Das Boot

4 10 2011

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Yeah Yeah… I know that’s a submarine but don’t worry only you and I know that. The rest of these guys think I’m referring to my footwear, which I am so it’s cool.

Combat Touring Boots.
These things are great. After this trip they are just about broken in… they are tough, and really wouldn’t want to have to hike out wearing these, but for a leisurely stroll to look at some scenic overlook they work fine. Bring some moleskin for the first few trips, especially if you’re not used to full height boots and you’ll be fine.

In terms of water proofness, they are water proof right out of the box. 300 miles of downpour on day two or three (I don’t remember which day it was) proved it to me. Eventually I may apply some mink oil, which is my particular favorite leather waterproofing product, but not yet.

The boots provide great support, and I would imagine great protection in the event of a crash, which luckily I avoided.

They are sorta overkill for around town however, and I find myself grabbing my old engineer boots if I’m just going to the corner.

And the other drawback is they they are pretty pricey… so that may keep you from getting them, especially if you’re not going on any around the world trips.

But if you are…..

Here’s where you can get ’em, from my pals at Aerostitch.


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Categories : gear review

Foundational Stuff

3 10 2011

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Ok, like it or not here’s the first gear review. For those of you who subscribed to email updates to either entice me to visit you or to satisfy your voyeuristic tendency you might want to unsubscribe til the next trip…I won’t feel bad…. well maybe a little…sniff..sniff..

Ok on to the review…. you can tell from the picture that I’m gonna talk about what I call the “ass interface”

Today I missed one thing about the trip: my ldcomfort underwear. I swear, that’s the truth.

I’m not being paid by them, I’m not a secret company shill, these things are truly well designed, well made, and they work.

I rode one day early on with my Aerostitch riding shorts, those were the ones I used on a ten day Baja Mexico/ Africa Twin adventure ( pre blog days). And they just are not that comfy after a while. You would think that those shorts with the padding in the ” right” places would be better, but it’s not so. I think it’s because eventually the padding has to stop, which creates a seam, a transition, which causes pressure eventually, which you notice, and notice, and notice and eventually that’s all you can think of and then you stop riding and do something else. End of long ride.

With the LDs you don’t have padding, you don’t have seams, nothing bothers you, assuming you have a good seat and you’re not wearing pants with pockets and other stuff in the wrong places. ( I’m not suggesting you need to get all Fulsom Street Fair just well designed MC pants.)

And the LDs fabric is some magic moisture wicking thing… beats me how that works but they kept me comfortable from 111 degrees in the desert, to 46 on that last days run, to 90s Florida humid stuff. They worked great.

Zero monkey butt. ( If you know what that is then I’m sorry for you)

And you can wash them in the sink and they really are dry the next day. I brought 2 pairs with me and other than that one day with the ‘stitch shorts and the one non ride day in SF, that’s all I wore. For 16 days!

They aren’t cheap, so remember my bday people, you know what I want.

You can find them at www.ldcomfort.com

I found them on the Ironbutt Association’s website so there ya go, they aren’t a secret if those guys know.

And, yes,  that is a photo of me wearing them. Took it with my camera phone, good right?


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Categories : Aftermath, gear review