This gear has seen it all. Less than an hour after I first put on the jacket and pants during the 2008 Firstgear Colorado ride, the heavens above Crested Butte opened up and rain poured down.
This combo has seen duty on multiple dual-sport rides, and I wore it on a three-day road test and photo shoot on the 2009 Honda Gold Wing. Wet, sweaty and dirty, washed several times and still going.
The Firstgear TPG (Technical Performance Gear) motorcycle jacket and Escape pants is a three-layer system that consists of optional, moisture-wicking Basegear ($39.95-$69.95; not tested), a middle Tech Liner and an outer jacket. Men can choose between the Teton tested here or the Rainier (see Clem’s review in Rider, April 2008); women have only one choice, the Monarch. The midlayer Tech Liner, which is windproof, water-resistant and breathable, provides warmth, and it serves as an attractive stand-alone jacket off the bike. That’s nice, because many liners look like Hefty bags or upholstery remnants and are anything but fashionable. It also features waterproof zippers on the pockets, internal fleece cuff bands on the sleeves and intake vents on the chest.
The Teton, named after those fetching mountains in Wyoming, is made of a waterproof, breathable 600-Denier nylon three-quarter-length outer shell with durable Kevlar-reinforced Teramid underlay at the shoulders and elbows. Firstgear’s Max-Flow vent system uses 10-inch intake and exhaust vents at the shoulders, plus an internal, locking pull cord (mine broke on one side) to regulate airflow. The front zipper opens from the top or bottom for additional venting, and it can be covered with a rain-gutter-equipped storm flap to keep the elements at bay. Two chest and two handwarmer pockets have waterproof zippers, plus there are pockets inside (four), on the upper right arm, left forearm and lower back. CE-approved armor at the shoulder and elbow is adjustable and removable (for washing, or if wearing a separate, internal layer of armor). The foam back pad is perfunctory at best; I recommend a separate, hardened, reticulating back protector. When Jack Frost starts nipping at your face shield, grommets in the left front pocket accommodate Firstgear’s optional heated liner ($199.95), which works great with the variable Heat-Troller ($69.95). Keep your neck dry in the rain with the internal, under-helmet rain hood, be seen at night with reflective trim and adjust fit with hook-and-loop straps at the waist.
Escape pants are made of the same waterproof, breathable 600-Denier nylon as the jacket, with Teramid underlay at the knees and additional heat-resistant material from knee to ankle. A zip-in insulated liner keeps you warm, and a 10-inch zipper connects the pants to the jacket. Intake vents at the outer thigh have waterproof zippers, as do the two fleece-lined front pockets and the two rear and front cargo dry pockets. Ankle to over-the-knee leg zippers help when putting the pants on over boots, and hook-and-loop adjustment straps at the waist on both sides help with fit.
TPG gear, which comes with a one-year limited warranty, works well. The layers are sensible and the profusion of pockets provides ample storage, though finding what you put where can be a scavenger hunt. My only complaints are the aforementioned broken vent pull cord (not sure of the value of this feature), yellow trim that gets dirty easily (and didn’t come clean after washing) and pants that are too baggy (would benefit from suspenders as on Firstgear’s Kathmandu pants, or belt loops). The Teton jacket, which comes in black/yellow, black/gray and gray/red, retails for $369.95 and is available in men’s sizes S-4XL and tall L-2XL. Escape pants retail for $249.95 and come in men’s sizes 30-48 (black/gray) or 32-42 (black/yellow).
For more information: See your Tucker Rocky dealer or visit Tucker Rocky
