...to finally find a jacket that ticks all the boxes and has Goretex! This is a very well thought out, functional, practical jacket that does all it's 'talking' on the inside rather than showing off on the outside. I love it for being/looking so 'simple' but having lots of technical features - Goretex obviously, lots of through ventilation, brilliant finishing on the cuffs and neck line, large quality easy pull zips, well thought out pockets for armour etc., etc. I also like the slightly different colour scheme of my jacket - green/black; it would very nearly make it as a casual jacket minus the padded shoulders!

On sizing: my measurements were for 2XL but on reading that KLIM are slightly over sized I bought XL and it is a perfect fit. Even has enough room for a thin fleece should it get cold.

I'm looking forward to many dry miles together. Thoroughly recommend 100%.

So, I've been considering this jacket for quite a while in my search for a Gore-Tex jacket that would be worn in cool mornings, or when a rain shower is encountered while riding the Rockies. I've read the reviews here.

Expensive at $400? Maybe. $400 doesn't always come easy. Last week while at REI, I looked at a Gore-Tex jacket. Store brand was $275 and without the abrasion resistant material in the shoulder and elbow.

My scenario is one that I want to wear the Traverse over my Leatte 5.5 armor. I have a Klim Inversion jacket in a medium size. So, I put on the Leatte and then the Inversion. Nice fit!

Deal!

So, I order the Traverse in a medium. It arrives today--drop ship from Klim through Revzilla. Open the bags. Inspect. Try on the Traverse--nice fit. Next, I put on the Leatte 5.5 and add the Traverse over the protector. NICE! No issues here.

I'm 5'8" and 160 pounds. The Leatte is a size large.

This is going to be great this summer!

I have not ridden with this jacket and therefore not all charactoristis are rated.

I ordered this jacket after having used the Klim Forecast Jacket and pants for 2 months. While the Klim Forecast jacket is good to be worn on and off the bike, it still leaves much to be desired as a daily jacket. For starter, it has only one chest pocket and the sleeves opening is unusually small even for my thin wrists. The Traverse jacket fills the gap nicely.

It is light weight and stow-able with the top notch gore-tex liner. The price tag may seem a little high at first, but consider the rain and wind proof functionality of this jacket, it may not be all that much expensive than a high end consumer jacket. I ordered the black and it is a very sharp looking jacket in person. It can easily double as my business casual jacket without looking out of place.

Summary: Simple design that has pretty much everything I seek—breathable yet waterproof membrane, ventilation, all in a low-profile package—while avoiding things I don't need, namely pockets galore, removable liners I will never use, and gaudy colors and graphics. While I generally think Klim is overpriced, I think this particular piece is a good value for what you get. I plan on picking up the matching Traverse pants.

Fit: I'm 5'6", 160 lbs, and athletic with a 38-39" chest which puts me at a medium on Klim's size chart. I often find myself between a small and a medium with clothing so given Klim's so called American fit, I opted to size down which was the right call. The Traverse is a tad snug in my chest but overall I'd describe it as fitted yet functional. As an aside, Klim's reputation for big, boxy fit is another reason I tend to consider Klim products by exception only (my perception of Klim's astronomical prices being the other reason). Klim, some European fit offerings would be appreciated by persons such as myself.

Waterproofness, Breathability, and Ventilation: I haven't tried the Traverse in the rain but between the Gore-Tex and the ability to batten down the hatches with zipper rain flaps, etc., I'm sure it will do the job. Breathability-wise, Gore-Tex's breathability is obviously superior to say, a PVC rainsuit, but I don't care what the marketing says, you still pay a price when it comes to wearability in hot weather when compared to other types of jackets. When I first tried on the Traverse, it was 80-something degrees and it immediately felt clammy. Luckily, I quickly found the six well-placed and easily-manipulated vents located on the forearm, chest, and lower back which quickly cooled things off—once moving, at least. Personally, I don't mind sweating a little extra in the high temps to have a jacket that can deal with any environment. However, your mileage may vary.

Pockets: Adequate for my needs but I wish there was an external chest pocket. That's where I like to stash my cellphone for easy access when I don't have it on my RAM mount.

Styling: The Traverse looks like a technical Gore-Tex shell you'd buy from REI which I like as opposed to looking like I just jumped out of Long Way Round. Not as stylish as the Drifter or Revener (those were disqualified on the basis of fit, features, and/or the wife's powerful style-based veto), but good enough to be my everyday jacket.

Overall, the Traverse is a satisfactory step up from my old BMW Boulder jacket that I purchased in 2010 which was roughly comparable to the Traverse except that the Boulder used a weatherproof liner in lieu of the jacket itself being waterproof. (I never used the liner: I either chose to get wet or put on a rainsuit.) I spent 3 months and 13,000 miles riding and camping my way across the US and Canada in that jacket in everything from desert heat to mountain snow and never felt the need to "upgrade" to one of the pricey rally suits. Therefore, I am happy to have found a similar yet improved version of my old BMW Boulder jacket in the form of the Klim Traverse.

I got caught in a torrential storm in West Virginia and the storm was tracking the same direction I was going. So I spent two hours in relentless heavy rain. This jacket kept my 100% dry. Not a drop got through. Not a drop even through the huge vent zippers. I have a BMW with big windscreen so naked bike riders may have different experience.

It's really light weight even with the addition of D30 armor. Amenities are sparse; two small outside pockets and one interior. Very very comfortable and well made.

The vents are massive and when all open flows a lot of air. That said, Gore Tex is Gore Tex; clammy at high temps with high humidity. I consider this to be usable up to low 80's (eastern humid 80's). YMMV. You may tolerate it better.

Remember though it is a shell. Bring your own base layers and armor.