Waterproofs - What is best?
 

Hi,
I am travelling through Europe for 12 weeks in April and need to buy some outer waterproofs. Can anyone please advise what is the best / best value kit to keep me dry when it starts pouring...?

Many thanks

Dan
:rain:

What works for me
 

Hi Daniel, I can only tell you what works for me after extensive use and numerous miserable soakings.

No matter what boots you buy they will leak, so sealskinz socks are a must. They are bullet proof. I use a Regatta Kagool over my jacket and a set of Peter Storm pants. The pants have no pockets and are prone to moisture trapping which mean you end up a bit sweaty in hot weather, but they are cheap and do the job.

For my over mitts I use these Rain-Off: Genuine 100% Waterproof Motorcycle Overgloves again these are not cheap but they are bullet proof. I have countless pairs of gloves all bought with a weather and water resistant label, they are not. With the sealskinz and rain offs you can put your feet in a buclket of water and your feet will stay dry. I have tried this. The same for the rainoffs.

You can go for a lot of expensive stuff bought from specialist hiking and mountaineering shops. What you buy will be dictated by the depth of your pockets.

The cheap way of doing this and it is not to be knocked or sneered at at all is to use bin liners, cheap, does the job and you can get them anywhere.
hope this helps.
GM

I had some Frank Thomas desert gear that came with waterproof liners rather than outers. They were plastic so got a bit sweaty but as you're sitting down most of the time it's not too bad.
I took a gore-tex walking jacket I already owned for the top half which worked pretty well until I took a trip down the road - expensive mistake to make. It turns out waterproofs are not made for abrasion resistance - go cheap and cheerful every time!

Plastic bags and one-piece
 

+1

When all else fails put your feet with socks on in a plastic bag then inside your boots. Keeps the socks dry and feet warm. Best of all it fits in any shoe and it's completely FREE!! :D

Apart from that I use a one-piece overall bought from Dafy Moto in France of the same brand and it worked well for the 1st 6months, now it's losing it's waterproofness - as do all things over time. I think I paid about 40Euros. The one-piece has its advantages and disadvantages, it's hard to get on but once on has the best wet-weather protection. If in humid or hotter weather you might get wet from the trapped moisture on the inside...

I use daytona road star boots and rukka jacket and pants. Was in tropical rain storms in Central America last year and absolutely bone dry.
Buy cheap,buy twice!

How much you got to spend?

I have a Hein Gericke two piece Gorsetex suit which has keep me dry through the worst rain I ever rode through. It was £500 in the sale, but with a 5 year waterproof guarantee I'm hoping it'll last twice that and bring the average cost down. Got the usual body armour, venting zips and waterproof pockets you'd expect to find on higher end kit.

Also got Heine Gerick boots which so far have been waterproof, though not really tested. I wore motorcross boots and seal skins through the hideous rain, and they do keet your feet dry.

Just get down your army surplus shop and by a goretex over suit

Another vote here for cheap oversuits. Breathable this and barrier layer the other always seem to cost a fortune and have the same average results once dirty. Add bikewear premiums and it gets silly. Mine came from Netto, was £15 in the sale and is fully waterproof with no additional work or treatments after 2 years. Thats less than it costs to wash my Horrible Gherkin jacket in the approved gunk and even then it leaks at the collar:thumbdown:

Andy

goretex.
 

goretex is the only thing thats kept me dry.
i like to wear bike gear that is comfortable and use waterproofs over the top. army and navy surplus shops are where i get mine. no fancy colours but very cheap. i got a jacket and trousers for less than £50. ill prob. get a warm welcome when i ride past a swedish army base as a bonus.

would agree army surplus waterproofs work, i have bought army boot liners £5, and army gortex socks £6. also wiese waterproof jacket and over boots, the over boots can be a bit of a pain to put on and can give some hairy moments when they catch on the foot pegs as you put your feet down. i use all of the above items and they do keep the water out.

denny.

The best 'over the top' waterproof stuff is definately army surplus goretex. Specifically the Dutch gear is different/better than the rest. It's thicker, like a layer of cotton over the top of the goretex material. Not easy to find compared to British or German stuff though.

I've tried Frogg Toggs, great material...terrible zippers. Also pack too big. I have first gear now though, but being winter and my bike in a zillion pieces have not had the opportunity to try them.

Must give a +1 on the army surplus stuff. After reading Mondo Enduro and the many uses of the basic army poncho I have added one to my kit. It is the most useful damn thing I have ever had on the bike. Between using it as a tent, bike cover, ground cloth, sunshade, ponco, it's use is endless.
I've also gotten good thermals for a fraction of the cost of an outdoor supplier.

Thanks
 

Thanks for all your replies...

:D:mchappy:

In case you want yet another opinion...!

Like many on here, I have ridden many years and weathered many storms: travelling, commuting, couriering etc

I have to say that no option has proved absolutely impermeable, but some have come close.

The truth is that in a really heavy, sustained downpours, over a period of hours, especially at motorway speeds, water will get in.... end of.

Water will slowly encroach at the veclroed zips and find a way in, then capillary action does the rest. The collar of helmets will also get wet and the foam will suck up cup-fulls. Nothing will stop that apart from parking up and sitting it out... all part of the fun

The trick is to try and limit this as much as possible. For many years I have been an advocate of goretex. 98% of the time it does the job. However, if you get rained on, you may be dry but your big bulky gear is not: unpleasant when you're about to climb into your tent with a jacket carrying 3 pints of rainwater in its weave!!

So I also have a two piece waterproof over suit. Unlike the outdoor workmans PVC jacket I once tried (and abandoned), these have zips with flaps etc designed to keep driven rain out: ie not rain that falls on you as you stand/walk, but rain you're throwing yourself at by riding a motorbike into the drops! Also good ones will be designed so that your don't have to remove boots to get a trouser let on!

When I go touring, I wear a regular biking jacket and trousers (no goretex) and rely on the oversuit. When I'm running around locally, I wear the hassle free goretex.

Boots: I second Daytona boots as I have a pair of Trans Open GTX: never let me down yet.

Ditto for a previous pair of HG Rallye goretex boots an Aplinestars race boots in my sportsbike days. each of those lasted years. A price worth paying for piece of mind, IMO

Enjoy your trip!

thanks for the advice....

:thumbup1:

Hi there, im in agreement with the guy above,when i am touring i rely on an outer layer to keep my main jacket and trousers dry as trying to stash a large dripping wet jacket and trousers in a tent is not good. My outer layer consists of a bright orange waterproof breathable cycling jacket and waterproof over trousers. I also spray them with fabsil waterproofing spray to afford a little more protection from the rain, when i get to my destination, i give them a quick shake and they fold away to the size of a bag of sugar. On my feet i wear a pair of Goretex combat/pro boots which i have treated with nickwax, they have never let a drop of water through, just wish they came a little higher up the leg for protection. Gloves, not quite there yet, i use a pair of heavily nickwaxed hein Gericke Touring classics that keep the rain out for a while but eventualy let the rain through. I toured Scotland last year for a few days and got heavily rained on for hours on end and my leather trousers, feet, most of my upper Body and head remained dry, a bit of water got in around the neck as i didnt have my zip up far enough and some water soaked in to the sleeve ends from my gloves, i know youve had quite a few answers already but i was well impressed with how my cheap waterproof gear held up so i thought i would put my two pence in as well, just need to find some better gloves or a waterproof overglove now. Forgot to mention, my helmet is a Caberg trip and kept my head dry but unfortunately is very prone to misting and the 1st notch on the visor is too large to leave open in the rain to demist for my liking...

Hi

after several trips in Europe I have the following

Mesh armoured jacket and either Draggin Jeans or Hardass Jeans (both Kevelar).

My waterproofs are: Berghaus pacaway Jacket (originally bought for skiing) expensive 10 years ago about £130... but still doing the job very very well and zip up berghaus trousers £20.

Ive tried the lot.. 1 piece .. etc but this is the best... and you can still wear it when out of your biking gear around town or the campsite

Cheers
Geordie

The budget supermarkets Lidl and Aldi have biker gear amongst their Special Offers from time to time. The Lidl one piece raingear is the best 10 euros you can spend. They sometimes have overgloves and other stuff as well. Or try an outdoor shop like Decathlon for waterproofs.

tip posted by my local kit shop:

How to put on your motorcycle rainsuit in the rain
:stormy::rain::stormy::rain:

Ever been caught out hopping around by the side of the motorway in gale force winds and horizontal rain? Here is a tip for you - Stuff a thin plastic bag (available from all good supermarkets) into the inner pocket of your water proofs. Then when you’re caught out and already wet simply remove the plastic bag put it over your boot to allow the rain suit to go on quickly -

:D
NO HOPPING!!

Anyone tried the Rev'it titan rainsuit?

I used to be a motorcycle courier in Bergen, Norway, we get over 2200mm rain per year. The tricks were then to use muffs, waterproof goretex or similar gloves, goretex or similar jacket and trouser, always have the gloves on the inside of the jacket, then a one-piece rain suit on top of it all (or jacket/trousers combo) but 100% waterproof material, i.e. non-breathable stuff, and then for the feet... wellies!
No other thing would work but wellies, we used cheap ones and they also had a wool/fur like lining, and used footbed shaped cut several layers of newspaper in the bottom as soles. I kept dry this way, but not without the muffs. Wihtout muffs, water would eventually sneak its way in around the cuffs, and get sucked in all the way up to armpits :) With the muffs, this never happend. Muffs were soaked, but kept the gloves dry enough...

Would sweat like a pig sometimes though... but the amount of sweat never quite got near the levels of wet through rain :funmeteryes:

Another thought..
Are you camping?
Most biking jackets have the waterproof bit as a layer under the protective outer shell. This means the outer part will absorb a fair amount of water.
Not something you want dripping in your tent after a days wet ride.

I wear textiles for everyday but if it looks like torrential rain I put a cheap oversuit on that I got from Aldi or Lidl
(£10-£15 i think). Completely dry after an 8hr wet ride.
Can shake the worst of the water off it afterwards then shove it in a bag.

It can get warm and I wouldn't want to walk around to much in it as you'd likely to get just as wet through sweating.

Outer layer Waterproofs
 

Another vote for outer layer waterproofs. So much quicker and easier.

Condoms, cellphone, wallet, papers that need to be kept dry, in an emergancy, ceep your condoms close!

vote
 

Two piece over suit - Joe Rocket, Daytona boots. 10,000 miles through the USA and bone dry. And you can put on the jacket of a two piece to either keep you warm while riding or walking around sight seeing in the rain.

Anyone tried rev'it Pacific H2O ??

This one rocks: 太空簑衣(Motorcycle Rainwear) - YouTube

Jacket = BMG Discovery http://www.webbikeworld.com/r4/briti...covery-jacket/
Overtrousers = FirstGear HT2 .I imagine the BMG overpants are equally as good ,I just haven't had the need to replace the FirstGear trousers yet .

They are warm and waterproof .Both jacket and trousers have the waterproofing on the outershell so they dry quickly .Trousers have full length zippers ,so they are easy to get on and off .

I was just going to post about that, makes you look like a nob, but maybe you stay dry?

Here is the full article

The Space Raincoat Keeps You Dry, Makes You Look Fat

Cheers
TS

Waxed cotton for me. Easy to repair, easy to re proof. Lasts for decades if it is not terribly abused.

The best are the ones that go OUTSIDE your riding suit.

I think internal liners are really stupid. Your clothes get soaked and they are a pain to take in and out (and make you sweat)

The best are one piece over-suits with elasticated ends on the sleeves and bottoms although I personally have a two piece set up as it's easier and quicker to put on.

The Oxford 'Bone dry' stuff is alright for the price but they're all much of a muchness...

You don't need to spend a load of cash.

There are various good brand water proof kit available in the market as well as over internet also.So try to find such kind of water proof kit from local market you also can advice from store keeper about which water proof kit is best to keep you dry completely.

consider a classic PVC Rukka one-piece
 

Brilliantly summed up Adison. A lot to think about there.

I used a wax cotton jacket lately (review here), but like most above, agree that an impermeable one-piece outer is the best way to go for day-long downpours in temperate climates.

I haven't seen the Aldi/Lidl ones (sounds like my kind of shop) but I finally bought myself an old silver-black PVC Rukka one-piece. Not made for years, they crop up on ebay once in a while. Mine was £35 which is as high as they ought to go and missed one for a fiver. As despatchers, many of us wore these Rukka over-jackets or one-pieces in the 80s. They come in padded/quilted or less bulky unlined which is better IMO.

Mine must be nearly that old but is still in great shape. Soft, pliable PVC, solid seams and a kind of front bellows thing - like a hiking boot - that effectively makes it a chest-high bib seal so no wet crotch. Don't know if anyone else still makes anything similar and as good.

The Euro sizes can be confusing (or I didn't get it) so get as big as possible. Mine (Euro 52 - UK Chest 42") won't fit over my bulky Aero, but I can live with that as the wax cotton sheds on the outside water well.

For longevity and easy repair PVC is better than PU-coated nylon, IMO.

Ch

My policy with footwear is probably unusual. If I'm riding in a hot climate I wear vented race boots, light and cool and more protective than any other option. If It's wet I put British Army Gore Tex boot liners on. My other gear is Motoport Kevlar mesh jacket and over pants, also mesh both with internal liners. It's not a problem having the outer layer soaked as it's mesh.

If you visit an agricultural merchants you can get very cheap (around £20-£30 ) but effective over suits . These work well.

One of the arguments often served against having a water proof breathable detachable inner liner is that the outer shell becomes drenched and heavy. This school often reccomends a breathable waterproof shell (which will aborb some water, but not as much). Problem with the latter solution is that once the shell is drenched, it also stops wicking sweat - possibly drenching you from the inside. Also, you loose the option of removing the water proof shell on hot sunny days - drenching you from the inside on hotter days as well as the jacket is much hotter. In colder temperate climates, this may not be such a big problem as you might not sweat so much, if any at all, and the "drenched shell" argument may come into play.

Having recently been testing both types of kit (Bullfighter VS BMW), in various conditions (hot, cold, rain), I am now in the market for a kit with a detachable inner... I've set my eyes on the Rally 3 from BMW. It is in my opinion the best compromise.

Keep in mind that many jackets with non water proof shells, including the bimmers, have had the nylon fibers treated with waterproofening from the factory, in order to not soak up as much water. So, it is not like it gets drenched immediately... Remember also that even with the water proofening built into a breathable outer shell, the shell will hold some water. Only an impenetrable outer shell will prevent cooling in my experience. So, if it rains in a cold area, the one-piece has this added benefit - it keeps you warm as well as dry.

In areas with probability of some rain, I would keep the liner zipped in at all times and bring a one-piece outer to pull on if it was to pour buckets. In hot dry climates, with low probabilty of rain, I would leave the one-piece at home and put the waterproof liner in my pannier.

For instance, if you are to ride across the atlas mountains, you will likely not have rain at the beginning or end of the day - but very much so in the middle, where it is also quite cold. Knowing this, I would keep the liner zipped in for this day. On the other side of the mountains, I would put it away as I would likely not no longer need it... but I will really enjoy a less warm jacket. In Norway, I would keep it zipped in on most days, except if the forecast underscores that it will be cooking. And, for any longer rides in Norway, where it can rain upwards, downwards, and from all directions at the same time, the one-piece would be near by if the forecast says that heavy rain is to be expected.

As for rain gear, I have experienced that with a two piece, water can creep up between the jacket and pant.. I have nov have a one piece which is dirt cheap, with neon panels for added visibility in crap weather... it has never let med down, in any kind of wet storm (snow, hale, rain). I think the most important attribute are long weather protected zippers way up the side of the legs and in the front so that it is easy to get in and out of without having to take your boots off. I really liked the tip of using plastic bags over your boots to make them slip through the legs easier - I will really test that one out for sure.

As for hands and feet, I have not found a solution that I like yet. If it rains I don't want to get out of my boots on the side of the road to put on (or take off) goretex socks, sealskinz or plastic bags. I have tried som rain mittens to put over my glloves, but feel they provide me with poor grip. I have tried some industrial rubber gloves which work well over thinner riding gloves, but not for bigger bulkier gloves. The same with the rain socks that you put outside the boots, which for me allways tear on the foot pegs anyways. This much said, I have only tried a couple of cheap solutions - so any advice on solutions would be greatly appreciated.

So far I have been riding in leather or synthetic hiking boots with goretex - I find them all clammy in hot climates, but ok still, and most have held up in rain. But, with more and more offroad riding, I am looking for a sturdy Enduro type boot - and from what I hear, few of these are water proof.

Any suggestions for keeping hands and feet dry???

Dry feet
 

Our Daytona GtX boots have been stellar !! Comfy totally waterproofand you can walk around in then in comfort too. I have The BMW waterproof gloves with the water scraper on the finger. Dry after 7 hours of pouring rain
In Alberta in July .


We have revitt defender suits. We like the zip out liners easy to put in or out. For pouring rain loving the Revitt H2O suits. Sara