Saturday, July 7, 2012

Gear Review: First Gear Kathmandu

I've been using the First Gear Kathmandu jacket and pants as my go-to adventure riding gear for about a year now so I feel that I can give an accurate review at this point. I purchased the Kathmandu set looking for good all-purpose waterproof gear.

The good:
  • 100% waterproof. Even in the crotch. 
  • Venting works (to a point). I've found the Kathmandu to be comfortable from about 30 degrees F to about 70 degrees F. Any warmer and it gets a bit too hot for me. 
  • The armor seems adequate and stays in the right locations.
  • Built in hydration pack is a lot more useful than I thought. One of my favorite features. 
  • Lots of waterproof pockets in the jacket. This makes up for the lack of pants pockets in my opinion. 
  • Lots of adjustment straps. Getting a great fit was easy. 
  • Liners work in cold temperatures. I haven't tested how they work in sub-freezing temperatures yet. 
  • Durable. No problems yet and I've definitely put durability to the test. 
The bad:
  • One button cover fell off (no big deal, decorative item). 
  • Not enough venting for hot weather riding (go to mesh at that point). 
  • No pockets in the pants (newer versions do have pants pockets). 
  • Suspenders look dorky? Not really a concern for me. I'm not into fashion.
Overall, I have been very happy with both the Kathmandu jacket and pants. If I am ever able to wear this set out, I would purchase these again.

If you have any experiences to share or questions to ask, please post up in the comments!

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