transafrica upperbody protection
 

Hi,
In october I'll start my cape to caïro trip. I'm looking for some good and cool protection sollution. I'm thinking about the following upperbody set:

Forcefield Action shirt
Forcefield Action Shirt | Forcefield Body Armour and Climate Control

combined with

Dainese gilet cali tex
Dainese - GILET CALI TEX - Motorbike - Europa - Francese

This way all body parts are protected, it will be probably be cooler than a jacket, the armor won't shift as much and i will still have a pocket to store some stuff. What do you guys think? Suggestions?

Hi,

please keep in mind that you will not only be facing heat. In July, I faced sub zero temperatures in South Africa. Mornings can be chilly, and much of your trip will be on high platous or in mountainous regions. You should be equipped for both heat and cold. Also, where it is extremely sunny, sunburn is a definite risk - which means that your body should be covered up most of the time anyways.

If you don't plan to go much offroad-riding, or at best nothing more than slow offroad riding, I would wear something which is comfortable. Personally, anything that has a tight fit is a no-no, especially if I travel long distances day after day, hot and sweaty.

Personally I would go for a shell jacket that had ok protection against road rash, and removable sholder pads, elbow pads, and back pad. The jacket and gloves combo should not expose skin - because burned skin at the wrist when having to operate throttle, clutch and break can be painful and potentially dangerous. In addition I would consider a strap-on back protector plate which you probably won't use. For pants, I would consider the same route, but with hip and knee protectors that can be removed. Likely you will find that you will not wear many of the pads for much of the time. Remember, that other vehicles will be far and few between, except for cities - so protection against getting run over or hit by another vehicle is not your greatest concern.

if it is heat you are concerned about, consider a cooling vest that you dip into water, and which through evaporation will cool you all day.

I would go for button down shirts that allow for rolling up sleeves and unbuttoning the torso mid day, when heat is most intense. This should be in some cool synthetic material that dries quckly when hand washed. Same with t-shirt, socks and underpants (lastly should be long legged and tight fit to avoid bunching up).

I travelled during june/july which is winter time south of the equator - so temperatures will vary for you. But, I found that on some mornings I needed long underwear, a sweater and a fleece underneath my bike gear, in addition to a turtle neck and dual layered riding gloves. Most of the time it was quite hot though.

Hi,

I used a normal long sleves swetchirt and Jeans combined with sunglasses, sun lution and
http://www.matrotech.de/img/hand1.JPG

I had a normal 20 Euro jacket (with no protection so i could sleep in) for colder sections then Sudan or Mauretania. Its not worth bying expensiv stuff if you dont where it later on or if you use up too much water because you keep sweting while riding offroad.

Travel save, Tobi
Transafrika - Riding on a motorbike through africa part 1

thanx for the replies! I know the succes of my trip won't depend on the gear and clothing i'll take with me, and i'll probably also reach Caïro in a simple, cheap jacket and pants. But since I will be on the road for half a year, I like to be prepared and even more safe.
I'm not planning to remove any protection pads, how hot it might be. I always like to be protected when I ride, even when there is no traffic at all. Next to the outfit I suggested, I will also bring some thermic underwear, fleece jacket and rain jacket because there will be some cold days and nights.
But is clothing that fits thight on your body by definition uncomfortable? I wear some thight longsleeves and fleeces all the time and I like the way it feels. I chose the forcefield+dainese combo for safety reasons mostly. I plan to do quite alot of dirtroads. I'm surprised that you suggest to remove some protection pads, just because it's more comfortable. Riding in my boxers and t-shirt is comfortable too, but I'm not planning on doing that either...
(sorry for the crappy english...)

Hi zjwannie,

Good to hear you've got a plan and are raring to go. I am going to repeat some of the advice here. I travelled through the middle east and faced anything from 40+ degrees heat to freezing rain and nights so cold that sleep was meerly a nice idea.

the most important thing to remember is that you can have the safest gear in the world but if it is making you uncomfortable and you stop wearing it then it is useless. Find something that you will be happy in for hours on end.

I had a light summer jacket. Very light infact but it had a removable rain lining and a removable thermal layer. light summer gloves, riding jeans and my favorite motocycle boots which I had been riding in for years (though I bought a new pair for the trip) and in all honesty the gear was fantastic. Sometimes I was too cold but you dont make these kind of trips so that you can be comfortable.

Hi,

If you want to be save you should not go to africa ;)The clothes you are going to wear also decide what the local people think about you. Its the same as if some creatures from far away would come to planet earth wearing one of these big hightech glas baloons around there heads insted a usual baseball cap like everyone else here.

Travel save, Tobi

I must humbly disagree. If you are white, and you have a vehicle, you are per definition rich. I don't see how clothes will make much difference.

Hi,

Well first time i went to africa i had a fancy jacked and new looking bike. I was treeted like money with legs. The second time i was wearing rotten clothes while driving a big truck. People where very friendly to me when i told them its my job to get this truck somewhere but i dont own it and dont have money for a hotel so i like to camp at there village.
The third time i used a bike again to travele through africa. Because i had lots of luggage i was money on legs again so the forth time I left all the fancy looking stuff at home. Insted i was whearing dirty jeens and cut off some plastic parts of my bike so it realy looked sad but therefore whereever i came the people where so friendly :)

have fun, Tobi

OK guys, I might reconsider... Thinking bout just taking my old Rev'it Strada H20 jacket through Africa. Combined with some layers/fleece or thermic underwear for the cold days.
REV'IT! Strada WR Jacket - Street Bike - Closeout - Motorcycle Superstore
It's comfortable, light, less spacy and especially lot cheaper. You think this jacket will do the trick?

Hi,

I would prefere something green or brown (no carmoflage otherwise you might get shot). If you are using light colours it looks expensive, will get dirty soon and people can see you from far away ;)

Travel save, Tobi

How much off road are you planning?

I wore Acerbis body armour, with EVS vision knee braces for a Morocco trip, but went there to ride off road.

Wore a Joe Rocket mesh jacket over the armour, and Klim Dakar pants over the boots / braces, and in temps up to 36c was comfortable...

If you're sticking to roads, then go with something road orientated - the same kit you'd wear in the Europe, but make sure it's vented.

And buy a camelbak.

I used a frank thomas set of desert gear last time with a gore-tex copy thing over the top. I took quite a few trips into the sand/mud/road and everything apart from the rain coat was fine. The jacket and trousers had quite a bit of mesh in so ventilation was ace.

Agree that looking like crap is a definate bonus on the road!

looks perfect to me mate. It's comfortable so you will wear it, it has armor so it will protect you and you have options for different weather conditions.

I wouldn't worry about danger from people being caused by the clothes you are wearing. The bike will attract more attention and even then the dangers are always over exaggerated.

Ride safe.

I'm white, european, have a motorbike and the time and money to ride trough africa just for fun. Therefore I'm rich in their eyes. Isn't just that simple? Even if I wear my old worn pyjamas I would still be rich. And they would be right, cause compared to them, I am rich. I think and hope that attitude and behaviour is more decisive to the way african people see you. I'm not planning to wear gold chains or use a laptop in small villages, but I want to bring quality gear and clothing for comfort and safety.

thanks for the reply hornet. were you talking bout the forcefield/dainese outfit or the rev'it jacket?