I have owned a BUNCH of gear in my riding career, and I’ve learned quite a bit about what works in rain and what won’t. Here is my everyday/touring gear set up;
AeroStich Darien Jacket
AeroStich Darien AD1 Pants
AeroStich Combat Touring Boots
My previous gear has included;
First Gear Killimanjaro
Olympia AST
AeroStich Roadcrafter I
AeroStich Roadcrafter II
Bates Tactical Boots
Alpinestar GoreTex Touring Boots
Joe Rockett…can’t remember name waterproof gear…
What works best FOR ME is the Darien, and here’s why;
1) It’s WATER PROOF. Absolutely. Only one other garmet comes close, and that’s the Olympia AST.
2) It moves more air than any other jacket out there. Nothing comes close.
3) Fits me better (and can be custom made if need be) better than anything else. Actually comes in men’s coat sizes, i.e. 48L, 36S, etc.
Combat Touring Boots where the bomb until about 100K miles on them. They ARE very heavy, and take a long time to break in. They are NOT advertised waterproof, but a good soaking of waterproof wax and a little heat from a hairdrying and you’re good to go.
If I were buying off the shelf stuff, I’d look first at Olympia. IMO, it’s the best quality/best thought out stuff on the market.
HTH….
Allen