Klim Aggressive Sled Wear

Back in the old days, you either wore a nylon two-piece suit or a set of leathers; bibs and jacket. Then came Gore-Tex (TM), followed by Cordura (TM).

Leathers were the best at cutting the wind, but they were still heavy and didn’t work anything like Gore-Tex (TM) garments at keeping you dry. On the other hand, Gore-Tex jackets and bibs for the most part were still offered with lightweight nylon; excellent for warm weather riding, but near worthless for colder riding. This posed a problem for the rider who enjoyed snowmobiling in temps and conditions ranging from well below zero with a stiff northwest wind to the sunny spring days. Most riders found they needed at least two complete suits, sometimes three, to be comfortable, warm and dry in the varied conditions. Think about it, we’re talking about a swing of sixty degrees from –30 to +30!

While mountain riding is what fueled the wave of Gore-Tex clothing, snowcross racing is really what brought about the new wave of vented clothing. But both of these styles were lighter than what someone in the wind and cold could use.
Enter Klim Aggressive Sled Wear (pronounced with a long “i” like “climb”). This is a small group (mostly family)of snowmobilers from eastern Idaho (Rigby) who just happen to make clothing, not a giant clothing manufacturer that just happens to occasionally ride a snowmobile.

Our first exposure to Klim clothing was riding with Jerry Mathews (one of our new model test riders) from Starting Line Products. He had a set of Klim bibs and jacket and told us how impressed he was with the cut, maneuverability, generous zippered vents, durable material, and how dry he would be at the end of a ride. The suit just looked different, and it was.

Then there’s the zippers. We’d never seen waterproof zippers like this, they looked like a black plastic stripe down the legs and jacket. No need for big heavy Velcro (TM) flaps to keep moisture out of the zippers, these neat little zippers pulled easy and really did seal well; and they just plain looked cool. Jerry said they never ice up, either.

That was in the Spring of 2000. It wasn’t until that fall that we got our hands on our own Klim suits, and we wore them for thousands of miles last season. We’d have to say the most impressive part of the Klim clothing is the quality of construction. This is the good stuff. The outer shell is Cordoura (TM), thick enough to cut the wind and tough enough to withstand branches, impacts and wear abrasion.
No, maybe the most impressive part is how dry we stayed. We’ve been wearing all kinds of different Gore-Tex (TM) bibs over the years, but our test staff found the Klim bibs to be the best yet at keeping our backsides dry.

If you take the time to really examine the Klim clothing, you will see the level of attention and detail to the construction. The patterning, cut and sewing of the material is such that they provide maximum mobility and maneuverability. Articulated joints don’t bind or restrict your movement. Padding in the right places. Extra Gore-Tex where needed. Heavy-duty stitching that should provide years of service.
And talk about comfortable. Interior layers of Polartec and Trevera Microtherm are not only comfy, but they provide the insulation and wicking needed to keep you dry. Even the neck area has a thin layer of Polartec. From the sleeves to the boot gators and everything in-between, you can tell this stuff is made by snowmobilers for snowmobilers. Pockets are sized well, big enough to carry stuff like extra goggles or whatever you like.

We keep coming back to the bit about staying dry. The Klim clothing works across a wider range of conditions than any other suit we’ve used. The heavy Cordura, with all of the zippered vents closed, is stout enough to ride at sub-zero conditions with a brisk wind. About the only thing you do different is wear some fleece to provide some extra insulation.

As the temps warm up and your riding gets more aggressive, you can open the zippered vents to increase the airflow, remove any fleece you have on underneath, and the Klim suit continues to keep you dry and comfortable. The Klim suits rely on layering to provide extra insulation when you need it, and each rider will find their own requirements for how heavy of a layer they need to keep warm. Colder temps and less active riding needs a thicker layer, warmer temps and more active riding uses thinner or no layering.

Keeping dry is the key to being comfortable, and this is a matter of keeping the water out (Gore-Tex, sealed seams and waterproof zippers) and letting the perspiration escape (Gore-Tex again, wicking layers and ventilation). Ventilation is generous; zippers run up the side of the chest and open up the armpit area for maximum cooling. Leg zippers keep your lower half cool too. Just don’t wear any stinking cotton underneath, go with wicking materials like polypro, Thermax, and fleece and you’ll be in business.

We will admit that when you get to the far extremes of cold and warm, the Klim suit doesn’t quite cut the bitter –30 wind like leather, but you can wear this jacket in conditions where leathers will strangle you. When it really gets warm, a super-lightweight jersey is going to be more comfortable (well, duh). But if you are looking for a suit that will perform across the widest range of conditions, keep you warm and dry, and is well-built so it will provide years of reliable service, our experience with the product has been very impressive.

Klim Mountain/Xross Jackets sell for $336, and the Klim Mountain Bibs sell for $342; expensive, but well worth it. Klim also has a complete assortment of fleece, along with other styles of jackets and bibs to match your personal preference and riding style. Klim suits are available at many dealers, or you can contact Klim Aggressive Sled Wear at 208-745-7699 or visit www.klimsledwear.com