Most guys won’t ask their wife how they look in new clothes because the Man-Law Book says we’re not supposed to care, but I’m different — I do care and I have an image to keep (for my lovely wife).
The first time I put on my new Drift riding gear last winter, I asked my bride how I looked. To my relief, her reply was very positive. She liked the colors and how the different shades were arranged, and she figured the gear would survive my trailside tuning sessions.
A Cold Blast
The first few miles wearing my Drift Racing apparel included a blast across a lake. By the time I was halfway across the frozen body of water, I felt a cold draft. When I reached the other side of the lake and came to a stop, I found that the zipper in my Authority Jacket ($189.95) had split.
My first impression was that the coat had poor quality zippers, but I carefully put the zipper back together and from then on I always made sure the zipper was securely seated before I gave it a yank. I had no further problems all winter, though I think the zipper could be more heavy duty.
Quality of the coat’s inner and outer materials proved to be durable and stitching held up well. Warmth and wind resistance in brutal cold conditions was very good. If a day started out at minus 25 degrees F and later warmed up to about 10 degrees, I was able to open the vents above each of my massive biceps and between the shoulder blades across the back to stay comfortable.
Some of the blue colors on the coat were a slightly different tint from each other, but I couldn’t tell whether it was inconsistency in the different materials or intentional styling by the manufacturer. The jacket and pants have a few reflective stripes that trailing riders said were bright so they could very easily see me in their headlights. The left forearm pocket worked well to store my amazing, new cell phone.
It Suits Me
I prefer to wear my outer, lower snowmobiling layer as pants. Fortunately for me, the Drift Pant suspenders zip off. Side pockets on the outside of the thigh area were large enough to store extra goggles and light gloves while not getting in the way while riding.
The bottom of the Drift Pant ($169.95) legs were narrow, which made them difficult to zip over the large, snowboard-style boots that I wear. This design does help prevent snow intrusion, though. Sizing is accurate and both pieces were comfortable with a consistent fit from top to bottom.
The sleds I rode last winter were pretty reliable so I didn’t have to make many trailside fixes, though I did end up with a few dirty spots on the front of the jacket from recoil ropes and changing spark plugs. Fortunately, those spots came out after washing it by hand.
The Drift Racing Authority Jacket and Drift Pant are good for cold weather, high-speed trail and lake riding. Snowmobilers looking for lightweight, super-breathable stuff should look elsewhere. The Drift apparel has a soft, bulky feeling like “traditional” outerwear I wore years ago, but unlike some stiffer materials used in modern, high-end waterproof/breathable garments, it has a cozier feeling that stands up well to frighteningly cold conditions.
— Jeff Oberg
