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Aerostitch Darien vs. Vanson Odyssey

R

RBHendrick

Guest
Hello,

It's time to replace my old Firstgear Kilimanjaro jacket and pants. I love the all-weather, touring/town versatility, but also want to upgrade a bit on the safety/materials dimension. I'd really appreciate any advice. My research has just about narrowed it down to:

1) Aerostich Darien Jacket & Pants, with TLTec liner (about $891)
OR
2) Vanson Odyssey Jacket & Pants, with 2ST Streamliner (about $807)

There seem to be plenty of fans out there for the Darien line, but very little talk about the Odyssey line. Why is that?

Darien is 500 denier Cordura, but Odyssey is 1000 denier Cordura for about the same price... even a little less!

Of course, Darien has the GORE-TEX and in general appears a little more "heafty". This leads me to a question/concern...
Will the Aerostitch Darien be TOO heavy for regular summer use?

OR, if someone has experience with the Vansons...
Will the Odyssey be TOO cold for nighttime and/or shoulder-season use?

I'm also a little tempted by the Olympia AST - especially for the price.

Thanks a ton!
-RBH
__________________
1987 BMW K75c
Wayne, PA
 
I may be in the minority, but I wear my Darian all year long. Pants and jacket. Across Texas in over 100 degree heat and in the winter in near zero degree weather. Yes it is a bit bulky, but I love my Darian. I have been surprized at how "anti-uncomfortable" it is in the summer heat. I have been in hail storms in it. No problems. In winter, I have the Gerbings on to keep me warm. The Darian kit keeps the wind out too.
 
Have you tried both on? Vanson off-the-shelf stuff fits me perfectly, but go with what fits. I don't have that exact model jacket, but I have both a vanson leather and a similar textile. (same exactly style as what you're looking at, except mine has mesh around parts of the torso. I think it is discontinued, as I couldn't find it online.)

I can tell you, not a lot of BMW guys wear Vansons. I'm 21 years old, which accounts for 90% of the reason I have the Vanson leather instead of something else. I have more miles on the textile. I've been really happy with it, it looks brand new after 2 years and probably 10k miles.

Not to move this thread in a new direction, but has anybody had any experience with a Vanson leather in the rain? Mine has never seen any water, but I'm curious if the material degrades when it gets wet. Hopefully not!
 
Kirbster919 said:
Not to move this thread in a new direction, but has anybody had any experience with a Vanson leather in the rain? Mine has never seen any water, but I'm curious if the material degrades when it gets wet. Hopefully not!
Click to expand...

I dunno about Vanson's leather, but my experience is that the dye in leather will bleed if it gets really wet. I arrived at one destination with black hands and a pink torso (red jacket). If didn't seem to cause the leather any particular harm though.
 
You really don't want leather. It has no advantages over a high quality textile in real world crashes, and it is worse at everything else. Comfort, temperature range, waterproof, yada, yada. Textile is better at all of those. If you want the ultimate protection, don't get leather, get a Motoport Kevlar Mesh suit that works in all weather conditions and is so tough, you damage the asphalt in a fall (no exaggeration). The disadvantage of the Motoport is that you have to stop to change liners when the weather makes big changes and that takes 15 minutes.The Aerostich Darien is great because it works in just about all weather, and you don't have to stop and change liners when the weather makes drastic changes. When I was at the Orange County Iron Butt rally checkpoint last year 100% of the riders (that I saw) were in textile suits, and 75% were in Aerostich. That should be all the endorsement you need.
I use both an Aerostich Roadcrafter and a Motoport Kevlar mesh. If the weather is definitely going to be hot, or very cold, or very wet, I take the Motoport. If the weather is going to be moderate to cold, or just showers of rain, I take the Aerostich. Aerostich is 100% made in USA (a big consideration in this economic climate) and Motoport's fabric comes from Europe and USA, with about 80% of the sewing done in China, and 20% in the USA. Vanson? Probably 100% Chinese, but that is just a guess.
:usa
 
Odessey is textile

FYI: the Vanson Odyssey pants & jacket are textile gear,,,i have two Vanson leather jackets, and a aerostatics Darien & Roadcrafter, ...when the weather gets extremely Hot I wear the Vanson Perforated Sport rider jacket..and in very cold weather I'll take My Vanson over my stitch any day of the week.. my Vanson Challenger jacket is actually cooler than any of my stitch because of the venting.. I returned my Darien pants because of Monkeybutt.. and now tour in Vanson leather until it get 85+ degrees.. Zero Monkeybutt.. I also tumbled in my Vanson Challenger,,broke 6 ribs but ZERO road rash.. Thank God I did not have my wimpy Stitch on that day! I do wear the stitch jacket when touring...
carockwell said:
You really don't want leather. It has no advantages over a high quality textile in real world crashes, and it is worse at everything else. Comfort, temperature range, waterproof, yada, yada. Textile is better at all of those. If you want the ultimate protection, don't get leather, get a Motoport Kevlar Mesh suit that works in all weather conditions and is so tough, you damage the asphalt in a fall (no exaggeration). The disadvantage of the Motoport is that you have to stop to change liners when the weather makes big changes and that takes 15 minutes.The Aerostich Darien is great because it works in just about all weather, and you don't have to stop and change liners when the weather makes drastic changes. When I was at the Orange County Iron Butt rally checkpoint last year 100% of the riders (that I saw) were in textile suits, and 75% were in Aerostich. That should be all the endorsement you need.
I use both an Aerostich Roadcrafter and a Motoport Kevlar mesh. If the weather is definitely going to be hot, or very cold, or very wet, I take the Motoport. If the weather is going to be moderate to cold, or just showers of rain, I take the Aerostich. Aerostich is 100% made in USA (a big consideration in this economic climate) and Motoport's fabric comes from Europe and USA, with about 80% of the sewing done in China, and 20% in the USA. Vanson? Probably 100% Chinese, but that is just a guess.
:usa
Click to expand...
 
Vanson /USA

Vanson is 100% made in Fall River Mass USA..
carockwell said:
You really don't want leather. It has no advantages over a high quality textile in real world crashes, and it is worse at everything else. Comfort, temperature range, waterproof, yada, yada. Textile is better at all of those. If you want the ultimate protection, don't get leather, get a Motoport Kevlar Mesh suit that works in all weather conditions and is so tough, you damage the asphalt in a fall (no exaggeration). The disadvantage of the Motoport is that you have to stop to change liners when the weather makes big changes and that takes 15 minutes.The Aerostich Darien is great because it works in just about all weather, and you don't have to stop and change liners when the weather makes drastic changes. When I was at the Orange County Iron Butt rally checkpoint last year 100% of the riders (that I saw) were in textile suits, and 75% were in Aerostich. That should be all the endorsement you need.
I use both an Aerostich Roadcrafter and a Motoport Kevlar mesh. If the weather is definitely going to be hot, or very cold, or very wet, I take the Motoport. If the weather is going to be moderate to cold, or just showers of rain, I take the Aerostich. Aerostich is 100% made in USA (a big consideration in this economic climate) and Motoport's fabric comes from Europe and USA, with about 80% of the sewing done in China, and 20% in the USA. Vanson? Probably 100% Chinese, but that is just a guess.
:usa
Click to expand...
 
Vanson leather/ Water resistant

I have been in light rain and heavy downpour in Vanson leather pants and jackets..Vanson leathers has a lot of oil in their tanning process.. I am always surprised how water resistant they are in light rain or a quick downpour...it will keep you dry if its under 20 minutes,light rain an hour or so,, but over that I wish I had my siitch...I rode home from Deals Gap to New Hampshire this last May in 800 miles of a brutal down pour.. I was wearing a road crafter jacket & Darien lite pants,,,i got soaked to the bone,,,and come to the conclusion that NOTHING is waterproof.. on Day # 2 & 3 , I wore rain pants over Vanson leather pants..much dryer but still got damp.. I will never tour without rain gear again..textile is just not enough over 3 hours of rain..
Kirbster919 said:
Have you tried both on? Vanson off-the-shelf stuff fits me perfectly, but go with what fits. I don't have that exact model jacket, but I have both a vanson leather and a similar textile. (same exactly style as what you're looking at, except mine has mesh around parts of the torso. I think it is discontinued, as I couldn't find it online.)

I can tell you, not a lot of BMW guys wear Vansons. I'm 21 years old, which accounts for 90% of the reason I have the Vanson leather instead of something else. I have more miles on the textile. I've been really happy with it, it looks brand new after 2 years and probably 10k miles.

Not to move this thread in a new direction, but has anybody had any experience with a Vanson leather in the rain? Mine has never seen any water, but I'm curious if the material degrades when it gets wet. Hopefully not!
Click to expand...
 
If you don't know - don't guess.

carockwell said:
You really don't want leather. It has no advantages over a high quality textile in real world crashes, and it is worse at everything else. Comfort, temperature range, waterproof, yada, yada. Textile is better at all of those. If you want the ultimate protection, don't get leather, get a Motoport Kevlar Mesh suit that works in all weather conditions and is so tough, you damage the asphalt in a fall (no exaggeration). The disadvantage of the Motoport is that you have to stop to change liners when the weather makes big changes and that takes 15 minutes.The Aerostich Darien is great because it works in just about all weather, and you don't have to stop and change liners when the weather makes drastic changes. When I was at the Orange County Iron Butt rally checkpoint last year 100% of the riders (that I saw) were in textile suits, and 75% were in Aerostich. That should be all the endorsement you need.
I use both an Aerostich Roadcrafter and a Motoport Kevlar mesh. If the weather is definitely going to be hot, or very cold, or very wet, I take the Motoport. If the weather is going to be moderate to cold, or just showers of rain, I take the Aerostich. Aerostich is 100% made in USA (a big consideration in this economic climate) and Motoport's fabric comes from Europe and USA, with about 80% of the sewing done in China, and 20% in the USA. Vanson? Probably 100% Chinese, but that is just a guess.
:usa
Click to expand...

Why would you guess? If you've guessed wrong you've discredit your entire post and done a disservice to Vanson.
 
Aerostich Darrian Pants

carockwell said:
You really don't want leather. It has no advantages over a high quality textile in real world crashes, and it is worse at everything else. Comfort, temperature range, waterproof, yada, yada. Textile is better at all of those. If you want the ultimate protection, don't get leather, get a Motoport Kevlar Mesh suit that works in all weather conditions and is so tough, you damage the asphalt in a fall (no exaggeration). The disadvantage of the Motoport is that you have to stop to change liners when the weather makes big changes and that takes 15 minutes.The Aerostich Darien is great because it works in just about all weather, and you don't have to stop and change liners when the weather makes drastic changes. When I was at the Orange County Iron Butt rally checkpoint last year 100% of the riders (that I saw) were in textile suits, and 75% were in Aerostich. That should be all the endorsement you need.
I use both an Aerostich Roadcrafter and a Motoport Kevlar mesh. If the weather is definitely going to be hot, or very cold, or very wet, I take the Motoport. If the weather is going to be moderate to cold, or just showers of rain, I take the Aerostich. Aerostich is 100% made in USA (a big consideration in this economic climate) and Motoport's fabric comes from Europe and USA, with about 80% of the sewing done in China, and 20% in the USA. Vanson? Probably 100% Chinese, but that is just a guess.
:usa
Click to expand...

My Darrian Pants leaked. The tape seams in the seat could not keep the PNW rain out. Then the knee pads wore holes in the Goretex liner and the PNW poured in. I contacted Aerostich who advised me to send them back, at my expense. I took them to http://comfortpaddling.net and they successfully retaped the seams and patched the holes for less then the return postage. I also wrote to Aerostich and suggested they reverse the Velcro on the knee pads. Putting the scratchy side on the pant and the fuzzy side on the pad so a rider would have a wider range to custom fit the pads. Never heard back and don't know if they did that.

I have a thirty year old leather jacket. It soaks up rain like a Shamwow! So, there's always a rain shell at hand. But, it's thirty years old and looks great. I'm into my third textile jacket. The best has been a BMG Adventure, the AGV summer mess is ok, but a fall worries me and the Icon was awful. The rain jacket fitted inside which allowed the exterior to soak up rain and essentially turn the whole thing into a fridge.

Those are my experiences. Good textile is good but probably won't last as long as good leather. Always wear the rainshell over the jacket leather or textile. Or buy a Gortex Jacket.
 
carockwell has not posted anything since 3-31-2012. This is old thread. Vanson is USA, go to Fall River Mass. and take the tour.:usa
 
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