INVENTORY Five Products to Fight the Elements on Your Next TripHope for the best but prepare for the worst with these five pieces of kit that will give you an edge against Mother Nature.
- Words Iron & Air Staff
Mother Nature can be a total bi… well, you know. One minute it’s all sunshine and rainbows and the next you’re out of gas in a hail storm with nothing between you and the elements but that translucent band t-shirt you should have retired 200 washes ago. Leveling up with even one of these pieces of kit could be the difference between arriving to your destination in one piece…or not making it there at all.
01 Colfax Design Works Project T.O.A.D. Drybag
The Colfax Design Works Project T.O.A.D. (Tactical Operations Amphibious Drybags) collection is like a ballistic-grade raincoat for your luggage. The 40-liter, waterproof, air-tight bag can be carried as a duffle or worn as a backpack, and the bag can be fully submerged under water without any risk to your gear. And if Mother Nature throws you a real curveball, there’s also a buoyancy valve on the exterior, allowing you to inflate the bag in case you want to float it across a river.
Colfax Design Works
02 Aerostitch e-Fill Siphon
If you’ve never siphoned gasoline by sucking on the end of a dirty old hose, be grateful. After too many mouthfuls of gas, we picked up Aerostitch’s compact, self-priming e-Fill fuel transfer system. Dip the trick end of the tubing into a full tank, gently move it up and down, and suddenly, fuel starts flowing through 68 inches of clear tubing. The e-Fill’s plastic case doubles as a container for up to an eighth-gallon of gasoline, and the included chamois cleans up any spills or drips. Even siphoning a few drops of gas from a passing car can make the difference between making it to your destination or calling your significant other and having that conversation.
Aerostich03 BioLite HeadLamp 200
Ever arrive to your campsite after sundown? Yeah, us too. After using many different headlamps either trying to set up camp in the dark, around the campfire, while night hiking, or doing those late-night roadside carb adjustments, we’ve found the BioLite HeadLamp 200 to be the best in the category. Light, bright, comfortable, and rechargeable, the HeadLamp 200 is a must-have in every road warrior’s arsenal.
BioLite
04 Mammut Eiswand Advanced Jacket
Need a warm midlayer that will fit nicely under your riding jacket but looks great as everyday garb? The Mammut Eiswand Advanced has a waffle structure inner liner for insulation, superior moisture wicking capability, and comes with Mammut’s patented Vertical Motion Technology for freedom of movement. The hood is warm, but thin enough to fit comfortably under your helmet .
Mammut
05 Aerostich Cousin Jeremy one-piece
A few years back, Aerostich’s founder, Andy Goldfine, got a call from his cousin Jeremy. He suggested Aerostich create a waxed cotton version of the iconic Roadcrafter synthetic one-piece riding suit, which has been worshiped by the most hardcore motorcyclists for over 30 years. Made with 10-ounce waxed cotton, the Cousin Jeremy is a more stylish, slightly heavier version of the Roadcrafter and offers all the same features, like removable foam armor, waterproof zippers, adjustable airflow vents, and 10 big, well-placed pockets. The Cousin Jeremy is available as a two-piece riding suit, too, and if you ask nicely, Aerostich will sew patches into your CJ, like they did on ours.
Aerostich
