Clothes to take on trip to CAN-ARG
 

Hi Ladies!

Looking for some recommendations..

Next month, myself and my partner are flying to Toronto, travelling down to Argentina.

But I have not yet bought any clothing 'for' the trip. Motorcycle and day to day.

At the moment the only thing I definitely know I will be taking are my boots, trainers and merino wool socks!!

I'm looking for comfort mainly with some style added in!

Any recommendations on the best brands/styles?

Thanks! -J

Don't underestimate how cold it will be at altitude, pack warm clothes. I struggle with jacket choice, hard to be comfortable from the tropics to the high Andes.

Yea, that's a real challenge!
You will pass through several climate zones from blistering deserts, sticky tropics, rain and below freezing once in high Andes.

If you leave in a month ... that's perfect time of year for North America and good down to Panama. Raining season will be on the wane but you can still have PM rain.

Once in Colombia climate changes depending on altitude and proximity to coast. Once South of Santiago, Chile, things cool sharply, by late March may be too cold to ride in that far Southern section.

Best weather for Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego is October to March. (give or take) Serious Winter down there is May to September. (give or take)

Maybe spend time shopping for warmer stuff in Bogota? Most capital cities have abundance of high end fashion stores, probably good outdoor gear as well. Or go to REI store for expensive but practical fashion gear USA and Canada.

Weather should be near perfect in Sept/October until you reach USA.there Things may HEAT UP dramatically in inland areas up until late October and possibly beyond.

If you're not from this area, you may not believe just how hot it can get in September. If you stay on California coast you will have relief riding Foggy coast, while it's 105F inland. :help smilie: By late October temps usually moderate.

Will stay HOT all the way to Panama. November/December/Jan are coolest months. High humidity will begin in Southern Mexico, continue until you get over 2K meters in the Andes. Lowland Jungles will be HOT and humid until Chile and Argentina. Brazil has some tough weather too. HOT HOT HOT.

Gear I like:
X Officio underwear, Tshirts. High tech fabric, no stink, wash anywhere with very little water, dries in few hours. Light, but expensive. THE BEST I've found.

Mesh jacket and Mesh pants are nice, ideal in SUPER heat, but will freeze you when cold or even slightly cool. Conundrum. Many ride without jacket in heat (strap on to luggage). Stay covered even if just a long sleeve T-Shirt ... no matter how hot. Stay hydrated!!!! :thumbup1:

Lightweight medium weight riding boots with Tibia protection. Gore-Tex will not help you, costs more and once wet inside, will not dry quickly. STINK.

Change socks often in wet and high humidity. In cold you can always add layers, a down vest or another Merino wool sweater.

Balaclava is good, packs to nothing, very useful in severe cold.
Always two or three pair gloves. (to replace wet ones) Try to keep water out of boots. I carry simple, cheap rain gear to wear OVER riding gear. Not 100% dry, better than nothing, can be bought and replaced nearly anywhere.

A month traveling things will begin to fall into place regards what works and what doesn't. Ditch anything not being used ... give it away! Many over pack and bring Canadian Winter riding gear into the tropics. Bad idea. :nono:

I switch between two jackets depending on conditions, length of ride.
1. Rev 'It Mesh jacket: Great in heat, not good in even slightly cool conditions,
a short ride jacket.
2. First Gear Rainier Jacket: Light fabric that flows air (not a Winter jacket), many good waterproof zippered vents (5), 5 storage pockets with two inner pockets. All waterproof zips. Good armor but I've custom fitted better foam in back and elbows areas. Very tough, wears well. Find one cheap one's used on Craig's List.

I usually have difficulty keeping cool no matter where I go. The key for riding in the tropics for me has been soaking clothes in water, then trying to keep moving. Special vests and neck scarves which are designed to cool you off have been helpful. Having a system for rapidly shedding riding layers when necessary--at borders, for example, or in city traffic--can be key. For me, that means easily-accessible cable locks for loose items like jackets and helmets.

I'd be wary of any statements about how hot it will be heading south this time of year, especially if they're attached to recommendations you wait to purchase cold-weather gear. It's easy to hit elevations of 10,000 feet/3000 meters or so in Mexico, and almost inescapable to ride briefly over 11,000 feet in Costa Rica. Add some fog, afternoon thunderstorms, or seasonal rain (the rainy season is NOT going to be over in a month or two), and it's easy to get chilled.

FWIW, I don't use mesh on this sort of trip. Seems to work for some, but not for me--too many days which range quickly from hot to cold and back again. This includes those sudden, unexpected downpours which can quickly chill to the bone if you get wet.

If what you were asking was specifically about clothing for women, best ask again more succinctly, since you've already attracted the answers from the usual coterie of bickering men (including myself).

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

My estimates use percentages, can't say it would be cold for MOST of those countries at any time of year.

There are some main roads through Mexican Sierra that get up there and cold, but VAST majority of Mexican roads are in much lower, hotter areas. Same with CR, both coasts are HOT humid and wet this time of year. Sure, there are a few roads that go high, but most main routes only briefly elevate to my recollection.

"Rainy season NOT going to be over in a month or two" Are you sure about that? :rofl: Records of rainfall over last 50 years might show otherwise. NOTE my GIVE OR TAKE statement on my earlier post. :innocent:
Making seasonal rain predictions is a bit of Black Magic but typically by end of October or mid November rain can taper off ... or not. :rain: Hurricanes happen in November so lots of rain if you ride through one, but most times you'll miss it and be fine.

In Canada we have Mountain Equipment Co-Op "www.mec.ca" and the US has REI "www.rei.com". Have a look at their sites for some ideas. Another one to look at is Columbia.

I always pick practical and comfortable vs fashionable. My pants are of the zip-off type for shorts and I ride with hiking boots for long trips to avoid having to carry extra footwear on top of riding boots. But I do carry a couple of nicer tops and one pair of "good" pants in case I spend a few days in a city somewhere. For hotter climates I like capris as well. Or it could be a skirt or dress if that's what you like. I don't worry too much about brands and styles, only what fits and works. Always try to take things that can double up as something else ...for example a sarong/wrap.

Layering is very important. So don't get one very bulky item when you can use several layers instead. I highly recommend thermal long underwear for some of the colder times on the bike or even sleeping at altitude. It takes up very little space, dries very quickly and can make your trip much more enjoyable.

Spend the extra money for silk or similar underwear. Cheap cotton underwear can really be a pain in the saddle on long days, especially when it gets wet through perspiration or rain.


...Michelle

Greetings J

As an option for your trainers have a look at Ecco brand shoes (ECCO.com) their walking shoes are super comfortable and depending on which model you buy they can double as a dressy'ish shoe. The downside is that they're not cheap.

I completely agree with the previous comments about layering, taking a set of (thin) long johns (and top) was part of my packing list (and I needed them). A visit to REI or MEC as Michelle suggested is an excellent idea (although your credit card might disagree). Also we avoided cotton as much as possible, drying clothes strapped to the back the bike is never a good look.

You probably have a jacket by now but I still like the Joe Rocket Alter Ego I took. To make it work you have to use layers in the cold but having the mesh option worked well for me. Here's a review I did on it.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ego-3-a-74978

Being on a bike you don't have a lot of room for clothing so to change her "image" my Beloved took along some cheap jewellery that she could mix and match with. Then as we travelled she would buy more from the various regions and post the older things back home.

One caveat, she chose to wear items that would not attract undue attention from pickpockets and other undesirables i.e small'ish and subtle not big and shiny.

I hope that helps, you'll have a great trip.

IanJ

Thanks all for your responses. It's all very helpful to me.

Balaclava, Sarong/wrap and silky pants have gone on the list and i will follow everyones advice to layer layer layer.

I've picked up a few tops this week: 'running' style if you like so hopefully quick to dry.

Waterproofs i have a packaway set that are reasonably OK, thinking of upgrading my waterproof jacket though.

Jacket I am still totally unsure of what to go for, perhaps need to get down to a store to try some out.

Can anyone recommend trousers? I have some textile type trousers that i bought when i first passed. Cheap purchase, but i hate them, they are so clunky heavy and i can hardly lift my leg over th ebike in them! I have spotted the Ugly Bros trousers which i love.. but i cant warrant the money. Any recommendations?!

Thanks for this! Have just taken a look at the First Gear Rainier jacket, seems they only have it in mens? Might be one i can go try on in store to get the right size.

Yes, try some on, try to imagine that jacket in 50C heat with 90% humidity.
Don't buy gear for just the UK/EU. Ideally, we need different outfits for different conditions. Not practical for traveler.

You want really good venting, waterproof, a few waterproof pockets, good armor and a design that fits Women. (Italian gear best for this)

All the Asian stuff will be cheaper but for FIT, look to Italian brands:
Dainese, Alpinestar and my favorite, Spidi.
https://www.revzilla.com/spidi-womens-gear

First Gear products AFAIK, not sold in UK, but you've plenty other brands. Check out as many as you have time for.

Trousers (especially for Women) are a tough one. I really like Leather and for much of my USA riding, I still prefer my leather pants in many conditions. Love 'em. Good in cold and OK up to about 30C. I use light rain gear OVER them, which adds a layer for more warmth when needed.

For HEAT I wear armored Mesh pants by Sedici (Cycle Gear) It's the Arturo pant. Mesh, armor, perfect fit, well made and CHEAP. Cycle Gear is a HUGE MC chain store here in USA. About 50 stores nationwide. They have "in-house" brands like Bilt, Sedici and a few others. It used to be real crap but now is much better. My Sedici mesh pants are as good or better than much more expensive name brand ones. (mine were $130 usd)

Consider made to measure custom made pants if you want perfect fit and look.
It's hard to carry TWO riding pants on board a bike so pick the right one that will cover all conditions. (not easy!) And don't leave out ARMOR! Knee, hip and tailbone important. Adds heat and SWEAT.

Good choice on the Merino wool; MEC's brand of Merino is substandard after a few washings, stay with the original name brand.
Exofficio; underwear, shirts and dress shirts, wick well and are easy to maintain on the road.
"Kuhl" products, the half pants; lightweight, functionality in the heat and humidity, plus they're dressy as well.

Hi, I (female, UK based) recently spent 14 months on the same route but south to north (been back 8 months now, wishing I was still away :(
Anyway, rather than write a huge reply here, you could send a PM if you still need some tips - maybe you have got everything by now! You don't need much at all - I just washed stuff a lot! Some gear I found out about looked ideal but here in England you can't get it.
What bike are you on? How exciting!!!
I had Revitt Sand trousers - look nice, comfortable, vents are rubbish so were boiling hot when it was hot (a lot), good without the linings, just wear merino wool leggings underneath when cold.

Thanks for extra tips.

Wow, sounds amazing, do you have some pics i can take a look at?? I'm going on the 25th September, not long now, still not got everything. BMW G650GS!

I bought some Rev-it trousers, but i had to send them back as every time i hoisted my leg over the bike or bent down i got a builder's bum!!!

But I will try the Revit sand trousers, i have to keep buying them offline and returning them when they dont fit because there doesnt seem to be a decent motorbike shop within 40 miles of me! :-(

Not sure if the leathers are for me, i dont really get on with them, but the Sedici sound good, it's just getting them here in the UK but i'll have a better look tonight!

some good UK accessible brands to consider:

Hein Gerike
Klim
Dane
Halvassons/Lindstrands/Jofama
Revit
RST
Rukka


My packing recommendations:

If you are generally a cold person, a little hot water bottle is my luxury, or you can fill a drinking bottle and use the same way.

A duck down micro jacket

Merino base layers- they don't get stinky, and the fine ones are generally dry by morning

Silk scarf- great for hot and cold weather and not bulky around the neck.

Over waterproofs to block out the worst of the cold.

As mentioned above, sarong is great handy thing to have.

Decathlon (Nottingham) sell cheap brilliant travel gear, towels, trekking clothes, quick drying athletic tops etc, travel packing cubes, camel back, etc.