Dirt_Dad
Well-Known Member
Founding Member
2011 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
User error: Yes
User ignorance: possibly
Klim culpability: uncertain
Been very satisfied with my Badlands gear purchased about 4 months ago. Expensive, but so far very versatile. Never seen rain until the last two weeks.
On the Tenere is has been perfect. Rode 1 full day in the rain with only two drips down the neck. At the first stop I realized it had a neck synch, and after that, nothing down the neck. Another 5 hours of rain over the next few days and not a drop anywhere. Very impressed.
I found myself on a DR650 yesterday in heavy rain at high speeds for a close to an hour. Different results. The DR has no wind protection of any type, just full exposure to the elements.
It was not raining when I departed, so I paid little attention to how I zipped up the jacket. Just zipped it up and didn't bother doing anything with the zipper flaps. They usually go where they belong well enough on their own...or so I thought. After raining for about 20 minutes I felt the cold rain water spreading across my belly. Reached down and could tell the flaps were not sealed properly. The zipper looks like it could be waterproof, but it is clearly only water resistant. 100% user error.
It was raining hard enough to see many of the cars had their wipers on at double speed. I was traveling at speeds between 60 and 75 mph on an interstate and other 4 lane roads. Much to my surprise, it was raining hard enough that a 70MPH I could feel the rain as little pins and needles striking my arms through the jacket. I was only wearing a T-shirt under the jacket, but that really surprised me. It probably shouldn't have been so shocking since any rain jacket I've worn in the past was a second layer over an existing jacket. Just more layers.
At higher speeds with no wind protection, the upper sleeve vents really open up to catch the wind. I've never seen that happen on the S10, even when I wish they would. It didn't take too long for me to start feeling wetness at the base of the upper sleeve vent. Not a constant flow of water, but unquestionably wet and cold. On the bike I had no idea how to keep that from happening. It was obvious why it was happening. Once off the bike I noticed there is a sleve synch in the middle of the top vent area. I wonder if pulling that tight may have prevented the vent from ballooning as it did? User ignorance...possibly.
Finally getting home and emptying the zipped pockets. Top left pocket with my wallet. Wallet wet. Not soaked, and wallet contents dry. But I did take everything out and let it sit open to dry the leather. Top right zipped pocket. I had placed my phone inside the included dry bag in that pocket. Phone dry. Bottom right zipped and flapped pocket. I had folded full size piece of paper in that pocket. Paper partially wet, not destroyed.
Oh, one last jacket note. The neck of my T-shirt was also wet.
From the waist down, I was 100% dry. I give partial credit to the tall Sidi Adventure Gore Tex boot I was wearing. The bottom of the Klim pants were soaked. I think the tallness of the Adventure boot played a part in staying dry down below.
Bottom line - I can't blame Klim for me not closing the flaps on the front of the jacket. Once I did that, I never felt anything else on my belly. My neck wetness was probably a similar situation. I don't know if the arm synches would have prevented the drips on the arms. I'm speculating at this point. I've not lost faith in the jacket, but I will be more careful when sealing it up for wet weather, even on the Tenere.
I will fault Klim for not doing a better job of owner education. This jacket is so engineered, so feature rich, that I don't fully understand how to properly deploy all the features. For example, what are those little mini-sleeves that come out every time I put on the jacket? Do I put my thumb through the hole and then put my gloves on over that in the winter? Not sure what those are for. I feel I would benefit from some education on this gear.
User ignorance: possibly
Klim culpability: uncertain
Been very satisfied with my Badlands gear purchased about 4 months ago. Expensive, but so far very versatile. Never seen rain until the last two weeks.
On the Tenere is has been perfect. Rode 1 full day in the rain with only two drips down the neck. At the first stop I realized it had a neck synch, and after that, nothing down the neck. Another 5 hours of rain over the next few days and not a drop anywhere. Very impressed.
I found myself on a DR650 yesterday in heavy rain at high speeds for a close to an hour. Different results. The DR has no wind protection of any type, just full exposure to the elements.
It was not raining when I departed, so I paid little attention to how I zipped up the jacket. Just zipped it up and didn't bother doing anything with the zipper flaps. They usually go where they belong well enough on their own...or so I thought. After raining for about 20 minutes I felt the cold rain water spreading across my belly. Reached down and could tell the flaps were not sealed properly. The zipper looks like it could be waterproof, but it is clearly only water resistant. 100% user error.
It was raining hard enough to see many of the cars had their wipers on at double speed. I was traveling at speeds between 60 and 75 mph on an interstate and other 4 lane roads. Much to my surprise, it was raining hard enough that a 70MPH I could feel the rain as little pins and needles striking my arms through the jacket. I was only wearing a T-shirt under the jacket, but that really surprised me. It probably shouldn't have been so shocking since any rain jacket I've worn in the past was a second layer over an existing jacket. Just more layers.
At higher speeds with no wind protection, the upper sleeve vents really open up to catch the wind. I've never seen that happen on the S10, even when I wish they would. It didn't take too long for me to start feeling wetness at the base of the upper sleeve vent. Not a constant flow of water, but unquestionably wet and cold. On the bike I had no idea how to keep that from happening. It was obvious why it was happening. Once off the bike I noticed there is a sleve synch in the middle of the top vent area. I wonder if pulling that tight may have prevented the vent from ballooning as it did? User ignorance...possibly.
Finally getting home and emptying the zipped pockets. Top left pocket with my wallet. Wallet wet. Not soaked, and wallet contents dry. But I did take everything out and let it sit open to dry the leather. Top right zipped pocket. I had placed my phone inside the included dry bag in that pocket. Phone dry. Bottom right zipped and flapped pocket. I had folded full size piece of paper in that pocket. Paper partially wet, not destroyed.
Oh, one last jacket note. The neck of my T-shirt was also wet.
From the waist down, I was 100% dry. I give partial credit to the tall Sidi Adventure Gore Tex boot I was wearing. The bottom of the Klim pants were soaked. I think the tallness of the Adventure boot played a part in staying dry down below.
Bottom line - I can't blame Klim for me not closing the flaps on the front of the jacket. Once I did that, I never felt anything else on my belly. My neck wetness was probably a similar situation. I don't know if the arm synches would have prevented the drips on the arms. I'm speculating at this point. I've not lost faith in the jacket, but I will be more careful when sealing it up for wet weather, even on the Tenere.
I will fault Klim for not doing a better job of owner education. This jacket is so engineered, so feature rich, that I don't fully understand how to properly deploy all the features. For example, what are those little mini-sleeves that come out every time I put on the jacket? Do I put my thumb through the hole and then put my gloves on over that in the winter? Not sure what those are for. I feel I would benefit from some education on this gear.
I have never gotten wet wearing this suit - even in torrential (think semis pulled over and some cars just stopped dead on the highway) rain. The Pluto gloves are nothing short of amazing, and a perfect cooler weather match to the Armas. Compared to the Aerostitch Dariens I've had over the years, the Armas is worth every penny - I can ride longer, harder, further, and with less fatigue regardless of the weather. In the long run, with Rukka's warranty and Revzilla customer service, the Armas is more cost effective as well. 