I won't try to dissuade you on your decision. I used a Gerbings jacket for several years when I lived in the Seattle area - great piece of gear for October through May. It wore out though, and so I didn't replace it on my ride to South America. My feeling was, the heated jackets tend to have a limited function - great when plugged in, but lacking when off the bike. (The Gerbings jacket was essentially a nylon shell with wiring running through it - no real insulation value, no warmth unless plugged in.)

Except for a few days in Peru and Bolivia, and again down in the very south of Patagonia, I didn't miss it at all. Other riders down there said the same thing. There's a few days for using the heated jacket - but too few to carry it that far. There's other gear more essential.

When it would have been nice, I was wearing all my insulation layers and a rain shell under my riding jacket - and was warm enough. The other insulation layers (a windpro fleece vest and a thin "windstopper" and water-resistant fleece and neoprene like jacket) provided much more function than a heated jacket for walking around cities, around the campground, sitting around in the unheated houses/hostels, as well as on the bike when all you need is a bit of extra warmth. A heated jacket would have been better on the bike (a less bulky feel), but again, with limited space, every piece of gear is important and for me, has to provide multiple function.

The heated jacket is dispensable.

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quastdog
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Humm, Not sure what Gerbing we are discussing here. I seem to see a lot of people wearing their Gerbing around the campground on chilly mornings.

Good feedback on needing an electric jacket for a SA trek. I had been debating the same thing. Looks like the Gerbing will be making the trip with me this December.

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H-Jay

2007 BMW R1200GSA
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1969 Triumph Bonnie

Latin American Blog - Currently Underway
www.patagonia-bound.blogspot.com

Latin American Ride report
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=420453

Alaska Ride Report http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=250239

Probably because that's all they had - or - that's all that was required to cut the morning chill. But, my Gerbings jacket was simply a double layer of nylon (outer shell, inner lining). Gerbing jackets are more windbreakers - you keep warm by cutting the wind, but they lack insulation.

And Patrick:
If you were replying to me about missing the point of your comments:

I lived in Seattle, rode to work year 'round wearing a Gerbings Jacket under my Aerostitch riding gear. So I know how to use them (and yes, under additional insulation/wind-cutting layers, not on top). I wore out my Gerbings from the heavy use the previous 4 years, and I either had to shell out the money for a new one or - as I decided - to leave it behind in favour of a more flexible clothing system. When (if) I get back to North America, I'll buy another in a minute.

My point - the jacket is great when you live in the cold.

But traveling to Tierra Del Fuego from the US - you will be passing through more tropical climates than cold climate. I decided - and think my experience proved to be the right decision - that a heated jacket is not required. It can help when passing through some high-elevation in Peru or Bolivia - or across the Andes from Chile to Argentina (which only takes a few hours, not even a full day). The jacket is great at that time. But there are too few days when its needed.

But its not a great jacket for when you are site-seeing (like in Quito, Cuenca, Cusco, La Paz, Sucre, Potosi), or while camping in Patagonia. Everyone is wearing a fleece jacket - and maybe a nylon rainshell over the top of that - or worse, their riding gear because its cold. For me, the heated jacket doesn't do enough in "all conditions - all situations".

The important consideration for me is: You spend more time off the bike than on the bike. You can carry a limited amount of gear. A Gerbings, for the limited use you get from it, is not essential. Think about the whole trip situation (what you need when off the bike - cold, wet, windy, layered) and I decided that other jackets provided more flexibility and greater versatility - and I was glad with my decision. I'm still happy with my decision. Here in South Africa - similar elevations and latitude as northern Chile and Argentina, no one has heated clothing (mornings are cold, afternoons are warm).

So - lets here it from the people that carried heated clothing from North America to TDF. Did you use it enough to justify carrying it all that way?

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quastdog
Chiang Mai, Thailand

I like these posts where the initial poster asks a question, makes a decision and we get to keep on posting comments anyways, even if he doesn't care any longer...

I tried a dual approach. First off I added about ten pounds of fat languishing in Buenos Aires and stuffing my gullet daily. This was good for about an extra 5 degrees of temperature tolerance. I recommend this but your doctor may disagree.

Second, I ignored the questioning looks from Chuck and the others and with help from Sebastian finally cobbled together a homemade heated vest. No one even died in the process. The heated vest was invaluable but this was June and it got down to -5 in TDF. At the time of year you suggest it will provide added comfort but IMHO it wouldn't at all be essential.

My suggestion, and I'd have to put this a the top of my gear suggestions to anyone, is to leave half your layers at home and take a simple, insulated jacket filled with synthetic fibers. (for example - MEC Physique Jacket, available at Outdoor Gear - Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) - Équipement d'activités de grande nature)

This isn't a new idea by any means, in many winter and summer sports this is an essential piece of gear and many, many people carry them. For example the ski tourers toss them in their pack and when you hit the top after a long skin up, they just toss on the jacket once they stop. For rock climbers, even in summer, you keep in your pack and toss it on for long belays when you are sitting up high and out of the sun when it can cool off surprisingly fast.

I take mine everywhere, I mean everywhere (camping, skiing, climbing, hiking, motorcycling, etc.) and it has the benefit of adding true warmth when you need it (eg. desert ones where it gets downright cold at night) and unzipped can provide added comfort in even moderately cool climates. If you size it correctly, it fits over a layer of fleece and under your riding jacket.

It's windproof, water repellant (if you get the one with the treated shell) and also can be used as the second jacket when you head out at night and are sick of wearing the smelly, dirt stained riding gear or just for hanging around the camp fire. And it stuffs into a small stuff sack, not much bigger than a couple of pieces of fleece but much more versatile. No kidding, it's one of the pieces from other sports that so elemental that I'm really surprised that I haven't seen more of them out there.

Bu ten pounds via or asados is always a good parallel plan

Oh I care... and listening. I'm still subscribed to this thread and reading every post. I appreciate everyone's input and I'm also happy others are getting something from this conversation.

Thanks Tom for your recommendations about the MEC Physique. We are bringing a similar jacket, the Marmot DriClime Catalyst. It's very warm, light, warm in wind, packable and good in light rain. For the anticipated Central American mid-day downpours, we also have breathable outter shells, the MEC Hydrofoil.

Cheers!

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» “What do you expect to find there? Well, if I knew, I wouldn’t go there!” — Jacques Cousteau

So .... you've never actually owned a Gerbing then?

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Patrick passed Dec 2018. RIP Patrick!

I love it when someone hijacks the post and asks something totally unrelated, like: Hey MountainGuy - how's that new 800GS working for you in South America? Issues? did you ever get your v-strom racks converted over to work on that thing?

And, how did you manage to keep the weight gain to only 10 lbs.? You weren't working out, were you?

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quastdog
Chiang Mai, Thailand

"We are bringing a similar jacket, the Marmot DriClime Catalyst. It's very warm, light, warm in wind, packable and good in light rain. For the anticipated Central American mid-day downpours, we also have breathable outter shells, the MEC Hydrofoil."

Very nice gear, looks like you are well sorted and much better organized than I. And most times the best gear to use is the stuff we already own! I do still prefer the puffy jacket to soft shells though, it is just a fair bit warmer and packs to about the same size. Personal preference in the end.



"So .... you've never actually owned a Gerbing then? Only your homemade Anglo-Argentine electric rig? And I'm guessing you've bettered the Gerbing product on your first try?
Do you still use it?"

Lol, the ugly feat of Anglo/Argentinian/German engineering was sent home in the post but was sorely missed a couple of days up north. You are speaking to the converted though, electric gear is great stuff as you say, it is indeed a bit surprising that it is not more common in other countries (outside of North America) where is gets chilly. I would've bought some, but you can't really find it anywhere in South America.

"Actually, Beer and meat make you colder (initially, anyway) As a Canadian I'm sure you know all this "cold stuff", right? (like Mother's Milk, eh?)"

You are right about that stuff making you colder, that's why we also bring along whisky.

We are probably somewhat used to suffering in the cold though, it's the hot temps that I can especially use more experience and advice from the crusty old desert dogs



"I love it when someone hijacks the post and asks something totally unrelated, like: Hey MountainGuy - how's that new 800GS working for you in South America? Issues? did you ever get your v-strom racks converted over to work on that thing?

And, how did you manage to keep the weight gain to only 10 lbs.? You weren't working out, were you?"

Hey Chuck, I couldn't stop riding the damn thing and made it to Alaska a couple of weeks ago. Great ride, no major issues, and did finally finish making the crash bars and made the luggage racks fit. Lol, kilos, lbs, sometimes getting them confused is not a bad thing. How's SA? Matteo mentioned that you guys hung out and watched the GP when in Cape Town.

I agree with Mollydog.

For my next trip I decided to try and remove even more functional clothing from the list. I got the 7.4v battery heated vest which instead of sewn in resistance wire has pads in some pockets. Probably not as effective, but it gave me the oppurtunity to sew that into my favourite windproof softshell jacket which was all I wore over a business shirt in London's last winter. I than have an electrical engineer at work build me an adapter unit which means I can use it with 12v while the battery charges for the night use. Hopefully that would make the jacket be good as an electric blanket in my sleeping bag as well.

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Tacos Tyring Travels.com