy Northwest part of America and I have found ALL of my waterproof gear to fail this year in heavy rain after being less than 2 years old.

My jacket is Alpinestars messenger

Pants are First gear HT over pants

Gloves - Alpinestars Arctic Drystar and Icon Patrol

This first happened a few weeks ago when my pants started letting in water from the side zips, my jacket leaks throughout and both gloves failed becoming completely soaked.

There is nothing more frustrating than riding in soaking wet clothing in 32 degree weather!

My issue is that all my gear failed and the gloves failed miserably, sure it happens at the 2nd hour of riding in extreme weather but shouldn't I expect my gear to protect me in the worst weather?

What gear do you use and how well has it protected you from the weather? Thanks in advance!

I don't care what it is, I want gear that works!!!

Rob

[YoshiHNS]

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/62977-shift-torrent-storm-gloves-review/#entry737447

[texasvfr]

BMW one piece rain suit. First gear one piece rain suit. Thinsulate ski gloves. Oh, toasty.

[frogn8r]

I also live in the NW and over the many years, miles AND moneys I have come to trust only one WATERPROOF material and that is gore-tex. I have tried every kind of dry-tex, gore-ton, dry-star there is and for my money, now I just buy the best. The jacket I liked the most was (an old one) by Reima, called Cycloak. They make snowmobile gear now and gore-tex in general has become more rare. That textile jacket even survived a small get-off when I met a deer on the way home.

Alpinestar makes a great glove with gore-tex in it, can't remember the name right off hand 'cause I didn't ride in today; it's snowing . But, you should be able to look it up.

[DDO-VFR]

BMW rain gloves & Wetskins jacket and pant from Costco. Tuck you gloves under the sleeves for sure. Can't vouch for my boots tho', Daytona.

Brian

[YoshiHNS]

Frogg Toggs are also a cheaper alternative. I haven't tested, but know a few people who gave them the thumbs up.

[2thdr]

Many folks swear by the Roadcrafter suits from Aerostitch. There are other high dollar options from Revit and the like. I believe that genuine GoreTex is going to perform better than other "waterproof, breathable membranes". In this arena I think you have to spend a lot of dough to get performance. Not that the gear you have is cheap or inexpensive...

Personally when I lived in the Pacific NW, I used Frogg Toggs over my normal gear and stayed dry...

[BonusVFR]

While I mostly ride in San Diego with good/great weather as a rule, I have found my Roadcrafter has done the job reliably for years especially on tour. I normally wash and treat the suit once a year. Even last weekend I rode for two days in the rain on a winter camping trip and I was dry once again.

The wp liner or rain suits idea seem to have merit but I do not like to stop and sometimes you can not just pull over alongside the road in low visibility etc. A couple of years ago on a multi week tour of Alaska we ran into rain every day except one. My two piece Stich setup worked great.

I have been looking a KLIM goretex recently to augment my gear. Expensive of course!!!!

[MaxSwell]

Since I started riding in '06 I've averaged 18,000 motorcycle-miles a year. I been in a lot of sever rains in all sorts of gear. GoreTex is Number One for dryness. Goretex requires any garmet made with it to be tested by their standards to be labled "Guranteed to keep you dry." And it does. My best experiences have been with GoreTex gear.

I have a two-piece RoadCrafter suit and a Transit Suit, both from Aerostich and both GoreTex lined, and they both perform magnificently; in very heavy thunderstorms with big wind factors involved. I seldom feel even "damp". GoreTex backpacking boots also work very well. And I always carry GoreTex ski/snowboard gloves if rain threatens. My hands always stay dry.

I always wear either one or the other and never need to carry extra rain gear. I'm always wearing mine.

[Guest]

Ah now it makes sense! I need Goretex! I always wondered about all the other names and was curious how one manufacture can have different "grades" of waterproof gear, guess I just expected that if it said waterproof it would be.

Looks like I'll have to put a lil investment in it but there's no price to pay for comfort is my theory so it makes sense.

Thanks to every who posted, really appreciate the responses!

[dutchinterceptor]

I have been looking a KLIM goretex recently to augment my gear. Expensive of course!!!!

Definitely pricey!! Good looking stuff but geeze...a jacket costs more than my one-piece 'stich! Interesting though that they actually guarantee to keep you dry.

As for staying dry, I've had great luck with the Nikwax products like the Tx.Direct Wash-In waterproofer plus I use a spray on waterproofer for all of the zippers. I usually have to redo it twice a year. I've yet to find any boots that will stay dry after multiple days of hard rain.

[digitallyhip]

AStars SMX-5 w/Goretex. Dry feet for four years now.

And WA isn't the NorthWest. More like the SouthWest!

[Duc2V4]

I don't care what it is, I want gear that works!!!

Rob

Don't get much rain in So Cal so I never really had to deal with rain gear that much nor do I typically ride in the rain. However, I heard that 'Rukka' makes some of the best and most reliable rain gear but it comes at a premium. Revzilla just became a US reseller so you might look them up. I first heard of them on another forum where water proof gear came up and a couple of the European and Australian members chimed in on Rukka, claimed it to be "the best rain gear money could buy", "last gear you'll ever buy', stuff like that. When I looked them up (this was last year some time), I was hard pressed to find a US reseller but from the places I found that sold it, I was a bit surprised at how much of a premium! I'm typically the type of buyer that will pay a premium for something if I don't feel like taking a chance on a less expensive item, however due to the lack of need for wet weather gear, I probably won't end up with a Rukka item but just thought I would pass this along.

[DDO-VFR]

Gortex does work. You should also know that it breaths slightly, as in you'll sweat like a pig in the warm weather. I have a Frank Thomas textile two piece that has worked very well to keep me dry but I switched to leather, much better, and use the Wetskins on top.

The real beauty of the Gortex lined textiles is that you don't have.to stop to change when the rain hits.

Brian

[vfrcapn]

I'll second the Aerostich gear. My Sidi waterproof boots are 9 years old now and just this month let a few drops in for the first time. They have around 60K miles on them.

[VFRJake]

I've been looking at/shopping for a waterproof jacket for a bit now, but for everyday wear. Near as I can tell, Gore-Tex will do what it claims, but anything with eVent will breath much better (though I'm not sure how or if that affects waterproofing). I've had Gore-Tex snowboard mittens for 5+ years that keep my hands dry and will actually start steaming when my hands sweat because they're venting, but I also have an old North Face Gore-Tex jacket that soaked though in a few spots in like two minutes of heavy rain. I can also tell a real world difference between my 5k/5k rated jacket and my 20k/20k jacket. I haven't gotten wet in either, but the 20k/20k breathability is noticeably better when I'm active.

I've always read that Frog Toggs are really nice. As for that waterproofing stuff posted above, I believe that will make water bead and roll off the material to which it's applied, but I don't know that it will stop water from penetrating while you're at speed. Maybe for a bit, I'm not really sure.

[DownAndOutNYC]

Just my $2: Waterproof gear does not necessarily mean waterproof forever. Most clothing will have to be treated every 1-2 years to maintain its "waterproof" qualities, or they will be just like any other fabric in the rain. Even a plastic liner will leak if the seams aren't sealed. So before anyone tosses any of your gear because it no longer repels the rain, grab a bottle of Nikwax as dutchinterceptor linked above or any other multitude of wash in/spray on water repellents and enjoy your gear for another season.

[Guest]

All great feedback! The gear is not very used, even though a little less than 2 years old, and I still have an expectation that they'll protect me from the rain, seems like these other levels of "waterproofness" is not the same with all gear even if they're brand new.

I can see the concessions made by having the gear breathable. As I get that you can get quite toasty, sweaty and what not by being in that type of fully waterproof suit.

Man, those prices of Klim and Rukka are crazy high! But I'm sure you get what you pay for, I may just go the stitch route too.

Thanks again for all the replies, very helpful in making my decision and also confirming that I'm not crazy!