At last an all-weather riding suit that is really all-weather?

I first saw the REV’IT! Neptune GTX at Overland Expo 2015 WEST, as the REV’IT! team and I were huddled in the tent trying to keep warm during a flash snowfall in the middle of May. They were revealing a women’s version of a popular men’s suit bearing the same name. This suit takes women’s gear to a new level by matching the same tough fabrics and protective armor as the men’s line. While I watched the sleet and wind outside, the inclusion of Gore-Tex was also appealing.

It was a few months later during another rare weather incident—this time a hurricane during Overland Expo EAST—that I took the suit home with me to try. If anything, the weather of 2015 taught me that no matter what’s predicted, you always have to prepare for the worst. The same holds true for riding gear. When traveling, you want something that will work for both ends of the weather spectrum. I was curious if the REV’IT! Neptune GTX jacket and pants would do just that.

The suit boasts a lot of features as well as 4-season wear-ability. When you have the idea of riding the world you need it to be versatile. When you don’t have the luxury of a closet, one suit has to do it all for year-round wear.

The benefits of layers

The Neptune GTX comes with three zip-in layers: a protective shell, a waterproof mid-layer, and a thermal liner.

First, let’s look at the shell construction.

REV’IT! uses two durable fabrics. At the high-abrasion zones—the shoulders, elbows, knees, and ankles—is an 880D stretch Cordura, which is twice as durable as standard nylon, yet remains flexible yet protective where it’s needed most. The majority of the jacket is made from a fine but tightly woven high-density 600D polyester thread, which not only protects the rider but also keeps the overall garment light-weight. Both materials are equal to the men’s suit and are a step up from REV’IT!’s Sand series. (Weight of jacket by itself: 4lbs.)

Both materials are coated with Teflon (yes, think non-stick pans). Teflon is known for its slippery nature and when applied as a coating, the same characteristic that makes food not stick to metal pans, makes dirt not stick to the polyester or nylon fabric. Ideal combination for those off-pavement rides. Not to say that dirt won’t dry on it, but it will wash off easier, keeping the suit looking cleaner longer.

With that said, the outer jacket and pants are not waterproof. Last weekend I rode part of the day in the rain, and without stopping to add the waterproof layer, I did get wet but not drenched. The Teflon coating helped the suit not soak up every drop of water and dry quickly when the sun came out. At least REV’IT! includes a waterproof pocket on the outside of the jacket (as noted with a label, but I really wish both were) so my important items stayed dry.

Moving on to the mid-layer.

It’s worth a mention that the Gore-Tex lettering on the outside of the jacket and pants does not refer to the jacket or pants. It refers to the rain liner that zips in underneath the shell.

The waterproof jacket liner is fully finished with internal pockets, so once you zip it off the shell, it can be worn around town. The design isn’t bad either. The material is comparable to casual rain jackets and is designed with a soft inner layer to keep it from sticking to your skin. REV’IT! uses Paclite Technology so as that suggests, it packs relatively small. (Weight with the 2 layers: 6lbs)

There has been a popular discussion lately amongst the rider community: is it better to have the waterproofing as a layer or baked into the outer shell?

Having debated this topic myself, here’s my take:

This is the first suit I have owned that is not waterproof on the outside. At first, I was uncertain about the idea that the Gore-tex included in the Neptune GTX was a liner and not part of the shell like with other suits. But that it has its benefits.

Gore-Tex is best known for its waterproof, windproof, but breathable properties. What exactly is Gore-Tex? (We’re about to get technical.)

Both Gore-Tex and Teflon are made of the same polymer: PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene). It is an excellent insulator, hydrophobic, and weather-durable, which makes it useful as a component of Gore-tex.  Gore-tex is a stretched, porous layer of PTFE composite used to laminate another layer of fabric, thus creating a waterproof barrier. At this point water (or sweat) can only pass through in one direction as vapor, creating a “breathable” layer underneath and water resistant surface on the outside.

Although Gore-tex is a breathable membrane, it’s best suited for colder climates, as it needs a pressure imbalance (warm air inside the jacket vs. cooler air outside) for sweat vapors to be pushed outward. When riding in humid and close to body temperature environments, an equilibrium is created and, therefore, no place for sweat to escape to. While you may be ‘dry’ on the outside, the wet stays wet on the inside. This limits the number of seasons or weather conditions you can comfortably use the suit.

When riding in hot and humid weather (think 90ºF /32ºC: summer in the south U.S., Central America, S.E. Asia, many parts in Africa) and not traveling 65mph / 100kph (i.e. in traffic or off-roading) to cool off the sweat, the difference between a Gore-Tex infused jacket and a non-Gore-Tex jacket is noticeable. With the Neptune GTX, the overall weight of the fabric is lighter, it breaths more and I can ride longer without overheating. Ultimately, this makes the day more enjoyable. Hence, having a Gore-Tex layer as a removable liner is a welcomed change.

So why not ride with a thin, independent Gore-tex layer (like a simple rain jacket) on the outside?

Maybe the benefit is best described in an example: what happens when you are riding in the rain, the tires slip on oil or a wet leaf, and you fall and slide for a few feet? Or you are riding off-road and a branch catches your upper arm? The Gore-Tex waterproof layer is not as durable as the polyester or Cordura outer shell and will tear the fabric, leaving the layer rendered useless against keeping water out. Having it as a mid-layer, preserves the protective quality of the Gore-tex. Although the outer shell is not waterproof, the Teflon coating helps the fabric repel dirt and not retain water, meaning it does get wet, but it dries quickly.

And lastly, the zip-out thermal layer.

On every jacket I have owned with a removable thermal layer, I remove the layer and leave it in my closet. Some people like the zip-ins, and to each his own. If I were using this suit year-round from a home base, I would zip them in when I knew what the weather was going to be like during the weekend ride. But for long-term, long-distance travel, especially when packing space is at a premium, I prefer my own clothes to layer underneath. So, forgive me if I skip over the plastic, quilt-like, polyester fill layer. The other two layers are what really make the jacket dependable.

Extreme weather testing

As my riding partner says, if you are wearing a wool base layer, a fleece, a down jacket, a waterproof jacket, and a riding jacket and you are still cold, then it’s time to stop or you are riding in the wrong season.

Unfortunately, I am not in a location where I can test extreme cold or even cold weather. As noted above, you can always add more layers. Yet, taking off layers has its limits. The true test of an all-weather suit is how well it vents.

The Neptune GTX has 5 vents on the jacket and two on the pants. The two vertical vents on the upper chest and the two on the upper thighs are only 6” long, but allow a good amount of airflow. The horizontal exit vent across the back does its job and keeps the form of the jacket together rather than having extra fabric flapping in the wind. The drawback is that the jacket vents become obstructed if you wear a backpack, which comes in handy during long days of riding in hot weather. A low belt pack or tucking it into the rabbit pouch is a way around that. On the arms, you can open the zippers from the wrist to the elbow, but I wish the mesh fabric covered the entire area. It leaves a little triangle exposed to the sun if I don’t pay attention. So far, riding in 30-35ºC (86º - 95ºF) weather is comfortable on the bike and off the bike, the lightness of the fabric helps to not overheat.

Crash testing

The armor in the Neptune GTX is REV’IT!’s proprietary Seesoft armor, which is rated CE-Level 2 and the highest level of protection available. It’s temperature stable, meaning between 40ºC and -10ºC the quality of protection remains the same, and that covers any weather conditions you may be riding in. The open structure of Seesoft’s design allows for better ventilation during hotter days, while retaining impact protection and comfort while moving around on the bike. This is the first time it is included in a women’s suit and is the standard in most of the REV’IT! men’s line.

Even though it’s a relatively new suit, I have had the benefit of crash testing the materials. Riding a steep decline, my front tire caught a hefty rock and I went somersaulting over the bars. The armor in the suit protected all the necessary areas as I rolled over rocks and back to my feet. If I were to make one suggestion, it would be that when companies make long size pants, they also make long size knee protectors so it protects more of the shin. That was the only area—the two inches exposed between the top of my boot and the end of the protector—that was bruised repeatedly during that day. (Yes, I crash tested it several times.)

Finally, let’s talk about fit.

Between the men’s and women’s version, the style is the only difference. Same materials are used throughout, but women’s gear is designed by and made for women. REV’IT! has one of the largest lines of motorcycle suits for adventurous women. The fit of the Neptune GTX is a bit boxier than other suits in the REV’IT! line, but that is true for most adventure motorcycle gear these days.

Pants

First pleasant surprise was how well they fit. With that said, am above average height for a woman and regular clothes are hard for me to fit. The pants (which I ordered in 40 long - normally I wear an 8/29 long in jeans) were finally long enough. I say finally, because, after 5 years of searching for pants that sat in the correct position when riding, this was a first. It’s not only the length of the pants (long version measures a 33” inseam) but is where the knee pad sits on the knee when riding. Other pants I have tried, even when ordering men’s long length, the knee pad awkwardly rests above the knee cap, and that doesn’t do much for protection. The REV’IT! Neptune sits below the knee when standing up, and right at the knee cap when riding.

Jacket

The jacket is a good fit, but I wish it came in a long version as well. I sized up (I ordered a 44 — normally I wear a 10/12 or large top) to gain length in the arms and the shoulders with all of the layers in were a little tight on the 42. Because I have a larger chest, the waist is much larger than I need and even cinched down it is bulky. Not a perfect fit but the adjustable rails at the waist help. The stretch fabric at the elbow and knees help with articulation and comfort.

Conclusion

Does it pass the test of 4-season, all-weather versatility? Absolutely. If I were looking for one suit to own that is capable of wearing during any time of year, this would be at the top of my list. The ease of adding and subtracting layers makes it viable for any weather you might encounter.

Theft-proof your vehicle—really

We’re lucky enough to own a couple of vehicles that are appreciating in value due to their classic status. This has made us more than usually paranoid about theft, especially given our proximity to the Mexico border, where many stolen vehicles wind up. 

For years I relied on standard anti-theft alarms and ignition disablers, which, while not immune to bypass, certainly made an attempt less likely. However, adding in an aftermarket electronic product that could render the vehicle inoperable for its owners if it failed always made me nervous, especially in the vehicles we frequently drive to remote areas. I considered kill switches, but heard too many stories of those being found, no matter how cleverly concealed or disguised. Steering-wheel locks? Thieves simply saw through the steering wheel and pop off the lock. Clever.

Then I found the Ravelco.

Invented in the 70s by a fellow who—you guessed it—had his car stolen, the Ravelco incorporates not a single electronic or even a moving part. The only visible element is a 16-pin female receptacle installed in the dash or anywhere else you like—no need to conceal it; in fact it’s better left visible. Behind the receptacle is an armored cable running into the engine compartment, containing 16 wires, 14 of which are decoys. Only two connect to some vital electrical component—different in every vehicle. A male plug, which rides on your keychain, has the correct live pins to allow the vehicle to start. If a thief tries to randomly jump connections on the dash plug, he has virtually zero chance of getting the right ones, and getting the wrong ones can short another component, further rendering the vehicle inoperable. 

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Sound too simple? The company claims that, out of four million installations, not one vehicle has been stolen by defeating the device. Impressive. (Tow trucks obviously do not count.)

You can have multiple Ravelcos installed and have them all work off one master key, if you desire. A customer code allows you to buy replacements if necesssary. The chances of the device itself failing are scant; however, the installer can show an owner what components are being connected through the system. That way, if you happen to lose your male plug in the middle of nowhere and haven’t brought a spare, you can bypass the device.

Obviously, the Ravelco will not prevent a thief from breaking into a vehicle and stealing the contents. But with a Ravelco in place, I know the vehicle itself will still be there when I return. Find out more here.

VDEG photo addendum

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One of the two questions Tom Sheppard and I get asked most frequently about the contents of the Vehicle-dependent Expedition Guide is, “Why is there no section on photography?” (The other is, “Why nothing on medical kits?”)

Of course a big part of the reason is that either subject could easily take up a book of its own, and we were already at 600 pages with the new, fourth edition of Tom's seminal work. However, he has addressed the former with a nifty 15-page addendum titled Expedition Photo Gear. Within those pages Tom has managed to cram a huge amount of information, from selecting the right format (do you really need a 20-pound DSLR system?) to selecting lenses and tripods to post-capture processing to file storage. Along the way are tips to optimize your shooting. It’s Tom at his usual ex-test-pilot detail-obsessed best, and recommended if you’ve hesitated at all about investing in bringing back serious images from your excursions.

Expedition Photo Gear is available directly from Tom at Desert Winds Publishing in England, for about $13 including postage. A bargain.

Better backup lamps

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Recently the overhead light bulb in our swank in-town garage burned out, so it no longer comes on automatically when the door opens. This made backing in the resident 911SC challenging, given its dim incandescent reversing lamps and the fact that it needs to be threaded in past a BMW motorcycle on one side (with protruding horizontal cylinders) and a hanging bicycle on the other.

The solution? Upgrade the reversing lamps, obviously. 

I know what you’re thinking: A 911SC isn’t exactly an overlanding vehicle. What gives? To which I could simply give you:

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But seriously—the bits I’ll discuss here are relevant to a wide variety of more conventional OT&T-type models.

Most trucks and SUVs—even those designed for serious off-pavement travel—are equipped with backup lamps lit by incandescent bulbs invented when overlanding vehicles were still powered by oxen. Until recently, reversing after dark on a tough trail was a dicey proposition unless you mounted a decent halogen fog lamp hooked up to your reverse switch, as I did long ago on my FJ40.

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But doing so was pricey and time-consuming—and not really something you want to do on a vintage Porsche . . . 

Enter the miraculous Light Emitting Diode.

My friend Tim Hüber has been upgrading his own Carrera, and sent me a link to superbrightleds.com, specifically here, for the 1156 CAN Bus 26 SMD LED tower BA15S retrofit.

Uh . . . huh? you might ask. CAN stands for Controller Area Network. The CAN Bus, introduced in 1986 by Robert Bosch GmbH, is a system in modern vehicles that allows all their various ECUs (Electronic Control Units—sometimes 60 or more of them these days) to communicate with each other and notify the central computer if something goes wrong. In the early days of LED bulbs, simply replacing an incandescent bulb with an LED, which has a different (lower) power draw, would result in a fault code. Modern LEDs incorporate what is called a supervision circuit to eliminate this flaw. The BA15S is simply the code for the original specification (and widely used) incandescent bulb. The new tower incorporates 26 LEDs for a 360-degree output that is not only brighter than the original, but draws significantly less power. While alarmingly more expensive than an old-fashioned bulb, it will probably last the life of the vehicle.

Replacing the old bulbs in the Porsche took all of 10 minutes, with a break in the middle to photograph the stark difference between old and new:

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The improvement in rearward visibility is remarkable, and has allowed me to put off the odious task of getting out the stepladder and replacing that garage bulb.

An FJ40 in your investment portfolio?

You know the universe of classic four-wheel-drive vehicles has shifted when you watch a 1966 FJ40 Land Cruiser auctioned for $62,500 and think, Wow—bargain.

Twenty years ago such a concept would have been absurdly impossible. Even ten years ago, with California-origin nut-and-bolt restorations beginning to sell for several times what any new Land Cruiser ever did, no one thought of FJ40s as investments. Has that changed?

It’s difficult to say. Certainly there’s no doubt I could sell my FJ40—which is in excellent condition but hardly a concours piece—for six or seven times what I paid for it second hand in 1978 ($3,500 if you’re curious). And several recent over-$100,000 auction results for pristine and/or totally restored examples raised eyebrows among us long-time owners. No, actually those results triggered incredulous four-letter outbursts. But only time will tell if they were aberrations or indications. 

Tim Hüber and I saw the 1966 FJ40 in question at Gooding & Co. in Scottsdale this January. On a cursory inspection it appeared to have been sympathetically and authentically restored to original specs—with the jarring and unattractive exception of shiny fake-beadlock wheels, probably eight inches in width, which made the otherwise perfectly sized 33 x 9.50 BFG All-Terrains look weirdly puffed out. Grey steel factory 15s and hubcaps would have been inestimably superior. Still, wheels are easy to swap. 

And why “bargain?” The pre-sale estimate was $90,000 to $130,000—commensurate with those recent sales. However, to be fair, many other vehicles at the same auction failed to make their estimates. The 1973 Porsche 911T you see pictured here sold for $79,750 despite a pre-sale estimate of $90,000 to $110,000. So that in itself is not a sign that the FJ40 market has topped out.

Note the similar pre-sale estimates. Interestingly, 20 years ago you could pick up tatty but driveable early 70s 911T (the base model 911 at the time) for around $6,000, probably about the same as a really nice early 70s FJ40. The difference is, today even a tatty early 70s 911T is worth upwards of $20,000, while driveable FJ40s can still be had for $4,000 to $5,000. That why I’m not yet ready to bet whether the elevated market for pristine examples is a trend or a bump. There are a lot of 40s still being used for deer hunting and hauling cement.

It sure is fun to watch, though—and even if some of them remain garage queens for now, it’s nice to see FJ40s being preserved for the historical artifacts they are, as well as the superb working vehicles they can still be.

Check your pressure gauge!

The offending gauge, middle, along with two accurate Accu-Gauges.

Tell me, have you ever checked the accuracy of a new tire pressure gauge before using it?

Neither have I. That is, until I got a lesson.

Recently I initiated a test to determine if, as some anecdotal reports suggest, a tire filled with CO2 loses pressure more quickly than one filled with air (more on that in a later post). CO2 tanks are sometimes seen as an alternative to compressors—while finite in capacity, they are very fast and completely portable.

I used the front tires of our 110 as test subjects. I deflated both completely, then filled one to 40 PSI using a CO2 tank and the hose/trigger/gauge assembly I keep with the tank. I filled the other to the same pressure with the built-in ARB compressor on the JATAC, using its own hose/trigger/gauge.

I decided it would be smart to verify exactly equal pressure in each tire using a separate gauge, so I checked the air-filled tire with one of our Accu-Gauges—40 PSI on the dot. Then the CO2-filled tire—49 PSI.

Uh . . . what? I checked it again. Same result. I checked the tire with another AccuGauge—49 PSI. I checked it with a $2.99 plastic-bodied pen gauge—49 PSI. I put the CO2 tank’s gauge back on it—40 PSI. I checked the other tire which I knew to be at 40 PSI, and the CO2 tank’s gauge read 32 PSI.

I’d always assumed that consumer-grade pressure gauges could be off by a pound or two—immaterial in most situations. But 25 percent? That represents a potentially dangerous discrepancy. If, for example, I filled the E-range tires on our F350 to their maximum recommended pressure of 80 PSI before hauling a heavy load, they would be nearly 20 PSI over that if I used the faulty gauge. (I’m reminded here of a passage in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas involving a Cadillac El Dorado . . .)

Suffice to say I’ll never again use a new gauge without checking it against at least a couple others. 

No hitch mount needed . . .

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 . . . nor a roof rack. 

Folding bicycles are nothing new. Traditionally, however, you sacrifice something for the convenient portability intrinsic to the concept. Wheels are usually comically undersized, and the frame resembles something that might be ridden around a circus ring by a trained bear. And, of course, most of them are designed for street duty only.

Not so with the Montague Paratrooper. Its wheels are "normal" 26-inchers (in fact a 650B/27.5-inch model is available), and the frame, while eschewing the conventional triangle construction, is no more odd-looking than many rigid-framed models—in fact many people don't realize my Montague is a folder until I tell them, or they ask how I got it to camp in an FJ40 or a camper-equipped pickup with no external racks. 

The Montague folding bicycle line, in contrast to six years ago when I got this one, now comprises a dozen models, from a basic urban commuter to a flagship Shimano-XT-equipped mountain bike. The mountain bikes share the basic structure of a (visually) massive boxed aluminum-alloy beam where a normal bike's top tube would be. This comes close to duplicating the stiffness of a traditional triangulated main frame. A triangulated chain- and seat-stay structure wraps around the seat tube and connects to a modified quick-release skewer. When released, the frame pivots around the seat tube and folds nearly 180 degrees, essentially halving the bicycle's length with the front wheel removed.

In a soft transit case the Paratrooper fits easily behind the seats of our 2012 Tacoma Extracab—in fact, I have an idea that, by ordering the optional folding pedals, two Paratroopers would fit there. We hope to test this soon.

How does it ride? The highest compliment I can give the Paratrooper is that the folding nature of the bike is essentially invisible while pedaling it. I detected no odd handling characteristics or undue flex. It feels like any number of non-folding front-suspension mountain bikes. Of course, I'm a (these days) relatively light 150 pounds and a recreational cyclist—a 200-pound MTB racer might have a different impression.

The clever bit. Everything pivots around the seat tube.

Where the Paratrooper (and all Montague bikes) suffers somewhat is in component selection, especially when compared with non-folding bicycles in the same price range. It should be apparent that a large part of the cost of this bicycle goes into the complex frame, so one can hardly expect comparable components—and components, of course, are easy to upgrade if one or more does not perform as you expect. My biggest beef with my 2009 model is the front mechanical disc brake, which simply does not work very well (although I've never used a mechanical disc brake that I thought worked as well as a good cantilever brake, except perhaps in wet conditions). The rear derailleur is a competent SRAM X5, the front a Shimano Altus. The suspension fork and crank are SR Suntour. I do note that several bits seem to have been upgraded in the interim, and there's now a clever cargo rack.

Especially with a camper mounted, I was extremely loath to hang a hitch-mounted bike carrier off the back of the Tacoma. It adds weight where you least want it, reduces the departure angle, adds considerable hassle to accessing the camper, and coats the bike(s) with trail dust. Theft is a worry as well.

The Montague solves all those problems. Highly recommended.

Defender number two million goes on the block

Tom Sheppard visited Bonham's in the UK last week, to see the two millionth Defender auctioned for charity. From the company's press release:

"During May 2015, lifelong Defender fans joined the Solihull production line to help build this one-of-a-kind vehicle. Distinctive finishing touches include a map of Red Wharf Bay, where the design of the original Land Rover was drawn in the sand, etched into the exterior and a unique Defender 2,000,000 badge. Inside the vehicle, the leather and cloth seats feature the Red Wharf Bay graphic and the ‘no. 2,000,000’ logos have been stitched into the headrests.

Everyone who helped build the vehicle signed a bespoke aluminium plaque which is fitted to the driver’s seat plinth. In a reference to the first ever pre-production Land Rover, which had the registration HUE 166, the Defender 2,000,000 has front and back registration plates S90 HUE."

Note that this is not the last Defender to be built, despite the looming demise of the current iteration. Land Rover granted a reprieve after the furor caused when it announced production would end in 2015. Still, the end is near (probably early 2016) with no replacement in sight. Fans hope for a third-world-compatible workhorse and worthy heir; cynics predict a citified and civilized name-badged SUV.

The auction raised an inspiring $600,000 for the Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Born Free Foundation. While it's unlikely Defender number 2,000,000 will ever see the mud of an African field hospital or game reserve, the funds raised will ensure that many other Land Rovers will continue to be used where they are needed.