Clothes that double up

As nobody has mentioned it yet, I will. Adventure Spec layering system.

For longer trips (more than a day out) I wear Adventure Spec stuff. I have the Linesman Jacket and their waterproof over jacket. I also have a Knox Action Shirt for body armour under which I wear a Merino wool long sleeved shirt.

The Adventure Spec system is based on mountaineering/hill walking method of layering. Only wear the layers that you need. Instead of wearing a big heavy armoured waterproof jacket all of the time, wear a light weight windproof armoured jacket (or armour underneath) and then add a layer underneath if cold, or a layer over the top if raining. I have worn the waterproof over just my armour on warm wet days, without the Linesman jacket on at all.

The Linesman jacket is a bit like a toughened soft shell jacket. Take the armour out for the evening and wear around town. It just looks like a fleece or soft shell jacket and removes the need to take a fleece with you or walk around with a big bulky armoured motorcycle jacket all the time.

The waterproof can be used just as that. When walking out and about, it even has a hood. The hood has no peak so you can wear it in your helmet to stop rain getting down your neck.

I find it works really well and I am more comfortable in this than wearing my Rukka which I use for days out rather than trips away. You then only take what is appropriate for spring/summer/autumn/winter trips, rather than the starting point of a heavy jacket, now what else?

Having travelled with Tetley, where every hotel room is an opportunity to play, find somewhere to put a clothes line, and Magnon's guide to wringing clothes out in a towel, I am now travelling with about 80% fewer clothes than before.

There are always opportunities for the disposable old pants and socks, to be left in the ferry/hotel bin towards the start of the trip.
 
Got a link, mate?

Natch, mate: https://www.adventurespec.com/

It might be just me (or my PC) but it doesn't seem possible to say, click on a jacket, to get its individual details. All you get is a basic arrow with a very short description that pops-up.

It was not very clear either where you might go to try some on or is it all mail order? Though, to be fair, I might have missed that bit.
 
I do not take my wife or anyone else's on my bike trips. Why spoil a perfectly good holiday?

Therefore I will opt for the floor option.

As you were......
 
The Linesman jacket is a bit like a toughened soft shell jacket. Take the armour out for the evening and wear around town. It just looks like a fleece or soft shell jacket and removes the need to take a fleece with you or walk around with a big bulky armoured motorcycle jacket all the time.


+1 for the linesman jacket, it is the dogs dangle bits, its fairly waterproof in its self, I wear a lightweight waterproof on top if it really pisses down, its a really smart jacket in its own right as said you can have armour in it but I got one of the triumph armour jackets in the recent sale on their outlet site for 20 quid!! make a great layer system, and if its really really cold still have room for heated jacket underneath as well.
 
you could get away with a pair of Daytona short boots as the only footwear. A bit warm in summer temperatures but I have worn them all day in the office and walked some decent distances when on tour. https://www.fc-moto.de/en/Daytona-Rainbow-GORE-TEX-Boot

Personally, I prefer to take a pair of lightweight shoes. I'm not a fan of sandals.

Having come round a corner in the Sardinian mountains to find a mate with a compound fracture of the lower leg, having low-sided into a crash barrier, I’m of a fan of short boots.

I like the sound of lightweight shoes though. Any favourite ones?
 
Asics tigers, Toms.

I prefer Toms, no need then to pack socks :)

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
 
I like the sound of lightweight shoes though. Any favourite ones?

ones that fit - I have a pair of Evisu leather shoes that are probably 30 years old. They only get used on bike trips, hence the age. Unless being worn, they are in the overnight bag that goes into my topbox. They have a nice patina but the soles are getting a bit thin now.
 
This is all very interesting - but what about the shoes?

A pair of Keen hiking sandals. Reinforced toe-box for those that don't like sandals and do like to keep their toenails intact. Like me. Super comfortable, fairly small, light weight and you can walk for miles in them easily.

I haven't found a motorcycle boot yet that will do double duty as casual shoes. Maybe the two things are mutually exclusive.
 
I haven't found a motorcycle boot yet that will do double duty as casual shoes. Maybe the two things are mutually exclusive.

Neither have I and I suspect you are right, though I do have a pair of Daytona short boots, as mentioned by Wessie. That said, I would look even more like a total Turk (not used that expression for a while) wearing them in shorts.

What I do have is a choice of outdoor shoes, made by Salomon, both quite light and will pack down. One Gor-Tex lined, the other not. I just take the pair I think most appropriate for the jaunt. I can ride a motorcycle in them and have done, as indeed you can in just about any sort of shoes / boots. I do though sometimes struggle a bit in my City leather soled shoes, as the soles do not offer the greatest grip on the smooth London roads. Either way, I have no desire to clump about in motorcycle boots, nor any other motorcycle centric clobber, any longer than I have to.

PS The Keen things you mention, I am liking the look of. Father Christmas may be obliged to deliver me a pair, if I am good.
 
Growing up in 1960s Dublin I sometimes stayed in my grandmothers house in Ranelagh. Down a little lane and outside toilet. Kitchen sink was the only sink so dishes had to be washed if you wanted to wash your face. I don’t remember this myself but was told this nice little story. Asked in school what was the most useful item in the house the whole class was answering in turn. My turn came and my contribution was the dish cloth as it doubled as a face cloth. JJH
 
Having come round a corner in the Sardinian mountains to find a mate with a compound fracture of the lower leg, having low-sided into a crash barrier, I’m of a fan of short boots.

I like the sound of lightweight shoes though. Any favourite ones?

Skechers slip-ons.
Light, washable, can be worn without socks and they alway bounce back into shape after
being squashed tight in your panniers. Oh, and they're really comfy, ideal for a walkabout.
I would advise against the lace-up version of these as they don't squash down as flat when packed.
 

Attachments

  • download.jpeg
    download.jpeg
    6.7 KB · Views: 268
sundried, saguaro, vibram 5 finger, or a pair of skinners, skinners the smallest but might not suit all
 


Back
Top Bottom