Why We Picked It:

It looks just like a regular leather jacket you might see someone wearing as they stroll down the street, but this one hides massive protection under its casual exterior. It has fully-armored elbows and shoulders, with a space for a back protector insert. It’s also made of hand-distressed motorcycle-grade leather.

On hot days, the inner liner can be detached and removed. Doing so allows air to flow in and out through the hidden vents under the arms and along the sides of the torso, then leave via the zippered rear vents. Also, since the jacket is made from motorcycle-grade leather, it is water-repellant (although if you want full waterproofing, we suggest a waterproofing wax or spray that is certified for leather).

Why We Picked It:

Casual riders don’t want flashy logos screaming from their hands—and for them, Dainese made the Blackjacks. Classically Italian in their look, the gloves are made of premium goatskin leather, with double reinforcements on the heels and palms of each hand. The fingers, back of hand, and knuckles are also protected with soft plastic inserts that are CE impact rated.

Why We Picked It:

Sometimes, a casual rider lives right on that line between the snowy states and the warmer states that don't even know what snow is. We're talking places like the Carolina's, Tennesse, Kentucky, and the like. It doesn't snow (much), but damn if it's doesn't get windy and wet in the winter!

For those casual riders, they are wanting gloves that are weatherproof and waterproof, with some insulation but not a full on winter glove. Rev'It! has those riders covered, as they experience much of the same weather in the Netherlands, with only 20 to 30 days of the year actually getting proper snow.

The Cassini H2O gloves are well armored, comfortable, very subtle in their looks, but offer a Thinsulate lining that has a fleeced feel to it, as well as a Hydratex waterproof membrane. The insulation is just enough to keep your hands warm in the 40's and 50's, but not so much as to cause you to sweat. The Hydratex also allows your hands to breathe, and allow just enough wind to reach it to carry away excess heat without freezing your hands.

Why We Picked It:

Scorpion really tells you the point of these jeans in the name. The EXO-Covert Pro jeans look like your traditional 5-pocket regular jeans, yet instead of denim, they are made of Cordura 373 GSM, which is a combination of 85% cotton and 15% nylon to give superb abrasion resistance. 250 GSM genuine DuPont Kevlar lines the inside from just below the knee to the waistband, giving you that extra abrasion resistance needed to slide out of a crash safely with your skin intact.

The jeans feature pockets for knee armor and hip armor, with Scorpion of course recommending their own SAS-Tec Level 2 armor for both. As well, there is subtle but present night visibility reflective material at the inner cuff, and to keep your legs from overheating, from the knee down, the jeans feature an air mesh lining to let air wick away the heat from your boots and legs.

Why We Picked It:

Maybe you can’t find riding jeans in your size, or the slim/regular cut leg that most of them have won’t fit your legs. However, if you have a regular pair of jeans that fits a little loose on the legs, Icon has you covered with their Field Armor series.

The pants are made of tear resistant, double stitched poly-Hydradry sweat-wicking cloth. They also have D30 grade armor and kevlar reinforcements at the sides of the knees, over the knees, and on the thighs, hips, buttocks, groin, and tailbone—providing maximum abrasion and impact resistance.

Why We Picked It:

TCX are among some of the best in the casual rider market. For example, look at the picture of the Blend 2 WP boots above. Unless you know to look for the bump for the ankle armor and the inset shift pad, they look like your everyday work boots, although they are most certainly not. Instead, they are extremely stealthy and extremely protective.

Made of full grain leather, the boots feature a T-Dry waterproof membrane throughout, with TPU armor built into the ankle, heel, and toe areas. It is one of the few boots that you will find that fastens with laces, but those laces are reinforced. The sole is made of Groundtrax high grip rubber, and on the inside, an OrthoLite insole provides unrivaled comfort and breathability. There’s even subtle night reflective material built into the back of the heels for that added level of safety.

Why We Picked It:

Forma Boots are legends in the motorcycle boots market. Their ADV boots are some of the highest rated out there, they have a superb sports lineup, and their casual and cruiser boots are second to none. The Forma Eagle boots are definitely part of that last grouping, with a classic look backed up by extensive armor, and they are fully waterproof.

The boots are made from full-grain leather mounted to a high grip rubber sole that features an anti-shock, dual-flex midsole. The toe features a reinforced protective box, while the angle features full TPU armor. The insole is a soft, breathable memory foam polymer that ensures all day comfort. The Drytex lining provides super waterproofing with excellent breathability, and the entire boot is secured not by buckles but by YKK zippers with Velcro closures. There are a lot of things included in these boots, so at $250, they are quite literally a bargain.

Why We Picked It:

AlpineStars are well known for their sports gear, from FIM approved leather race suits to comfortable riding jackets such as this one. The T-Fuse Sport WP jacket is made from a breathable softshell exterior, but comes with a waterproof membrane to ensure you’ll stay dry in practically any conditions.

As for protection, you get a CE level one shoulder protectors and dual-density TPU sliders on the shoulders. There are also plenty of reflective details here, so you’ll be able to ride in the dark on the shorter days of the year with reasonable confidence.

Why We Picked It:

The Sedici Corsa gloves are designed from the outset for the sportier rider that also wants to wear them for their non-track related rides. The entire glove chassis is made from premium drum dyed goatskin, with Amara suede overlays on the palm with inset silicone for superior grip and feel. On the fingers, SuperFabric overlays with TPU sliders make sure that the most abrasion resistance available is literally at your fingertips, of which the touch capacitive leather on the thumb and index finger allow you to start your camera or phone timer to record your lap.

The hard TPU knuckle protector is mounted to a floating chassis, allowing it to remain squarely in place over your bones. The palms feature TPU sliders set into a double reinforced leather layer backed by aramid fabric to give you the best abrasion resistance possible. That aramid also lines the entire back of the hand and the pinkie finger and also backs the double wrist closure, which features a wrist vent to extract air from the wrist area for all-day riding comfort.

Why We Picked It:

In the past, AlpineStars pants seemed to vary between relaxed commuter-style pants and full-on track leather pants without much in the middle. The Raider Drystar V2 pants fit into that gap nicely—they’re a great set of textile pants that are totally viable for three season wear.

Waterproofing comes via the permanent drystar lining, but there’s also a removable thermal liner for when those summer days get too warm. CE-rated knee protectors are also built in, and space is provided if you want to insert optional hip protectors. There are also thigh vents in case you need extra cooling.

Finally, these pants can mate with the AlpineStars T-Fuse jacket recommended above if you want to form a full one-piece riding suit.

Why We Picked It:

The second generation Alpinestars SMX 6 Drystar Boots are a force to be reckoned with. With newly refined ergonomics, the accordion stretch paneling has been augmented on the forefoot as well as the back of the ankle for added flexibility and comfort.

These boots offer race-ready protection. They feature high-modulus TPU biomechanical ankle supports, injected shin guards and calf protectors, a heel counter, a reinforced shift pad, and hard toe sliders.

The air vents have been integrated into the heel counter and shin plate to help with both moisture evaporation and heat evacuation. The Drystar membrane is the ultimate waterproof protection, guaranteeing prolonged comfort in even the harshest of conditions.

The Alpinestars SMX 6 v2 Drystar boots offer a fantastic package of protection, dexterity and waterproof performance without making any noticeable compromises.

Why We Picked It:

The first generation of the Firstgear Kathmandu jacket was on our recommendation lists for ADV riders for many years. The second generation, the Kathmandu 2.0, somehow improves on it in every way possible.

The jacket now uses Sympatex to provide nearly full waterproofing from the textiles of the jacket alone, however it now comes with a secondary Hypertex removable waterproof liner for if you have to ride through monsoon levels of rain. The entire jacket has been upgraded to full 420D ripstop nylon, instead of using 300D on some area like the first generation. This makes the jacket surprisingly lightweight.

In terms of protection, that too is upgraded from D30 T5 to SAS-TEC CE Level 2 armor in the shoulders, elbows, and back. This armor is also puncture/penetration resistant, so if you come off during a scramble over rocks, you have the best protection possible. On the inside of the jacket, you will find adjustable armor pockets for chest armor, and the shoulder, elbow, and back pockets for armor are adjustable as well to fine tune how the armor sits on your body.

Improving upon the first version, the Kathmandu 2.0 has 25% more intake vent area on the front of the jacket, allowing for more cooling air in arid and extreme weather conditions. Returning are the underarm vents and the massive back vents, all with CNT8 YKK zippers.

If you want pockets, Firstgear has you covered. There are at least 7 fully waterproof pockets on the inside and outside of the jacket, including a gigantic lower back pocket, the two massive front waist pockets, and two chest pockets, and two internal pockets. The collar push-button closure is adjustable, and features a soft-touch collar liner to prevent any irritation during long rides.

Gone are the water-bladder mounting points, however there is a reason for that, as the jacket now features hook and clip points to mount Firstgear’s heated liners inside, turning this from a 3 season to a full 4 season jacket. As those liners can be a bit thick, the jacket is also infinitely adjustable, with waist, forearm, and bicep adjustment straps and an internal drawstring waist elastic to make sure the jacket is tight to your body and won’t let any water seep in.

Why We Picked It:

When you think about adventure riding, two things immediately come to mind: the elements, and having the feel of your throttle for miniscule adjustments. While the Rukka Argosaurus 2.0 Gore-Tex gloves sound like a dinosaur, they are in fact some of the most fully featured gloves on the market today.

With full cowhide leather construction, the gloves are windproof via the natural characteristics of non-perforated leather. Waterproofing comes via Gore-Tex, with the mating between the layers done with the brand new Gore-Grip method, which effectively bonds the Gore-Tex to the leather. The palm and fingers of the glove have a multipanel design to give your palm the best feel of the handlebars without sacrificing any abrasion or penetration resistance of the gloves.

Armor comes in the form of a ventilated hard TPU knuckle cover, with the index, middle, and ring fingers also getting finger sliders. The palm features two sliders, one one the thumb pad and one extending from the centerline of the palm to the blade edge. The entire glove is certified EN Class AA, meaning it is viable for desert rally raids and scrambling competitions, and to back that up, the ring and pinky fingers feature a bridge to prevent injury.

Also, just in case it rains on you during your adventures, the left thumb has a wiper blade to clear off your goggles or visor!

Why We Picked It:

The companion gear to the Kathmandu 2.0 jacket, the Firstgear Kathmandu 2.0 Overpants are made to handle the roughest, toughest, and wettest of off-road adventuring.

SAS-TEC CE Level 2 armor at the knees and hips are penetration resistant, to prevent sharp rocks from causing injury should you tumble while scrambling. The entirety of the overpants are made with Sympatex waterproofing material, with a secondary layer of Hydratex on the inside. An upgrade from version 1 of the pants is that all the seams are double stitched and sealed both inside and out to prevent any water penetration.

The inner thighs and knees are made with Hydratex stretch fabric which is soft enough to not scratch your tank while also being fully water resistant in the case you need to do a stream crossing and get some splashing up from the front wheel. If you are crossing a desert, there are nearly foot long thigh vents that are sealed by both a zipper and velcro double closure each, with a storm flap behind the zipper to prevent water penetration.

If you have the Kathmandu 2.0 Jacket, the overpants have a mating zip that will turn the two pieces of gear into a full suit. If you don’t have the jacket, there is a removable mesh bib with suspenders to make sure the overpants stay on and up. Adjustable gators around each leg cuff help prevent splashes from traveling up your legs and giving you a cold surprise.

Basically, if you’re going anywhere that is off-road on an ADV bike… the Kathmandu 2.0 jacket and overpants should get some serious consideration as your one-stop solution to all your adventuring needs.

Why We Picked It:

While many boots are available for adventure riders, we found that the Forma Adventure boots simply provided the best amount of features at a reasonable price point.

The boots are made of full grain oiled cowhide leather, with a Drytex integrated inner lining for waterproofing and breathability. The soles are made of dual-density, penetration resistant rubber, with an integrated steel shank surrounded by rigid nylon in the mid-sole to prevent your pegs poking into you hard over rough terrain.

Ankles and toes are protected by full TPU-molded plastic. There is a full-length, foam-backed shin protector to shrug off branches and hard impacts on the legs. Plastic closure buckles made of aerospace grade material are nigh unbreakable, and help keep the boots tight over the velcro closure. And lastly, the top of the foot has a rubber covered TPU plastic protector to let you shift all day without hurting your foot.