Louie Louie
I have been looking at a cobalt blue Darien jacket. I am replacing a Kilimanjaro Air. How does the Darien perform in the desert heat?? Should I stick w/ a First gear or other mesh product?
The Darien is cooler<lighter> than a Roadcrafter, but not nearly as cool as my Joe Rocket Phoenix III mesh. Darien's are EXPENSIVE especially considering that they don't come with a liner.
After trying the Darien and Cycleport/Motoport products I went with BMW's Commuter 3 and am so glad I did. I believe it is more abrasion resistant than the Darien (dealership has the different materials "crash" tested on the wall including what Darien is made of).
Even more importantly to me was the Commuter 3 was considerably less bulky. it was so easy to move in without giving much if any padding protection and venting was vastly superior. I don't feel like I am wearing a ski parka as I did with the Darien and I stay amazingly cool for a non-mesh jacket even in the high 90's. Nicely styled and cut is protective yet fitting. There are several choices from BMW that may be a better choice for you than the Commuter I got.
If you do not mind the bulk of the Cycleport/Motoport gear it seemed to me to be extremely protective and cool as well. For me it was just way too bulky and the liner set up was not acceptable for me. Many do not mind or even notice the bulk of Cycleport/Motoport and are very happy with it. Cycleport/Motoport would be in the Darien price range as well.
I also tried First Gear and though they are a good jacket they were not on par with Darien, Cycleport or BMW gear from a protection standpoint. If you are looking in the Darien price range I would at least swing by a BMW dealer and try on some of those materials and if they have one of those displays showing the abrasion resistance of the different materials it will be an eye opening experience.
Even more importantly to me was the Commuter 3 was considerably less bulky. it was so easy to move in without giving much if any padding protection and venting was vastly superior. I don't feel like I am wearing a ski parka as I did with the Darien and I stay amazingly cool for a non-mesh jacket even in the high 90's. Nicely styled and cut is protective yet fitting. There are several choices from BMW that may be a better choice for you than the Commuter I got.
If you do not mind the bulk of the Cycleport/Motoport gear it seemed to me to be extremely protective and cool as well. For me it was just way too bulky and the liner set up was not acceptable for me. Many do not mind or even notice the bulk of Cycleport/Motoport and are very happy with it. Cycleport/Motoport would be in the Darien price range as well.
I also tried First Gear and though they are a good jacket they were not on par with Darien, Cycleport or BMW gear from a protection standpoint. If you are looking in the Darien price range I would at least swing by a BMW dealer and try on some of those materials and if they have one of those displays showing the abrasion resistance of the different materials it will be an eye opening experience.
RTETR
I have a Tan Darien light, a standard Gray Darien and a 1pc RC black w/hi-viz ballistics... for now.
The light is excellent in hot, humid weather with the vents open although I would avoid the black just because it attracts the heat. I chose the tan for this reason and simply wash it more often. It easily packs into one half of a the side bag or into my topcase with a fullface also.
The standard Darien is a slightly more bulky but still fits while the RC is packed on it's own but oh so worth it when on a trip or cooler weather and dressed in a suit work... easy on and off...
All 3 items are by far the best I've used and over 20 yrs. that's a fair number of items. I bought the Darien light this year to see how I liked it n comparison to the standard jacket. Now I also have the RC and will likley keep the light and the RC and sell off the standard Darien. I feel this will provide me with two excellent "all purpose" options.
The light is excellent in hot, humid weather with the vents open although I would avoid the black just because it attracts the heat. I chose the tan for this reason and simply wash it more often. It easily packs into one half of a the side bag or into my topcase with a fullface also.
The standard Darien is a slightly more bulky but still fits while the RC is packed on it's own but oh so worth it when on a trip or cooler weather and dressed in a suit work... easy on and off...
All 3 items are by far the best I've used and over 20 yrs. that's a fair number of items. I bought the Darien light this year to see how I liked it n comparison to the standard jacket. Now I also have the RC and will likley keep the light and the RC and sell off the standard Darien. I feel this will provide me with two excellent "all purpose" options.
I have a Darien in silver. I can use it in temps as high as 95 with high humidity before a cooling vest is needed. Sitting at a stop light can get warm but as you start moving the air flow is good.
The RC feels a bit warmer due to the extra nylon lining in the jacket. The RC is good to 90 degrees.
They have always treated me right.
The RC feels a bit warmer due to the extra nylon lining in the jacket. The RC is good to 90 degrees.
They have always treated me right.