Damp kit

[Schtum]

I got caught in the June Monsoon yesterday. The occasional shower which lulled me into thinking that I needn't don my waterproofs turned into an unremitting downpour.

My Belstaff Adventure jacket makes no pretence of being waterproof unless worn with its waterproof overjacket and likewise my Hein Gericke leather jeans can be forgiven for getting a bit damp.

However, more than 24 hours later, long after my Belstaff jacket has dried out, the interior of my Arai Tour X is still damp in spite of me having removed all the removable bits. My Sidi Flexforce SRS boots are also damp inside. That's mainly because of moisture held in the Cambrelle lining which ISTR is designed to wick moisture away from your feet.

Surely it would make sense for kit which has off road intentions or pretensions to be constructed of materials which dry out much more quickly and quite why the label inside my leather jeans is still damp....

 

[Gecko]

Stuff everything with crunched up newspaper - especially your boots. It helps to absorb the moisture and more importantly perhaps keep their shape.

 

[Schtum]

Stuff everything with crunched up newspaper - especially your boots. It helps to absorb the moisture and more importantly perhaps keep their shape.

Yeah I did that and it absorbed large amounts of water out of my boots but the Cambrelle was still damp. Mind you, keeping their shape is the last thing I need to worry about with them. I just think it's a bit remiss of clothing manufacturers to construct kit which retains moisture when there are fabrics available which dry in no time flat.

 

[Mr K]

I posted a thread on another section about really waterproof kit.

My Gaerne Aqautech boots packed in in 300 miles. My Frank Thomas Arizona jacket, whilst technically keeping me dry weighed 2 tonnes and had pockets full of water and my Hein Gericke pants were the same.

I want the water kept out!!

On the bright side:
Alpinestars SP1 gloves = 5 stars
Arai Quantum F = 5 stars

Somebody hep us!!!!

 

[Schtum]

I've got waterproof kit. My complaint is really about kit which isn't waterproof, doesn't claim to be but is designed for the kind of use where it's inevitably going to get wet but isn't designed to dry out as quickly as is possible with modern materials.

FWIW, my Hein Gericke Voyager Gore-Tex suit has always been completely waterproof even in the worst Scottish monsoon. The same is true for my Altberg Clubman Classic boots and my Belstaff Dri-Sport and Thermo-Sport gloves.

 

[Eddy802]

Dampire.

Using the silica gel type pouches that Dampire sell (originally developed for diving kit I believe) in any gear that is anywhere from damp to soaking, has always provided amazing results for me.

You can dry boots, gloves, helmet even a full textile suit. You can either place the pouches inside the item (as in the case of boots) or in teh case of items too small to get teh pouches into, or too vast, you can put both the pouches and the item in a sealed container (bin bag is good enough) over night.

When the pouches stop absorbing moisture (and they absorb lots) you can re-charge them on a radiator or in the microwave.

Definately worth a look.... a must have on tour at about £20 for a pair.

Standard disclaimer applies. I've nothing to do with the kit and make nothing from recommending it.