how much body protection do you ride with boondocking
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jerrydecoy
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Tek vest and shin guards! I only wear a klim jersey and a non insulated shell. Lil chilly on the ride in but anything more and you'll sweat your bag off with the tek vest on!
Tek Vest. I usually just wear a mesh moto jersey underneath, tek vest then my Motorfist freeride Coat over top, this keeps me warm down to around 0*F. I throw a thermal base layer on if its going to be colder and always have a down jacket in my bag in case we have to hang around for a while. I also have a Fly Technical windproof/waterproof jersey that i wear when its above freezing.
Looking for a good set of shin guards. My MF Rebel bibs have built in knee pads which help a lot for smacking panels on sleds. but looking for more to save the busted shins from running boards and pegs on snowbikes.
My biggest advice for people is to stop overdressing so much. You can pack extra layers, its always a good idea, but its really hard to ride well when you look like the stay puff marshmallow man! We all sit in the truck with the heat on half asleep headed to the hill. We get out and its cold, so we panick and throw on 2x as much gear as we should then are over dressed, sweating, and can't move as freely. All ingredients for a good struggle. I find myself slightly chilled on the way in but as soon as we break into the real riding im perfect, half the time i yank my shell off and trade it out for a jersey even if its cold 20 degrees. My big gloves come off. MX gloves go on until my hands get wet and cold. Half the time i have 2-3 sets and just rotate through. There is a major increase in control when you can feel your bars. Then when its time to go home, slap the big gloves on and rip down the trail.
Same goes for helmets and balaclavas. I haven't worn a balaclava in the last 2 years and love it. I have a nekkr to keep snow from going down my neck but still allows me to breathe freely and my head can vent heat like crazy through my helmet. I noticed since this change i dont have near the google fogging issues i had before. Very rarely do i get fog, and if i do, any amount of movement and it clears right out.
my .02. and then some.
Looking for a good set of shin guards. My MF Rebel bibs have built in knee pads which help a lot for smacking panels on sleds. but looking for more to save the busted shins from running boards and pegs on snowbikes.
My biggest advice for people is to stop overdressing so much. You can pack extra layers, its always a good idea, but its really hard to ride well when you look like the stay puff marshmallow man! We all sit in the truck with the heat on half asleep headed to the hill. We get out and its cold, so we panick and throw on 2x as much gear as we should then are over dressed, sweating, and can't move as freely. All ingredients for a good struggle. I find myself slightly chilled on the way in but as soon as we break into the real riding im perfect, half the time i yank my shell off and trade it out for a jersey even if its cold 20 degrees. My big gloves come off. MX gloves go on until my hands get wet and cold. Half the time i have 2-3 sets and just rotate through. There is a major increase in control when you can feel your bars. Then when its time to go home, slap the big gloves on and rip down the trail.
Same goes for helmets and balaclavas. I haven't worn a balaclava in the last 2 years and love it. I have a nekkr to keep snow from going down my neck but still allows me to breathe freely and my head can vent heat like crazy through my helmet. I noticed since this change i dont have near the google fogging issues i had before. Very rarely do i get fog, and if i do, any amount of movement and it clears right out.
my .02. and then some.
A couple years ago I fractured my sternum so I decided to get some protective gear. I didn't want anything bulky or hot, so I picked up a troy lee design padded shirt that was light, comfortable and gave some decent protection, or so i thought until a hidden rock proved otherwise. I dislocated my shoulder, tore my rotator cuff, and tore the nerve that controls my deltoid muscle. I avoided getting a full blown tek vest for comfort, and now I am facing rehab and some lifelong effects. I will be getting a tek vest for next year.
I have also been wearing dirt bike knee/shin guards for a few years and don't know if I could ride without them. They have saved me a lot of pain, and you get used to them right away.
I have also been wearing dirt bike knee/shin guards for a few years and don't know if I could ride without them. They have saved me a lot of pain, and you get used to them right away.
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....I wear a helmet.... Never needed more than that in 15 years of mountain riding. If you aren't all bulked up with gear you may stand a better chance of avoiding the crash in the first place. Same reason I ditched the avy bag, too much bulk to carry when riding.
Tek vests are way too hot for me. I wear an EVS Revo 5 roost guard (without shoulders), under my uninsulated jacket, to protect from the random tree branch. Just a long sleeve merino wool base layer under that. I pack warm clothes on the tunnel of my sled, in case of an overnight, but have never needed them.
In the knee pockets of my uninsulated Motorfist bibs, I threw out the cheap foam pads it came with and replaced with Caterpillar Workwear kneepads. I also have kneepads on my sled. My knees are always bonking the sled.
In the knee pockets of my uninsulated Motorfist bibs, I threw out the cheap foam pads it came with and replaced with Caterpillar Workwear kneepads. I also have kneepads on my sled. My knees are always bonking the sled.
Although your wording may not have made a good cause for what you were trying to say, its a very valid point and what I was getting at with my comments regarding overdressing/bulk.
I see guys with massive packs, all their tools in their backpack, big puffy coats with sweat rolling off their head and stuck in a stupid spot. I think I will stick with my avy bag but going to a smaller setup for next season. All tools and non avy related gear OFF my body in a tunnel bag. You would be blown away by how much more consistently you ride and how much easier it is to ride aggressively when your not weighed down.
I am not a gear freak because I hate feeling restricted and limited mobility is a major cause of error when your making lines where precision is key. That being said, I ate my bars on some big jumps this year and without my tek vest I would have not been looping around to hit it again, I would have been heading to the hospital with broken ribs. I know that personally for how im riding, i need some core protection and with jumping more I need knee braces to protect mine from smashing on the panels every single lap around. Your only born with one body.
I wear my Alpinestars Stella Bionic 2 Protection Jacket. That gives me chest and back protection along with shoulder and elbow protection. Once you have hit your elbow or shin on the running boards you will want to wear protection also. I have custom DonJoy knee braces (I have had full ACL replacement in both knees) with knee and shin protection.
If you wear all your gear every ride, you won't feel bulky, you will just feel normal.
If you wear all your gear every ride, you won't feel bulky, you will just feel normal.
Wore bca knee/shin guards this year and I don't know how I ever rode without them. Never know they are on when I'm riding. the days of brusied legs at the end of the day are history. I'm going to look into a vest for when I ride my sled.
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Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
I have tried it all. I used to have a chest protector on, knee/shin guards, avy pack full of gear... A few years ago I ditched ALL of it. I put a tunnel bag on and carry less gear overall. I don't bother with the body armor or avy pack anymore and I enjoy riding much more. Love the freedom of movement and that I am less tired at the end of the day. I have taken a few bumps in the woods but nothing I would trade wearing all that junk for.
Can't argue with you there.
But to each his own.
I wear my equipment because of post experience.
2003: I tumbled through a hay field head first at 80mph after I hit a hay bale. Glad I had a tekvest that day. Will never ride without it.
2001:. Split my knee cap on my running boards. Required 20 stitches. Bought knee/shin guards asap after that. Have never ridden without then since.
Funny story... ran into a kid in the parking lot this winter looking for people to ride with. He asked me if we wore beacons and had shovels. I replied that we did. This kid then rides all day without a helmet or gloves... Good thing he had a beacon though lol.
What do I need an avy pack for? I used to think I needed it. I had one way before all you guys decided they were cool. If you ride smart there is no reason you should need an avy pack. In 15 years of riding these big mountains we have NEVER set off a slide that buried someone, never had to dig anyone out of an avy.
My current issue is riding friends that are taking too many chances above treeline. I will probably have to stop riding with some of them because they take chances I am not willing too. They see it differently and hate trying to follow me in the thick trees. I simply avoid the avy terrain, no need to haul around a big pack that only has a slim chance of being beneficial in the first place.
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