Klim Badlands Pro Jacket & Pants - Gore-Tex Adv Shell (photos)

[Assfault]

Originally Posted by BoxerDoc

Now imagine the scene. Middle of town, out in front of local Harley bar. Two BMWs in the "Harley Parking Only" space. Me with my leg vent unzipped whilst my wife's fishing around with her arm buried down my pants telling me I should "just take them off!"

Oh well, all's well that ends well. She got the keys out and we had a nice dinner. Nobody was injured falling off their bar stools laughing at us, either.

Those Harley folk's just wished they had as much fun as you two had. You can't make this stuff up.

[Jettn Jim]

Just finished a 2 week ride from PA to FLA and back... about 60% of it in the rain including the last 400mi yesterday. Jacket kept me BONE dry at 78-80mph with the last 250mi getting pretty torrential... heavy winds to boot!
Was a leetle sticky in Georgia when temps hit 80+ after the rains but once moving the vents kicked in well. I believe I'm gonna go ahead and cut and re-sew the cuffs now.

[BoxerDoc]

What works better with the Badlands: Long gauntlet style or short gloves (thinking Klim Element--which one to get). My gut tells me go with the short. There just seems like too much bulk already at the end of sleeve on the Badlands with the combination of cuff, velcro, and wrist gaiter already to try and stuff all that under gauntlet. I also think it's more waterproof to run a short glove under the sleeve cuff than a gauntlet over top. There's nothing worse than that feeling of water running down the outside of your sleeve into your glove!

But, on the other hand, the Element Long seems to offer a great deal more protection, not just in terms of the gauntlet, but also on the hand area itself. I also think it's more waterproof to run a short glove under the sleeve cuff than a gauntlet over top. There's nothing worse than that feeling of water running down the outside of your sleeve into your glove!

Does anyone have any experience here re: Klim Element or any similar glove?

[YetiGS]

Originally Posted by BoxerDoc

What works better with the Badlands: Long gauntlet style or short gloves (thinking Klim Element--which one to get). My gut tells me go with the short. There just seems like too much bulk already at the end of sleeve on the Badlands with the combination of cuff, velcro, and wrist gaiter already to try and stuff all that under gauntlet. I also think it's more waterproof to run a short glove under the sleeve cuff than a gauntlet over top. There's nothing worse than that feeling of water running down the outside of your sleeve into your glove!

But, on the other hand, the Element Long seems to offer a great deal more protection, not just in terms of the gauntlet, but also on the hand area itself. I also think it's more waterproof to run a short glove under the sleeve cuff than a gauntlet over top. There's nothing worse than that feeling of water running down the outside of your sleeve into your glove!

Does anyone have any experience here re: Klim Element or any similar glove?

I use both short and long gaunlet gloves. Any glove that you can wear inside the cuff will be more comfortable, imho. There's a bit of bulk to the cuffs which just compounds when you wear a gauntlet over it. I'm actually picking up a pair of gloves this weekend that have a long(ish) gauntlet, but it's thin and will fit under the cuff.


That said, I ride nearly every day with gloves that have a thick cuff that goes over the jacket cuff. I notice it if I think about it, but it's really no big deal.

[DRTBYK]

Originally Posted by BoxerDoc

What works better with the Badlands: Long gauntlet style or short gloves (thinking Klim Element--which one to get). My gut tells me go with the short. There just seems like too much bulk already at the end of sleeve on the Badlands with the combination of cuff, velcro, and wrist gaiter already to try and stuff all that under gauntlet. I also think it's more waterproof to run a short glove under the sleeve cuff than a gauntlet over top. There's nothing worse than that feeling of water running down the outside of your sleeve into your glove!

But, on the other hand, the Element Long seems to offer a great deal more protection, not just in terms of the gauntlet, but also on the hand area itself. I also think it's more waterproof to run a short glove under the sleeve cuff than a gauntlet over top. There's nothing worse than that feeling of water running down the outside of your sleeve into your glove!

Does anyone have any experience here re: Klim Element or any similar glove?

For all but the really warm weather, the BMW Atlantis III glove is a perfect match with the BP. No water will every run down the BP sleeve and into the inside of my glove again. I don't know why it's taken so long for the glove mfgr's to figure this out. If the KLIM Element had this feature it might be worth the extra $100.
Atlantis-III

• Double cuff: Inside cuff is long, snug-fitting and waterproof, made of neoprene; outer cuff is leather with water-repellent zipper.
• 2 eyes at bottom on leather cuff to run off rainwater.

Cheers,

[RevZilla]

Originally Posted by DRTBYK

For all but the really warm weather, the BMW Atlantis III glove is a perfect match with the BP. No water will every run down the BP sleeve and into the inside of my glove again. I don't know why it's taken so long for the glove mfgr's to figure this out. If the KLIM Element had this feature it might be worth the extra $100.
Atlantis-III

• Double cuff: Inside cuff is long, snug-fitting and waterproof, made of neoprene; outer cuff is leather with water-repellent zipper.
• 2 eyes at bottom on leather cuff to run off rainwater.

Cheers,

I agree that for any inclement weather, wet or just plain cold, inside the cuff is the way to go. There are a couple "double-cuff" styles out there, but they have not been very popular in the US. REV'IT! had one that had limited availability in the US called the Genius H2O glove and Dainese has a glove called the Jerico that also has a double cuff and is a current product offering from Dainese.
As for what might work best with the Badlands, I might suggest the Long gauntlet for cold weather and a short cuff, vented glove for warm weather, such as the Klim Adventure Glove.
Cheers,
Ali
TeamZilla

[DirtyBiker]

Originally Posted by YetiGS

Ok, I've hit my first real negative with this jacket. The water bladder pocket . . . BLOWS!!

Originally Posted by YetiGS

Seriously. ...ONLY thing, that I did not like about my Rally 2 Pro jacket was that using the internal bladder pocket was a pain in the ass. .... And how do you route the hose? Wtf??

Ya the BD is a bit bugged on the internal pocket. BUT I also have the Rally2 PRO and now the KLIM BD pro and both are setup up to use the back rear pocket for a water bladder with the hose routed up over the shoulder and down in front. I use this method for all my riding as at 5'10" the filled bladder always rests on the passenger behind me so it doesn't pull on my shoulders until I stand which is often. I had a neighbor sew the D rings for $39 and they don't penetrate any waterproof required material. It works great for me.

[BoxerDoc]

I've made my peace with the internal water bladder pocket. But it's been a journey to get there. I had a BMW Rallye II jacket and suffered with that system. The pits! The Badlands Pro is definitely a step in the right direction. Maybe not the ultimate destination.

I use the same brand water bladder that Klim sells. The Hydrapak. Except I use the 2L size and do not fill it to the bulging state leaving it a little loose and sloshy. The first time I filled it to bulging full, it felt like a tumor on my back and it pulled the neck of the jacket into my windpipe. Not comfortable. I drained some water out straight away, and it was tolerable. Now I just don't fill it full and I hardly notice it's there.

The Hydrapak clips really nicely into the jacket. From there it's not too hard to undo the velcro holding the top of the back armor pocket, pull the armor forward, undo the velcro for the water bladder pocket and pull the tab off of the top of the bladder to fill it. Filling it doesn't involve removing the bladder and hose from the jacket which is key. Takes me maybe a minute to get it open, fill and closer up. I use a pitcher to fill with water at home and buy bottled water on the road.

The Hydrapak hose routes around the inside of the jacket and exits through the right napoleon pocket. It's in a really handy spot to grab a drink, then push back down out of the way to stow.

[V-Stormer]

The water bladder pocket is a feature in the Badlands I'm unlikey to make much use of. I like using a 3 liter volume and I don't like the idea of having the water there all the time when I'm walking around off the bike. I'll probably just stick to using my hydration backpack that can be removed quickly or even stored somewhere on the bike if I'm not needing it. Or worn for a hike or around camp or to keep me hydrated while working on clearing obstructions on the trail without having to wear the jacket. There is also room for a few other small items in the pack, so it's handy for that too.

The Adventure jacket is a better design for this feature with a pocket on the outside that you can easily remove the bladder from, but I'm not spending $500 to get that feature.

(before you say it, yes, I know there are other differences!)

[BaronVonDarrin]

couple of questions about the badlands and maybe some suggestions

1. I know if I want to REALLY use a neck brace I 'need' the adventure jacket but really I can not see me spending what is an entire paycheck for me on a jacket just to get some tougher junk on the arms and a neckbrace fit. Would it really kill the leatts functionality to wear it on the outside of the jacket? (durban with alpinstars neck system is looking better everyday sometimes...)
2. is the d3o armor in these things the thicker sort or the thinner sort I hear complaints about? And should I take it out of the legs and get real knee brace protection? Is the d3o int he badlands gonna protect me when I fall on rocks and bang my elbows on something? (I have matter attracting particles in my elbows I frickin swear)
3. do you know any LADIES who wear this. I want to get my S.O. something this badass eventually but I know Klim doesn't make a chick-fit for this jacket (really burns me that no one seems to do so for just about anything). Would getting the smaller one be OK for a ladies body you think?
4. is there any significant cooling difference between this and the adventure? That would be a game changer for my budget complaints. (I. hate. being. hot.)

[YetiGS]

Originally Posted by BaronVonDarrin

couple of questions about the badlands and maybe some suggestions

1. I know if I want to REALLY use a neck brace I 'need' the adventure jacket but really I can not see me spending what is an entire paycheck for me on a jacket just to get some tougher junk on the arms and a neckbrace fit. Would it really kill the leatts functionality to wear it on the outside of the jacket? (durban with alpinstars neck system is looking better everyday sometimes...)
2. is the d3o armor in these things the thicker sort or the thinner sort I hear complaints about? And should I take it out of the legs and get real knee brace protection? Is the d3o int he badlands gonna protect me when I fall on rocks and bang my elbows on something? (I have matter attracting particles in my elbows I frickin swear)
3. do you know any LADIES who wear this. I want to get my S.O. something this badass eventually but I know Klim doesn't make a chick-fit for this jacket (really burns me that no one seems to do so for just about anything). Would getting the smaller one be OK for a ladies body you think?
4. is there any significant cooling difference between this and the adventure? That would be a game changer for my budget complaints. (I. hate. being. hot.)

1. Don't know. I'd check with Leatt. I've worn mine over my jacket before but haven't crash-tested its effectiveness.

2. Don't know. I wasn't aware there are two different thicknesses. The knee armor seems a bit small but I'm good with it. I suppose if I was going to be riding in rocky singletrack, I'd wear my knee braces. Then again, if I was riding in rocky singletrack, I wouldn't be wearing my Badlands. Same with the elbows. When I ride gnarly off road, I wear a pressure suit. I got the Badlands for doing my day-to-day road riding and for "Adventure" rides, i.e riding the GS to get to dirt and riding fireroads and sandy trails. The armor in the Badlands definitely provides less coverage than my Motoport Kevlar Mesh gear.

3. Don't know. (Sensing a theme here? ) I know Soph9 has either a Badlands or Lattitude, I just can't remember which. Fwiw, she loves it.

4. This I do know. I've had an Adventure, now I have a Badlands and I, too, hate being hot. (Yeti's like being cool. ) The Badlands does vent better than the Adventure. If Motoport Kevlar Mesh is a 10, the Badlands is an 8 and the Adventure a 6.5 or 7.

[BaronVonDarrin]

Did you get it in black or grey? My hate of being hot is in conflict with my love of black. Ha.

I wonder, is there some sort of UV reflecting clear coating that I can coat all my black stuff in?

[YetiGS]

Originally Posted by BaronVonDarrin

Did you get it in black or grey? My hate of being hot is in conflict with my love of black. Ha.

I wonder, is there some sort of UV reflecting clear coating that I can coat all my black stuff in?

Badlands = grey

Adventure = Black

[RevZilla]

Originally Posted by BaronVonDarrin

Did you get it in black or grey? My hate of being hot is in conflict with my love of black. Ha.

I wonder, is there some sort of UV reflecting clear coating that I can coat all my black stuff in?

Hey BVD,
There is a technology out there that some riding gear is coated with called TFL Cool. It reflects about 30% of the sun's energy and helps keep Black motorcycle gear cool. One product on the market that is equipped with this technology is the REV'IT! Everest jacket and pants. I believe it's washed into the fabric before assembly and not something you could spray on afterwards. Here is a link to the TFL Cool technology. It would be great to see this technology in more products on the market. I really hate wearing anything but black on my bike too!

Cheers,
Ali
TeamZilla

[one.nine]

I have the jacket and pants. Love them both. I should have ordered the large jacket though. So my XL jacket is now for sale. Only worn to and from work maybe 6 times. see the FS thread here.... (its in the flea market section here)
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...errerid=208561