Clothing Question

[freak485]

Hey am looking at buying either a Klim Keweenaw Jacket or possible the Valdez I was just wanting to get some opinions from others who have maybe tried both the Insulated and non-insulated stuff from Klim.

I have a set of the bibs that are insulated and they are very warm. Do you guys like to put on more layers or just like a warm jacket, or maybe the Keweenaw is to warm i don't know, I ride kings hill Cooke city, Bighorns, only 10 dollar difference between the two. And the Valdez jacket seems to have the most flexibility out of any in the klim line.

I thought about also getting the non insulated bibs too i think there the Togwotee

Thoughts?

Thanks

 

[xj1978]

I have the Valdez and the Extreme bibs. I like to be able to layer and remove if needed. My 2 cents!

 

[MORSNO]

I've been wearing the Valdez jacket and Togwotee bibs for 5 seasons in Alaska and have never been cold. The idea is to wear lightweight breathable layers underneath and keep warm without sweating. I used to think insulated gear would be warmer, but I've since leaned that layers are MUCH more comfortable.

 

[907to406]

I would say go with the uninsulated if your in Montana. I could understand getting an insulated coat if I lived in the mid-west and sat on my butt and rode trails but in the mountains its all about layering up. I wear the Klim powercross pullover jacket and usually just a underarmor base layer and tek-vest and thats plenty to keep me warm while i'm riding, then of course always keep a mid-weight layer in my pack. But I would say if the temp is between 20-30 degrees I just wear what I listed above.

Its better to be able to add or shed a layer to prevent sweating or over heating than being stuck with a heavy/insulated coat. And as stated above, garments that breath is everything.

 

[KrazyCanadian]

I've worn both HMK and Klim, and for the money spent... HMK is the best.... go to www.hmkusa.com and check out the new stuff for 2012.... more colors and styles than klim also,,

 

[freak485]

Thanks for the info guys, looks and sounds like the valdez is the way to go for mountain riding.

 

[907to406]

Klim makes a great product and you wont regret the purchase as far as function and use go. However as KrazyCanadian said, their style is very generic and you'll have to get use to the fact that you look like everybody and their mother when you come across any other group of riders. I've never owned any HMK products but after riding in my Klim outfit the last 3 seasons I've definitely been looking at some other manufacturers to get away from that generic look. However there is a reason that 70 percent (give or take) of other riders are wearing Klim's products...

 

[DoubleP]

Klim is a great choice as style comes second. Make sure you buy for the right reason as mother nature wont care what you look like

 

[freak485]

Yeah you can have it any color you want as long as its black

 

[HandFullThrottle]

I've worn both HMK and Klim, and for the money spent... HMK is the best.... go to www.hmkusa.com and check out the new stuff for 2012.... more colors and styles than klim also,,

As soon as HMK sports a hang tag that says Gore-Tex on it I'm in. Until then it's just another broken promise. I really wish somebody could build a waterproof breathable membrane that could compete with Gore-Tex, but at this point all attempts to do so have failed. For the money at www.hmkusa.com you get a 2 year warranty and at www.klimusa.com you get a lifetime warranty.

 

[freak485]

As soon as HMK sports a hang tag that says Gore-Tex on it I'm in. Until then it's just another broken promise. I really wish somebody could build a waterproof breathable membrane that could compete with Gore-Tex, but at this point all attempts to do so have failed. For the money at www.hmkusa.com you get a 2 year warranty and at www.klimusa.com you get a lifetime warranty.

Yep and seems like Klim is about 75-90 Bucks more for the comparable product. When your spending that kind of money on a new Get up anyway whats a extra 150-200 bucks to get the better top and bottom well worth it to me.

 

[Bkinz]

If you are having to pay full price for your gear I would go with klim hands down. I get my hmk stuff at a decent discount, but even then Its debateable if its worth it. Just my .02cents

 

[907to406]

If you are having to pay full price for your gear I would go with klim hands down. I get my hmk stuff at a decent discount, but even then Its debateable if its worth it. Just my .02cents

That right there says a lot about Klim.

 

[HandFullThrottle]

I really wish the situation was different. I don't really think Gore-Tex's domination of the market is healthy for any of us, but I have tested every other product out there extensively. Not only snowmobiling, but working as a hunting guide day after day and the truth is the lifetime expectancy of any other waterproof membrane is very short compared to Gore-Tex. That's why Klim stopped using eVent, why Motorfists 106 year warranty lasted one year, and why HMK's warranty is 2 years. If all I did was ride the trails and was always in a safe place and never had to be prepared for the unexpected any of the products would work, but the kind of riding a lot of us do these days I'm not willing to take the risk. It's not really a matter of life and death as much as it's a matter of comfort. If I get in a situation where I have to spend the night which I already have twice, being comfortable is worth every penny. IMO

 

[freak485]

I really wish the situation was different. I don't really think Gore-Tex's domination of the market is healthy for any of us, but I have tested every other product out there extensively. Not only snowmobiling, but working as a hunting guide day after day and the truth is the lifetime expectancy of any other waterproof membrane is very short compared to Gore-Tex. That's why Klim stopped using eVent, why Motorfists 106 year warranty lasted one year, and why HMK's warranty is 2 years. If all I did was ride the trails and was always in a safe place and never had to be prepared for the unexpected any of the products would work, but the kind of riding a lot of us do these days I'm not willing to take the risk. It's not really a matter of life and death as much as it's a matter of comfort. If I get in a situation where I have to spend the night which I already have twice, being comfortable is worth every penny. IMO

I 100% agree that i wish there was another product comparable to Gore-Tex. When i was in the Air Force i had couple different sets of the jackets and pants issued to me, and they just flat out work. And after the abuse we put them through and they still hold up that says a lot, honestly we didn't really care what we did to our them because we could just get another one. They make a great product just wish someone else could figure it out also so they didn't have the market cornered.