Really...my Dad, no he is just a great boss and small business owner. I was a friend before he hired me 4 1/2 years ago. Just a great guy. Now on to the jacket
Its everything I had hoped it would be and more. It's very comfortable coming from a First Gear Kilimanjaro. This jacket I bought from the Klim Rep here in Minnesota, he was at the dealership I was buying from named Moon Motors. Nice guy rides a lot. He asked me a lot about how I ride and what I ride. I told him money was not the issue I'd spend what ever it took having the six my boss gave me. I tried the Latitude and the Badlands on back to back with and without base layers...lite and heavy North Face and Kuhl is what I had with me. I'm about 5-10" 190 36" waist 30" inseam 61 years old. I grew up on dirt bikes and owned lots of big stuff over the years. The Badlands was what I thought I wanted at first glance but very quickly realized it was just way to much Jacket for my needs and was stiff but really had the armor in the front chest area that was really nice. I just didn't think it fit as well as the Latitude and Carlsbad harder to just be in it. So I boiled it down to the Latitude or the Carlsbad. I liked the look of the Latitude, I felt it had the adventure tech look along the lines of other jackets with a waist belt and I really liked the way that felt on my back and waist when pulled tight no draft issues up the back I thought. So I asked the rep what jacket do you think I should have...he did his best to help, and ride both horses if you will...but in the end he said he thought I would like the new venting on the Carlsbad, admitting both jackets are very good but the Carlsbad was built for what and how I ride my S10. I went home to think it over and researched all the forum stuff I could find and drove back up to Moon the next day. The sales person Dave helped me and we talked about the waist belt and he showed me you can add it on the inside of the Carlsbad jacket...its an option, but the coat is built for it. They called it a kidney belt / back brace that really made such a huge impact on fit and feel of the Carlsbad Jacket. I rode about 700 miles in it in two days. My trip temps where very warm 70 to about 93 degrees. I felt the Jacket was amazing and vented very well up the sleeves all the vents seem to work well but the sleeve vents out performed the others. I think the back vents are exhaust anyway. Easy to open on the Carlsbad when riding not so much on the Latitude. At one point on the trip I had it all closed up and fly racing lite hydrogen jersey long sleeve but very lite. When it warmed up I was able to open it up all the way up and vent without stopping at one point it felt as if the jacket was kind of suspended without filling up and billowing out or flapping, very nice feel at speed. I was getting hotter as the day went on and opened the front zipper both ends to the middle of the jacket and that is when the kidney belt really came into play along with it just taking all the weight of the whole jacket off you and putting it on the belt, if that makes sense. The jacket does not flap or move much at all. The kidney belt was a must as I see it and it stows away if not needed inside the jacket. my post must be getting to long so I'll stop with those observations...thats the best jacket I ever... well, my boss ever bought. Have fun, ride safe guys and thank for you kind words.
