FirstGear TPG Expedition Suit - 2014

Since we landed this closeout deal, I decided to dig into the details and measure every size for max chest, max belly and inseam (see my results below).

No surprises really… the max chest/belly sizes are a bit bigger than you’d expect to see on an average jacket or a pair of pants, but with the idea these suits would be worn over other clothing, the results are pretty standard… maybe just the roomy side of standard.

For most people (with average proportions), you’ll be able to choose the size you wear in men’s clothing and you’ll get a good fit with the suit over heavier street clothes. If you plan to wear only light clothing underneath, those in the larger sizes might find that one size smaller would work (sizes Small and Medium weren’t appreciably over-sized).

I’d suggest you take the time to put a tape around your chest and belly and use the chart below to confirm, and of course do the measuring over the clothes you’d expect to wear under the suit. And also consider cold weather…. this is a heavy duty shell, but it’s not insulated, so you’d be wearing it over clothes you’d wear for warmth.

A one piece suit will work best for those who have “average” proportions (height vs weight). If anything, this suit tends toward the tall and larger person. If you are the short/heavy type or tall/skinny type the odds are you won’t get a great fit in this suit, and you’d be better off buying pants and a jacket combo (we have LOTS of those, and some come in tall and short sizes).

Need help measuring? Get it here.

This Expedition suit is a great suit for street riders, touring and commuting. The appeal of a suit like this is to have protection for your body and your clothes underneath. And to be something that is quick and handy to put on and take off without having to find a place to undress.

I find the shell and zippers in this suit to be VERY rugged. They sort of remind me of the famous Aerostich suit. The shell material is similar to other textile jackets and pants in appearance but the “heft” seems to be one or two notches heavier… it even makes more crinkle noises like heavier fabric, and the main zipper looks super heavy duty.

And also like the Aerostich suit, it is a pretty basic design overall. The suit shell provides the heavy duty coverage for abrasion protection and of course it holds a full complement of armor for impact protection. The suit shell is constructed with waterproof materials and seams, and the openings for pockets and vents, etc use waterproof zippers so you’ll also get protection from the elements and it will keep your street clothes clean. Layering for winter is something you’ll have to do with your own garments since there isn’t a removable liner.

The venting on this suit is more remarkable than most one piece suits for sure. LOTS of zippered venting…. but rather than list them all, take the “View Larger Images” link above and click through the closeup pictures to see what I’m talking about… sleeves, shoulder, thigh and back. Good grief what a multitude of zippers! Unlike the other suits, I think you could take this suit well into spring/summer with all the vents open. And unlike the suits that have a “mid liner” to accomplish waterproofing, FirstGear is designing the waterproofing using the heavy duty shell, waterproof smaller miscellaneous zippers and a double storm flap over the main zipper. The absence of a mid-liner will greatly enhance the effectiveness of the zippered vents because the air coming through those vents can make it all the way through to your skin. But I’ll offer this proviso… it is inevitable that this suit will leak some water in prolonged rain… its just not reasonable to think that all those zippers could keep out every drop of water. So life is full of trade-offs, and I think most would take the better venting. Anyway, on to the armor….

This suit has a full complement of D30 armor which I personally like. We sell a lot of this armor separately and it is very popular because it is CE rated but is flexible and somewhat low profile. And all that armor is positioned in the suit in pockets that can be adjusted up/down/back/forth to a great degree, so it will help you get comfortable with the suit. For convenience, you get some pockets and you also get a couple pass through zippers so you can reach your jeans pockets as well. I always liked this feature so I didn’t have to transfer my wallet, keys, etc from my pants to the suit, and back again. Night visibility is built into the suit too.

This suit was high priced at the full MSRP…. not unreasonably so, but at the full price, it had competition. But, at this closeout price, I really don’t think you can find anything even close in overall value. Heck, even the armor would cost you a third of the suit price. What a deal!. :: Paul, Updated 09-21-15