Alpinestars Space Drystar jacket & pants

[VintageThumper]

I've been looking at the Aerostich Darien and the Olympia AST/Ranger for good all around adventure riding gear. Today, someone recommended I check out the Alpinestars clothing because their quality and customer service are so good. But this person wasn't familiar with the Space Drystar jacket and ST-5 Drystar pants that seem like the models that might fit my needs. I'd appreciate any opinions from those who have used this gear.

Thanks!

[Sock Puppet]

I have a pair of the Drystar ST-5 pants and really, really like them. They have a somewhat European cut, so they fit snug (just like you want.) I'm 5'8" and about 180# with a 34-35" waist and the Large size fits very well. Obviously, there is a little extra length because of my short inseam.

They keep you dry as a bone in the wet, an the armor stays in place. When I use the insulated liner, I don't snap in the legs; I tuck the legs of the liner into my boots and pull the pants over the top. This works very well.

The waterproof liner is fixed in the pants, so they aren't great for warm weather. I would say up tp 80 degrees F. is about as warm as you can comfortably wear them. With the liner in, I've worn them down to about 25 degrees F. with just some leggings underneath and been very comfortable.

Fit and finish is typical A*Stars, which is to say that it's very good. These pants just flat-out work. I owned the Gore-Tex version before these, and honestly can't tell any difference in performance.

[skwidd]

I have that Alpinestar set, it's my foul weather choice over my Roadcrafter 1-piece and Kilimanjaro set.
It keeps me dry better than any of my other gear.
The only slight negative to the jacket is that the sleeves are a bit bulky at the wrists, making it a little chore to keep shorter glove gauntlets over them.If you use gloves with larger gauntlets or drawstring wrist closures it helps.
The jacket does not offer as much ventilation as some others, so above 70-80 degrees you'll probably want something a bit lighter with more vents, but for staying dry and warm it's excellent.

[JamesM]

Originally Posted by skwidd

I have that Alpinestar set, it's my foul weather choice over my Roadcrafter 1-piece and Kilimanjaro set.
It keeps me dry better than any of my other gear.

Curious, do you still use your Space Drystar Jacket? How has the waterproofing held up? I had mine in the rain a few days ago and it soaked through at the armpit and ran down to my forearms. It was my first experience in the rain with the jacket (purchased on Amazon in December 2012).