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I was wearing FirstGear's new TPG pants and jacket when I recently low-sided. When I later looked at how chewed up the left pant leg was, I thought Oh my God, what if this had happened during hot weather and I'd been wearing my lightweight Joe Rocket Alter Ego pants and Phoenix jacket?
I've since abandoned the above mentioned Joe Rocket mesh gear. I now realize that it's just too flimsy. The Alter Ego pants have woefully inadequate padding, particularly in the hips and rear pelvic/tailbone region. (In addition, the overall quality and worksmanship is shoddy.)
This led me to the task of trying to figure out which manufacturer is currently making the most protective, well ventilated, comfortable, and well designed hot weather riding gear. When it's 95 degrees in the shade, wearing heavy textiles or leathers is an invitation to misery, dehydration, and heat stroke. I reasoned that the logical solution to this dilemma would be a product line that has to be based on some form of meshed synthetic fabric design and construction, while also being endowed with the most substantial padding and semi-hard armor in critical body regions, particularly the knees and pelvis.
So, I recently went to Iron Pony in search of such products, and after very carefully inspecting and feeling a large array of mesh gear from a variety of manufacturers, I concluded that the hands-down winners are FirstGear's Mesh Tex 2.0 pants, along with their new Rush mesh jacket. In other words, I feel that these FirstGear products may currrently be among the best compromises between adequate ventilation in hot weather on the one hand, along with the best padding and armor on the other hand.
I welcome your opinions!
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