Klim Stow Away Jacket
It's October, and that means fickle weather. Chilly mornings and warm afternoons mean your riding gear had better be prepared for anything.
You need a jacket but don't want another clunky old thing that you have to lug around on the storage rack of your utility quad or that you'll have to ride back to the truck to put away if you're on a sport ATV.
Enter Klim's Stow Away jacket. Touted as a space-age solution to the comfort vs. weight dilemma, the Stow Away makes the most of its Gore-Tex fabric and sealed YKK zippers to achieve a waterproof, yet breathable piece of apparel that is ideal for trail riding. The Klim (pronounced "climb") Stow Away is available in both black or gray color combinations with sizes ranging from XS to 3XL.
The Stow Away's coolest feature is its waterproof chest pocket also doubles as a 4.5-inch x 8-inch self-contained bag for the jacket. There isn't a separate bag to cram the Stow Away into that will inevitably end up getting lost; the jacket literally folds up into itself and zips shut. Bravo, Klim. Not only that, the whole shebang only weighs a svelte 12 ounces. How did they trim all the weight while still allowing for elastic wrists with hook-and-loop adjustment, a fleece-lined collar and reinforced shoulder and elbow material? The answer lies in stitchless seam sealing. These "welded" seam seals are much thinner and lighter than traditional threaded seams and held up fine to whacks from tree branches during our trail testing.
The only problem with this jacket is its price. Although I appreciate the quality materials and the engineering that went into this garment, I was taken aback by the staggering $199.99 price tag. That's a tough pill to swallow, especially when most ATV mud boggers are happy paying $16.88 down at the local Wal-Mart for a sweatshirt hoodie that's going to get absolutely dunked in mud, anyway. Even though its price point is out of line with most ATV riders (including us), it's still a really nice jacket. With some "price restructuring," as accountants like to say, I think Klim has a winner here.
-Brian Purtymun
| GEAR | 80 |
| Style | 18/20 |
| Comfort | 18/20 |
| Function | 19/20 |
| Wash/Care | 19/20 |
| Price | 6/20 |
| BOTTOM LINE: A well-made, compact jacket that's perfect for "stowing away" under the seat of your truck. |
| KLIM USA: 208/552-7433; WWW.KLIMUSA.COM |