Like most people who started snowmobiling in the 80’s or 90’s, I started out with no knowledge of what the difference between good and bad riding gear was. There has been an evolution of the riding gear that I had purchased over the years. In the early 1990’s when I bought my first snowmobile, I was using a traditional winter jacket and snow pants that you could buy at your local big box store in Minnesota. I was using this type of gear because I didn’t know any better and because of my budget at 19 years old!

Fast forward to the 21st century and all of a sudden companies like Klim, Motorfist, Slednecks, FXR, Castle and many more started to enter the market place offering more stylish and technologically advanced clothing. New materials like Gortex and Sympatex have made it possible for clothing manufacturers to have products that are both waterproof, windproof and breathable to allow your body moister (sweat) to evaporate and at the same time keep the outside elements (snow/rain / wind) from entering into your riding gear. Finally, a way to stay dry and warm while snowmobiling!

Around the year 2008, I made the complete transition to Klim brand riding gear. At the time it was considered the best quality gear that you could buy, plus it was durable, waterproof, and used breathable Gortex material. The absolute best part was that it was all basic black, which worked out well during a time when I was constantly buying and selling snowmobiles of many different brands. I didn’t have to worry about my riding gear matching my sled anymore! Overall I have been extremely happy with the Klim gear. I rode with the same gear from 2008 all the way to 2014 when I finally made a change….

In 2014, my Klim Valdez jacket finally started to show some wear and tear and it was time for some new threads! I tried on many different brands of snowmobiling gear during my search including Motorfist, FXR, Klim, HMK and Ski-doo. What I discovered about the Ski-doo jacket was that it was not only lighter but it also gave me much more mobility than my previous Klim jacket. After I purchased the new Ski-doo Helium brand jacket, I fell in love with another incredible benefit…. The Ski-doo Sympatex material was even more breathable than the Gortex and still offered the same waterproof feature that I had learned to love! The Ski-doo jacket was approximately the same price as the Klim jacket and the yellow sleeves make it much easier to spot while I am out riding vs. the Klim jacket. That makes it safer and more comfortable for sledding!

Sharing my passion for snowmobiling!
Jon Ferrian