Darien Jacket

I really liked the jacket. It got broke in on a 4000 mile trip out west. I was hoping to hit rain to test the waterproofing, but had 100 degree weather instead. As long as you kept moving with the vents open it did a good job. It's great to have all the pockets, we were on our way home and I found two I didn't know about. All the products purchased from your store have been fantastic.

I live in Colombia, the land of the Darien Gap where this suit got its name. Colombia is the second rainiest country on earth so you can imagine how important is a reliable all weather jacket here.
I have used it on a daily basis for the past two years. It performes as expected. I have gone through thunderstorms, Hail storms (ouch), pouring rain during several hours. When going off road I can easily remove the armour so I can use my next to skin protection such as Knee braces and chest protectors.
It is a great Jacket and I love it. I think of myself as an abusive user and I live in a coutry with extreme weather conditions, this jacket endures them all.
On the not so nice side I would like to say the Hi Vis Color fade away after several washes, The stains form smog are impossible to remove, the Velcro begins to look all mushy. All of this after several washes. It does not look so nice when it is old. Also, after 25000 miles the jacket and pants began to leak through the seam seals.
I am planning on buying the same jacket again, it bums me out to know I cannot buy it without protections since I already have ones.

Cons:
After 28.000 miles or 1.5 years began to leak because the seam seals began to leak
Hi viz Color fades to a lighter yellow
Does not look nice when Old... My friends laugh at my jacket telling me it looks dirty even if it is taken right out of the washing machine.
Smog stains are impossible to get rid of
You cannot buy the jacket or pants as a standalone piece without armour.

Pros:
The best jacket for heavy rainstorms for the first 1.5 years (about 28.000 miles)
HUGE pockets, you can fit gauntlets inside
Extremely well vented for a waterproof jacket
Protection is easy to remove
Well built, good materials and craftsmanship

I’m in my 39th year of riding. I took 13-years off after having my head run over by a 67’ Chevy in 1976. I returned to riding in 1990. Since then I have accumulated over 500,000 motorcycling-miles, most of them commuting. I have the dubious distinction of having crashed motorcycles (memorably) four times. Because I was wearing gear, I could have walked away from every crash including the head-run-over crash (thank you Bell and your Bell Star 90) but I thought my neck might have of been broken so I chose not to move.

The third-crash (in the Darien) was a tank-slapper that threw me off at about 40mph. I call it driver error as I chose to take my hands off the handle bars of a 90’ Concours. I was instantly on my left hand, ass and left elbow. The reason I took my hands off was to zip up the Darien’s sleeves. The left sleeve, being unzipped slid up my arm when my elbow hit the street. Two things happened because the sleeve wasn’t cinched. One, my elbow came off the elbow pad and was ground down a little more than a tenth of an inch leaving a “quarter-sized” perfectly shaped disk of raw meat. And two, the female snap at the cuff (the one meant to secure the fleece liner, that was not installed), cookie-cut and the friction with the street, cauterized a spot on my skin about two-inches from my wrist.

I had always considered my Aerostich a one and done product; it would need repair after a serious get-off. This would be just like an air bag going off; it is disposable. The denim jeans I was wearing were abraded but no holes. This should not be seen as an indictment of the Darien as I can in no way be certain that all my body hit the ground with the same impact. My left (Held) glove palm lost all the stitching on the palm-heel pad (which incidentally happened in a race track highside and a backroads 50mph low side as well [I told you I was a motorcycle crash-test dummy].) Held makes really good (eye wateringly-expensive) gloves so the damage to the gloves helps calibrate the abrasion to the Darien.

Would I buy another Darien? No. I bought a Roadcrafter Ultralight. Commuting to a white collar job meant arriving ready to work. With a Roadcrafter the only clothing change was boots for dress shoes. For years I tried changing out of a two-piece leather suit (and sometimes rain suit). Then I moved up to the Darien jacket and pants. This was comfortable especially when I sewed in a zipper from jacket to pants (surprised Aerostich doesn’t do this). But when I wore out the Darien, I went to the Roadcrafter Ultralight. This was so much easier to get on and off. And just like the Darien, waterproof even with the naked bikes I now ride. I must replace zippers once and a while and re-seam seal about every 30 to 40 thousand-miles but remember at a minimum I removed and donned it twice a day for 250-days per year, shoot, my turn signal switch wore out faster; yes I use my turn signals religiously and those that don’t are assholes.

As long as the Roadcrafter suit is tightly-zipped and velcroed it should protect you in a pretty long slide. The lack of abrasions means healing up from broken bones faster. Using all the armor available from Aerostich means fewer and less grievous bone-breaks. Nothing is going to protect you from the breaks in a quick stop except an air bag vest, stay tuned, I just got one of those.

I'm perhaps not the best reviewer for the Darien. I've only had mine 2 years, and it's only done a few thousand miles of not that difficult riding. Bear that in mind as you read this.

The jacket is long, adjustable for fit at the waist and arms. The main zip, in fact all the zips, are burly and feel quite sturdy. There are two large chest pockets, an interior pocket, a right forearm pocket, and two lower body pockets that I seldom use. The 3-ply Gore-Tex fabric slides nicely over inner layers, so minimal binding. The Cordura outer fabric is stiff and bulky, but feels tough. Sewing is first-rate.

Coming to this jacket from years of climbing and skiing jackets, the Darien felt bulky, big, stiff, sleeves not long enough... Having ridden in it for a couple seasons, it works very well for what it is - a motorcycling jacket. The sleeves are cut just right for reaching to handlebars, the cuffs close over under-cuff gloves well, yet nicely accommodate longer gauntlets outside. the body is sized to swallow the pads at shoulders, back, elbows. The pockets store the stuff you feel you need to hand. I have yet to ride the Darien in a serious rain, but Gore-Tex and featuring suggest it should do well. The zippered vents at the back and under the arms give good ventilation, at least up to 80 degrees. Past that I usually reach for a ballistic mesh summer jacket. Have to try it this summer...

Overall, the Darien feels like the jacket you put on when you expect to end the day several hundred miles from where you are now. You can wear it commuting, but really comes into its own on the open road.

Design, materials and workmanship A+
As good as it gets - love the Aerostitch products.

I ride an R1200RT. I purchased my HI-VI Darien Jacket in 2009 and have about 170,000 kms racked up. This is paired with the AD-1 pants. I have ridden in temperatures ranging from 0°c to 35°c. Between the windstopper thermal liner and the venting (heated grips/seat) I have always been comfortable. Riding all day in the rain with heavy showers off and on can be a test for any jacket but the Darien has always kept me dry. I do the standard Niki-wash and Niki-wax treatment as recommended and this works perfectly. I haven’t had a crash with the jacket to this point and don’t care to give it that test but I feel confident I will be as protected as I would in any other jacket.
I am presently in the market for a new jacket and have been doing extensive research into what is available. I want a jacket that will keep me dry 100% of the time (no waterproof liner please!), protect me in a crash, vent well, HI-VI, and reasonably priced . I do a lot of long distance riding so require a good quality jacket. After reading many reviews on other jackets priced higher/lower, and hearing feedback on motorcycle website forums, the main complaint with the Darien it that it doesn’t look as cool or that it looks like an astronaut jacket. Not too bad if that is the main complaint! People love the look of a classic car because they can recognize the make, model and perhaps the year as soon as they see it. When you see a Darien jacket you know it is a “Darien Jacket” as soon as you see it….it is a classic!
I am about to replace my old Darien with a new Darien jacket in March before the riding season starts. Thank you to the Aerostich team for continuing to make a good quality product.

Probably the best garment I have ever owned in ANY style of clothes. Fits great, looks great, very durable! Order one size larger if layer during winter. I'm not going to get specific, but the Darien jacket and pants are simple the best, period.

I typically ride around 20,000 miles a year. So I am no stranger to heavy rain. I was satisfied with the gear I was using before. I acquired, partly out of curiousity, partly due to recommendations from a number of other long distance riders, Darien pants and a Darien jacket. I really can't describe it. It's just designed better than anything else I've tried. From fit, to little custom tailoring things, to huge functionality features. I've always been okay with long trips in the rain or cold, embraced those trips, actually. I've never been happier, more comfortable, or drier. I wish I'd done it sooner. If I didn't like the gear, I'd be quick to tell you that s well. I must admit, it's just heaven to ride in.

I used this coat in the first part of February paired with a heated jacket and walla perfect combo for cold weather! I also own a Falstaff jacket and love it also. I love the rare earth magnets in the collar, a nice touch. Simply the best stuff on the planet so spend the money and get the best!

My initial impression was not good. It is very stiff. The armor is as hard as rock in cold weather. The hand-warmer pockets are set too high to be useful. The felt color lining does not come down far enough to offer comfort against the neck. The storm flap in front will not stay shut below the waist when seated on my bike. The main front zipper is not rubber coated and can scratch your tank if you’re not careful. So much Velcro; in places heavy duty snaps would make more sense and offer more security (e.g., the front storm flap). It will not zip to my Aerostich Utility pants (which is standard on nearly all other brands and a very welcome feature). It does not come with back armor which added an additional expense (it seems ridiculous not to wear back armor in a motorcycle specific jacket). When I purchased it I thought I should probably return it. For whatever reason, I decided to risk the investment and give it a chance.

After a year I have really grown to love this jacket. I feel very well protected by the substantial armor and it has kept me dry in driving rain and even hail. After about five-thousand miles it has broken in nicely and it fits and feels very comfortable. With the additional Darien fleece liner over a base-layer it is reasonably warm. I guess I’ve adjusted to its peculiarities and can live with its (in my opinion) shortcomings. Lastly I’ll say that Aerostich has always provided ridiculously outstanding customer service! On balance I’m glad I took a chance on it.