FirstGear Kilimanjaro Jacket - 2016 :: MotorcycleGear.com

FirstGear Kilimanjaro Jacket - 2016 (SOLD OUT)

  • Waterproof, breathable, 2.5 layer, PTFE laminate technology is durable and long-lasting
  • PTFE laminate incorporates revolutionary 37.5® advanced, micro-particle technology
  • D3O® armor padding; CE-standard at shoulders, elbows, chest and back pad
  • Adjustable waist strap facilitates fit with various layering
  • Top shoulder vents with hold-open straps for maximum airflow regardless of riding position

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Sizing Information

FirstGear has always offered a generous cut, but this jacket is definitely running large. We tried the jackets on our Fit Check mannequins and measured each size. The jackets are running at least one size larger than Firstgear’s own size chart. And for sizes XL and above, FirstGear’s sizing chart is about one size larger than sizing norms, which means that in the larger sizes, these jackets are running about two sizes larger than expected.

Below are the “Sizing Guidelines” offered by FirstGear. I’ve added the “Our Chest” and “Our Waist” columns to let you know what we observed with a tape measure. The sleeve length estimates FirstGear offered seemed about right, so I didn’t give an alternate column for those.

So my overall advice to choose a size would be to measure your chest and belly and use the right-most columns to choose a jacket size. Most people will choose either one or two sizes smaller than they wear in men’s clothing.

Size Chest Waist Sleeve Our Chest Est. Our Waist Est.
Small 34-36 28-30 32.5-33 39-41 34-38
Medium 38-40 32-34 33.5-34 41-43 36-40
Large 42-44 36-38 34.5-35 44-46 39-43
XL 46-48 40-42 35.5-36 47-49 42-46
XXL 50-52 44-46 36.5-37 52-54 46-50
XXXL 54-56 48-50 37-37.5 56-58 50-54
XXXXL 58-60 52-54 37.5-38 Didn’t Measure Didn’t Measure

Tall sizes: FirstGear offers this jacket in talls. The body and sleeves of the jackets are 1 1/2 to 2 inches taller than the “standard” cut jackets. If you normally have to buy “talls” then these should work for you.

Need help measuring? Get it here.

Our Two Cents

The new Kilimanjaro jacket for 2016 isn’t a radical departure from previous designs, but the design moves away from providing the typical removable thermal liner and rather relies upon the buyer to supply the layering for varying temperatures. That is OK with most people because the typical removable liner supplied with a motorcycle jacket isn’t anything special, but there are LOTS of higher tech undergarments available nowadays and most people have those in their closets already. And also, it’s handy to have a warmth layer that can be used off the bike as well as an under layer anyway.

The shell of this jacket is made of a very heavy duty textile material that feels to be a notch above the quality of the previous Kilimanjaro. There’s nothing specific I can point to to prove my observation but rather the heft and “touch” of the fabric seems to be higher quality and also the final tailoring is very good as well. (And of course the price is higher too… no surprise).

The shell of this jacket is waterproof without the use of removable liners.. or even a mid liner. That means you can keep rain out, but when it dries up, you can utilize the zippered vents to admit air all the way through the jacket to your skin. So with this arrangement, you get the best of both of those worlds. You’ll see the zippered vents in our photo gallery. One minor nit is that they’ve included a Velcro strap/buckle arrangement below the shoulder vents you can use to pull open the zippered vent to scoop more air. But the stitching on the little strap is sewn such that there is limited adjustability. It’s not a big deal, but they could have done this better. I’d give it a “B” for execution on this minor feature.

The jacket is equipped with the D3O type armor which has become the standard for nearly all FirstGear jackets and pants. It’s soft, comfortable and gives good impact protection. I think it is as good as anything available at the moment.

Of course you get good storage both inside and out (see our pictures), and you’ll find a few other nifty little features: the collar has a concealed hood to go under your helmet to keep water from coming in and around your neck in a shower; both sleeve ends have nifty little key pockets; the sleeve zippers are “two way” so they can be opened from the back to serve as vents; the main zipper is “two way” as well so you can zip up from the bottom to allow the longer torso length to lay on your lap rather than wadding up in front of you when sitting. LOTS of nice little things like this for the everyday rider or even long distance traveler.

I reviewed the 2016 Kilimanjaro pants (see link below) and I was really impressed with the increase in overall quality and ruggedness and I like this new Kilimanjaro jacket too for the same reasons. I think it’s a winner. :: Paul, 01-07-16

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