FirstGear Kilimanjaro 5.0 Textile Jacket

The Kilimanjaro 5.0 Textile Jacket is FirstGear’s most sturdy and feature filled design for touring riders or commuters. Wow! This jacket is heavy duty and has a TON of storage. The main shell of this jacket is a Hypertex™ waterproof/breathable material that is made from high density polyester that will stand up to the toughest wear and tear. The exterior shoulders and elbows are reinforced with a second layer of nylon for abrasion resistance. For impact protection, the shoulders and elbows are fitted with removable CE armor and the back is fitted with an EVA dense foam pad. For more substantial back protection, you can upgrade to the Temperfoam™ back protector that is listed below. Now let’s talk about climate control, the outer shell is waterproof to keep you dry in the rain, it’s also made from a breathable material that will help keep you cool (haven’t tried this feature personally, but it has to be an improvement over shell materials that are not designed like this). This jacket also comes with a really nice removable inner jacket. The inner jacket is made of a lightweight material that is waterproof, windproof, and breathable. It provides an extra layer to keep you warm and dry on the road. The front of the inner jacket is made of mesh and the back is made of bonded fleece for warmth. It also has two exterior fleece lined hand-warmer pockets, an interior phone pocket and patch storage pockets. FirstGear made this inner jacket for people who are tight on space and need to travel light. The inner jacket has finished seams so that you can wear it as a stand-alone jacket. We think that this is a great idea. The only nit to pick would be the snaps that you use to attach it to the outer shell are visible when you wear it alone. During warmer weather, you can increase air flow by opening up the waterproof zippers on the chest, armpit, and back vents. We recommend this jacket for mild to cold temperatures, but not for warm/hot weather. To help with fit, you get adjustable straps in the bicep, wrist, and waist which will also cut down on drag from the wind. Last, but certainly not least is storage… this jacket has great pockets to keep your stuff packed away. All of the pockets have waterproof features on them. There are two large cargo pockets, which, when opened reveal fairly complex storage features. There are several different pockets of various sizes to store any number of things you’ll want to carry on the road. In addition to these large upper cargo pockets, there are two front lower pockets and two hand-warmer pockets. Inside the jacket there is a patch pocket, and a secured phone pocket. The inner document pocket is by the zipper so that you can access it with the liner intact, and there is an extra phone pocket in the actual jacket so that you can have a place to put your phone while you are not wearing the thermal inner jacket. There is a lot going on with this jacket, make sure to take a closer look at the “View Larger Pictures” link above.