Klim Badlands ADV Suit | New Product

Ask any member of the hardcore adventure set about durable apparel and they're likely to bring up the name Klim. The company started about 15 years ago with redesigning gear for snow-gun workers at ski areas, and since then Klim has earned a name for especially sturdy and high-end textile equipment. The firm's new evolution of this Badlands suit represents one step down from the top-of-the-line Adventure Rally kit, but still very much the upper crust of ADV gear. We can say so from our experience with Klim's other products, including the Latitude suit and the previous Badlands kit, as well as a test ride through the bright sunshine and sneak-attack thundershowers of Colorado in July.

One of Klim's overriding ideas is one we like very much, and that is no zip-in thermal or waterproof liners. No waterproof liners needed because the Badlands' outer shell is both treated with a water-repellant to shed superficial moisture and bonded to a Gore-Tex liner for "guaranteed" waterproofness. Forgoing the provided thermal liners falls in line with what we at Motorcyclist always practice; use your own layers. From spandex compression material that wick sweat when it's hot to fully insulated jackets for frigid temperatures, the Badlands lets you choose the layers, whether they're from Klim or not.

Luckily, in addition to being waterproof the shell is tiered with lots of tech on the outside, too. The most notable addition is the “superfabric” panels on the shoulders, elbows, and knees, made of epoxy and ceramic beads for abrasion resistance. The rest of the chassis of the jacket has been lightened and made more flexible than the previous generation Badlands, especially in areas not likely to hit the ground.

Other updates are small but useful. Now, a metal tab attached to the inner flap of the bicep vent hooks to one of three loops just aft of the flap, holding the vent open for more air flow out the vertical back ports. Two chest vents have been added, and the taller “storm” collar from the previous Badlands has been replaced with a shorter version, which also snaps down to the collarbone for more air on the rider’s neck when desired. Reflective material is industrial-grade Scotchlite, and Klim claims to have collaborated with 3M extensively to ensure that the reflective material on the Badlands creates the shape of a human body when lit by headlights. Smart stuff.

The Badlands pant is more of the same, inheriting many of the same updates as the jacket. In addition, circumference-adjustment straps just above and below the knee make sure that the D3O armor—standard in the shoulders, elbows, back, hips, and knees—stays in place around the knee in the case of a tumble (the jacket includes one on the forearm but not the bicep). The same two pockets adorn the thigh, right next to the huge vents that feed air across the rider’s leg and out the exhaust port that zips open in the back of the leg.

Our test ride was just about 100 miles of Rocky Mountain terrain starting with calm, two-lane country roads soon after a hailstorm, so we kept the vents closed and the collar up. As promised, the Badlands felt thoroughly windproof. After trundling down gravel roads and into the forest, soon we were hustling our big ADV bikes through mud and ruts, working up a sweat. Vents deployed, the Badlands breathes like a screen door (mind you, an armored screen door).

Klim’s efforts to make the Badlands more comfortable have been realized; the lighter material used for the chassis and elasticized fabric in the back of the shoulders make the jacket noticeably more flexible. Soon enough, the skies opened and the vents were battened shut. Heavy showers and a few river crossings over the latter couple of hours of the ride were enough to prove that the Badlands is quite waterproof.

Standing the test of time is always tricky with waterproof layers, but Klim says washing their Gore-Tex-bonded shell is encouraged. Indeed, durability is a high priority, from the triple-weave nylon thread used in the stitching to the water-resistant YKK zippers. Creature comforts and features abound as well: there are 7 external pockets and 4 internal (including a “hidden” pocket for passports or other valuables), chest armor, and room for a hydration pack and hose. As with the previous Klim gear we’ve tested, everything appears to be thought out completely, and executed meticulously.

And it ought to be, really, because it’s not cheap. The Badlands jacket retails for $950 in sizes S to XXL (add $50 for XXXL). The pants have an MSRP of $650 in waist sizes 30 through 42, while a “tall” option is available in sizes 32 to 40 for an extra $20. (If the Badlands’ $1,600 price tag seems high, consider Klim’s Adventure Rally outfit, with an eye-watering $2,400 MSRP!) Klim’s product is not cheap, but the customer base and demand has grown with prices, so the company is arguably on to something. Every time we wear the gear, we can’t help recommend it, despite the price.