Heated Mobile Gear

[MikeRS]

I`d appreciate hearing from anyone who`s tried the new generation of battery operated heated clothing such as vests or shirts. I like the idea of being able to use the heated gear when not plugged into the mc even if they provide less heat. The Longman Shirt seems to be getting attention. Also wondering if there`s a product that works in mobile or battery mode and also allows you to plug in.

[elkroeger]

Not a lot of response on this one. I suspect my experience may shed some light on that: I find that travelling on the bike, at speed, the electric jacket is nice. Even necessary at times.... But when stopped, and off the bike, life is quite a bit warmer. The extra electric heat just isn't necessary.

 

I'm not a big fan of the battery powered clothing for things like hunting, skiing, etc. The battery needs to be small and light enough so as to not be too cumbersome, so there's a limited life. My question is what happens when that battery dies? You're still outside, and it just got a little colder. For less weight, you can throw in a down or synthetic jacket that won't stop working after a little while (normally anyway - there's always a guy who will get his down jacket wet...).

[Quinn]

There have been times when I was warmer riding on the RT than when stopped at an overlook--even without the heated gear on the bike. That said, insulated clothing like down jackets aren't warm, they just conserve and maintain the heat your body creates. Only way to get warmer without electric help is to exercise until you warm up and then try to reduce the speed of loss with insulation.

 

Only real world use I could see for aux battery gear would be to heat up my sleeping bag and then just turn it off. As it is now, I end up doing isometrics, crunches, and leg lifts when I first get in.

 

 

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[John Bentall]

A significant additional factor in heat loss from the body when travelling on a motorcycle at high speed is wind chill. Ambient temperature is the main effect with other outdoor pursuits. Therefore the battery powered clothing is designed to produce less heat than the 12V clothing designed for motorcycles.

I suppose if you are prepared to add compensating layers and maybe a spare power pack, then battery powered clothing could be sufficient.

 

It all depends on the temperatures and distances that you need to ride.

[RAMBLIN RED]

If you find yourself wanting a bike with low alternator output (Moto Guzzi V7 55 to 60 watts) battery power might be the only alternative....just sayin.