[danner21]

What do you guys think?
Thanks

 

[grantizzle]

I love mine.

I have had it for almost two years now and remain dry in all sorts of weather.

In the PNW, i ride in the rain ALL the time, so it has been thoroughly tested and i couldn't be happier with it. it does get a bit hot in the summer, so keep that in mind.

 

[zt0117]

I have a 2008 Kilamanjaro XL/long that I want to sell (I lost a lot of weight after I bought it). It's an awesome jacket. I only wore it one season in winter--no marks on it. I paid $265 for it and will sell it for $100 + shipping costs. Good for someone, 6', 1"+ and around a 36"-40" waist.

It's the yellow and black "bumblebee" version--very visible.

 

[grantizzle]

I have the grey/black one, but opted for a hi-viz vest.

 

[eye.surgeon]

I love firstgear...everything I've had from them has been great. Especially the TPG line.

 

[larry0071]

The Kilimanjaro keeps you dry and works from 10 degrees to about 75-80 degrees F. I wish it had more reflective piping, but other than that it seems to be great. I'm fat so I have an XL and the neck opening is larger that I would prefere, but that is not the fault of Firstgear, it is the fault of my beer gut!

 

[deerchser]

I have the high-viz size large. I love it. I wear it from temps in the mid 30's up without any issue. I wore it in Montana last year in the upper 90's and did fine. It has always kept me dry and comfy. The only thing I dont like about it is that it is a little too tight in the fore arms. Like was already stated, not the fault of Firstgear, I just followed in popeys foot steps.

 

[slowoldfart]

I had a crash/slide wearing a kili and it did its job very well.

 

[BrownMichael]

I have an older Kilimanjaro, probably 5 years old. It's a well made jacket, but I have a few complaints which may be typical of many jackets currently on the market.

1. The vents are not very effective so I use a mesh jacket above 80 degrees F, but have ridden up to 90 w/o ill effects.
2. It is tight in the forearms when used with the included liner.
3. The main pockets are hard to open because the belt is right above them.
4. The outer fabric layer soaks up a lot of water which then evaporates, so you get colder than you would expect in the rain. No water comes through to you, because of the impermeable membrane between the fabric layers.

Be advised that I am very picky about riding jackets!

I tried on about 4 different jackets at local shops recently and rejected them all for various reasons.

Mike Brown
Vancouver, WA

 

[larry0071]

Point #4 in the above post is really an interesting thing... the first time I wore the Kili in rain without the liner in it I thought I was getting soaked. I would have bet you $100 that my shirt was wet and heading quickly for soaked. I was really upset, and then when I got to the house after about 40 minutes in hard rain... I pulled in the garage and took the Kili off to find i was DRY.

I even ran my hands around the inside looking for the leaking that I knew just had to be there.... and I could not find anything.

I have since ridden for 2+ hours in hard rain on interstates doing 75 MPH and never has the Kili let me get wet.

So far, in my opinion the Firstgear Kili is hands down the finest piece of cycle gear I have had the pleasure of owning.

This week I am getting the Firstgear HT Air 2011 mesh pants and hope that the rain liner in them can compare with my experience with the Kili. If so, I will be Firstgear all the way!

 

[sfoster73]

I have a 2008 Kilamanjaro XL/long that I want to sell (I lost a lot of weight after I bought it). It's an awesome jacket. I only wore it one season in winter--no marks on it. I paid $265 for it and will sell it for $100 + shipping costs. Good for someone, 6', 1"+ and around a 36"-40" waist.

It's the yellow and black "bumblebee" version--very visible.

That is a great deal! Almost tempting to buy a second one!

 

[Tall Man]

I have a 1st generation Kilimanjaro jacket that is still in active use during the cooler months. The tailoring, or cut of the jacket is European; i.e., slender. Fits me perfectly.

The new Killis have oversized collars and waists, relative to the jacket's size. I've have to be a fat load to obtain the same snug fit in the jacket's current iteration. That's one reason I keep my Mark 1 Killi in service: the cut of the garment precedes First Gear's "fat American" phase.

(Pay no mind to the Aerostitch label. I store my Kanetsu AirVantage e-vest on the same hanger.)

 

[ST114ME]

I have worn 2 out & own a third which is hi viz

 

[zt0117]

The Kilimanjaro looks like it's sold.

--Dave

 

[bwringer]

I like my Kili just fine (see photo above). It just went through its second winter, and is now resting comfortably in the closet while my Cortech mesh is on active duty...

They do run big. In my case, that's a good thing.

 

[zt0117]

I picked-up a Tourmaster Jett Series 2 jacket from NewEnough.com (now MotorcycleGear.com) for like $65 dollars. It's almost as good as the Kilimanjaro feature-wise, and works in all three seasons with the liner removed in summer. I love it! I do have a mesh jacket I go to for longer days in mid-summer, and for going down in the lower elevations (it's a Northern Arizona thing--you can drop 2-3,000 feet in elevation in 30 miles and go 20-30 degrees up in temperature). Of course during the July-to-August monsoon season, there's a good chance you'll get rained on (more like dumped-on) so I keep a shell in the pack to go over the mesh jacket.

 

[Axelwik]

Had a Kilimanjaro for s short time (beige/black). Collar irritated my neck so I got rid of it. Got a Darien jacket and haven't looked back.

 

[2Big2Ride]

I have an older Kilimanjaro, probably 5 years old. It's a well made jacket, but I have a few complaints which may be typical of many jackets currently on the market.

Snip...
4. The outer fabric layer soaks up a lot of water which then evaporates, so you get colder than you would expect in the rain. No water comes through to you, because of the impermeable membrane between the fabric layers.
...Snip

Tip: Wash the garment periodically and re-treat/renew the water resistant coating. Washing instructions are on a sewn-in label in each garment. Many treatments available on the market - Nikwax has a couple of good choices. Goes for any textile jacket: waterproof, waterproof & breathable, or plain old water resistant. It will help eliminate most of issue 4.