Snowmobile jacket and bib question?

[mrusk]

A acouple of weeks a go i bought a mint 2000 MXZ 700 with 2500 miles for 3k. Now i need some gear. I been looking at jackets and bibs. I can't decided what to buy. What brands are good? Is the 250 dollor jacket that much better then the 150? When you ride do you sweat alot?

Because i hunt i have all the good cabela long johns, turtle necks and wool sweaters. Could i get away with a cheaper jacket and bibs if i dress warm underneith?

Money really isn't a big deal. I really would like to spend under 400 for a jacket and bibs tho.

Matt

[Quad18star]

Well .... I can tell you from personal experience and I also work at a dealership that deals with this stuff soooo .... let me start .

First off .... you're only gunna be as warm as what you wear UNDER the jacket and bib . NEVER NEVER NEVER wear cotton because it's not a wicking (?) material therefore it keeps moisture close to the body which then results in you getting cold . Wool is alright , but doesn't wick (?) the sweat away as easily . I'd suggest a pair of thermal underwear that is proven to take away moisture .

Now for jackets and bibs ..... what kind of riding do you do? If you do a lot of lake running and exploring of unknown lakes and rivers , I'd suggest a Mustang brand floatation suit . You can survive in the water for up to 90 + minutes in the water as compared to the 4 minutes that you can survive without one . I've had customers say they went through the ice ... spent the better part of 20 minutes in freezing water and need to walk back to a cottage and by the time they got to the cottage they had everything unzipped and they were sweating . If you do a lot of breaking trails and working with the jackets and pants ... you'll die of heat and sweat liek crazy ( i wouldn't recommend it for this use) .

Now top of the line suits are Reima . Made from both Reima Tek or Gore-Tex material ... both breath well and are very warm . They get quite expensive ... about $500-1000 for a complete suit .

HJC makes nice suits also . Breath well , very tough and well priced . Check what they are made from .... see if they are waterproof or not .

Coldwave , is just below Reima .... most top of the line models have waterproofing simular to Gore-Tex .... waterproof but also breath well and warm .

CKX .... awesome jackets . It's what I wear . Has a zip-out liner and a vest in my model . I've never frozen with it yet . Well priced , well stitched ... overall well made .

These are just a few different ones . I'd suggest you get something that is comfortable ..... lots of adjustments ... and when you go try stuff on ... amke sure you bring what you expect to wear underneath it with you . I prefer the longer style jackets to keep snow and wind out ... some people prefer the bomber style jacket that is cut at the waist with an elastic bottom . Also get something with 3M reflective piping or markings on the front and back .... you can see that stuff from about a mile away when the lights hit it .

I prefer jackets and pants made out of more of a material as opposed to the nylon of most snowmobile jackets and pants .... main reason , when the nylon gets cold , it makes a "cracking" sound and gets a bit stiff . Also I hate the sound it makes when it's rubbing against itself .

Just a few opinions .... get a bib and jacket that you are comfy with ..... with a pant , get somethign with a re-enforced knee and butt and check the zippers to see if they zip all the way up to the waist ( easier to put ur boots on then put the bib on ) .

Let me know if I can help you in any other way . ( this was like a novel ... my fingers are now sore ;) )

[TRX250X]

What he said.

Actually I agree with everything he said there. Look for something comfy. Your feet and hands are what will get cold first. So don't be afraid to get nice gloves and socks.

I'm usually sweating when I'm on the sled. Unless my helmet is fogging up. It's sucks to have a fogged up face shield and have to lift it up. I don't ride my sleds real often, so I get by with a cheaper one, but if you have the money to spend, research the different helmets out there, and buy a nice one. Ski-doo modular or BV2S or whatever it's called. Artic Cat also has a really nice helmet. Get a good balaclava also. It can sometimes be hard to keep your neck warm, and one of these will help.

Right now I wear carhartts and jackets that I have for work. They are two different jackets and one zips into the other, very warm. I look kinda hillbillish with the carhartts on though. I have a buddy that got black arctic wear carhartts. They work good for riding around home, since he only makes it to Michigan once or twice a year.

Congrats on the mxz700. Dad has the same sled. It's a lot of fun. Not as fast as our Mach Z in the long run. But it's so much nicer to ride.

BTW: Do the Snow Dance (Michigan Trails officially open in a month)

[fastmofo]

i wear castle jacket, Love it! fox gloves, HJC helmet with face velcro nose cover thing, and Snowboard boots. always keeps me warm