Gortex Jacket or Cordura with Rain Suit

[Goofy Footer 539]

Is a Gortex Jacket (Klim Carlsbad $725) really worth it opposed to a "basic" Cordura Dualsport Jacket with a Rain Suit (Nelson Rigg $60) ?

What do YOU wear?

Won't the fancy gortex eventually leak?

 

 

Goofy Thoughts:  "Waterproof" is marketing, NOT a fact.

 

 

Edited November 11, 2023 by KTMrad

[dirt dame 559]

Gortex is a thin membrane that is added to whatever material a garment is made of.  Cordura is a type of fabric, a heavy duty denier nylon fabric.  So if it doesn't have a coating, treatment or laminated water repelling feature added of some sort, it will leak.  Clothing made of Gortex or some other water repellent treatment typically also have waterproof taped seams, so that the garment won't leak at the stitched joints.

Gortex and other treatments will sooner or later start to leak.  Also, even though they are advertised as breathable, once the exterior water repellent treatment starts to wear off and the exterior gets saturated with moisture, any interior moisture vapor is now trapped by that exterior barrier of water, and the wearer starts to feel the effects of that in the form of getting that damp, clammy feeling.  Gortex types of treatment still work better than coated, vinyl, rubber or other solid barrier materials when it comes to shedding both exterior and interior moisture.

[Zubb 1061]

Gore Tex is breathable compared to a plastic rain jacket. I’ve been wearing it since it was invented. All different levels of it. Breathability is a scientific fact but not a practical one for “me”. 
I had the Carlsbad and ride it for a couple years. I Toured it through numerous  multi day downpours and found it to be about 98% waterproof. It’s a good jacket and for me, worth the spend. For me living in the southwest deserts… it didn’t vent well enough for our climate and weather. Note it’s perfect though for more northern climates where it’s not so dang hot all the time. 
I’ve since abandoned goretex shells for Mosko Moto’s E-vent. It breathes a hundred times better. And it’s 100% waterproof under the worst of the worst multi day endless downpours. My son and I have torture tested it far beyond reason. If I were going to Alaska, unquestionably this is what I’d take. 
 

As for cost, nothing is worth the money until you really need it. Then it’s worth every cent. 
Do you need to wear this? Only you can answer that question. 
 

Cheap pull over rain suites? I wore one once. They always tear, always leak, never fit right or comfortably. I’ve never seen one on tour that survived a couple days rain very well. If it’s all you got, wear it, run it, and have a blast regardless. 
I currently have the Rak

it’s one of the most clever designs I’ve ever carried. It’s unusual but is a 100%effective cold layer and rain layer. I love it. But wait, there’s more.
MM will be dropping a new rain shell on us this winter called the Deluge I believe. It should be perfect for us Baja and desert riders as a 100% rain shell that is stretchy (yes stretchy) and rolls up in a little ball. Light and tight for those of us that rarely encounter actual rain. It could be a game changer for us desert rats.  I may run it in Baja in Feb/Mar/April  cost is TBD  

Riding gear is like bikes. Buy what you can afford and then enjoy the heck out of it. Adapt as needed. 
 

[tntmo 887]

If I had a bomb strapped to my genitals that was set off by rain water and had to choose between riding 500 rainy miles in a GoreTex suit or a motorcycle rain suit (my current one is Nelson Rigg) I'd first of all question why I had a bomb strapped to my genitals.  Then I'd put on the Nelson Rigg rain suit and stay dry from rain water.  

I've ridden thousands of miles wearing both kinds of setups.  For light rain or a short ride the Gore Tex stuff works fine.  If you're riding in heavy rain for days and don't want rain to soak through, the only thing that has worked for me is a decent rain suit.  Unfortunately, this is not a fantasy world so nothing is perfect.  Breathable fabric will eventually breath in the wrong direction  and water will get through.  Non breathable fabric won't let sweat out so you're going to be damp from that.  

Best option for staying dry?  Stay home and watch motorcycle videos.  Yeah....I'd go with either of the other choices.  

[Zubb 1061]

Also of note: comparing 1 layer, 2 layer and 3 layer Goretex isn't an absolute.  The garment maker is key in the garments performance.  It's best to compare/discuss jacket and pant "models".  A 3 layer Gtex jacket from Revit may perform quite differently than a 3 layer jacket from Klim even though they use the same Goretex.

 

[DSM8 360]

Put simply.
Gotex jacket the liner will eventually wear out and be less water proof over time.
Requires treament and maint to get the most out of it.
One good crash can damage the liner to the point it not longer works as designed and you have $700 jacket that is not what it once was but still good enough to use.

I use the revit rain gear, and have it large enough to wear over my riding gear. Packs down to the size of a soda can and also can be put on as a layer when cold out.
Cheap to replace and can be repaired with seam tape if needed.

Mine has lasted me for thousands of miles of use.

I gave up on the gortext and other waterproof jackets, they always ended up being too hot/heavy for many times of the year.
Only exception is my Aerostich, I use that to commute to work.
Would not want to wear that on a multi day off road ride.

My.02

I use this in the oh what the **** is that Yellow
XXL size to fit over all  my gear and easy to get in and out of

[KTMrad 508]

I've always worn a rain suit to go over my riding gear, I prefer that to goretex garments. Also, goretex does not breathe well, so if it's not raining you overheat.

Olympia makes a good outer rain suit jacket, and Aerostich makes a good outer rain pant.

Be aware, all outer rain suits must be cleaned and reconditioned about once a year to remain effective and keep you dry.

Nik Wax makes a reconditioning kit (Tech Wash) to restore the waterproofness of your rain suit.

Edited September 25, 2023 by KTMrad

[Oracle 195]

I prefer the Gortex gear over carrying an extra rain suit. I hate bulk and extra layers and the gortex (in my case, the older version of the Klim Carlsbad) has always worked pretty well for me riding through storms in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, California deserts, etc. And the newer Carlsbad jacket has more and better venting than the one I currently have making it an even better option. Goofy, send me a PM for info on a possible Klim discount. 

[Goofy Footer 539]

On 9/24/2023 at 8:28 AM, Zubb said:

Gore Tex is breathable compared to a plastic rain jacket. I’ve been wearing it since it was invented.
 

Gore Tex was invented in 1969, how Old are you !!!??    

 

 

Edited November 11, 2023 by Goofy Footer

[Zubb 1061]

Old enough that when it came out I saved every penny in hopes of escaping misery every fall/ winter in Idaho.