Rain gear in Vietnam

Staying dry on a motorbike is a surprisingly difficult thing to do, and to truly stay dry without inconveniences we must be investing in thousand dollar wet weather gear. The budget and convenience we have depends on our riding style, so lets take a look at a few the options that exist in Vietnam today.

The rain poncho
The rain poncho can be bought anywhere in Vietnam and they do actually work. From a 10,000vnd throw away Poncho to one of Chrunix high quality ponchos. The poncho is not a terrible choice.

Pros -

  • Cheap
  • lightweight
  • Not hot
  • quick to put on

Cons -

  • Flap in the wind
  • Little bit dangerous (caught in the wind)
  • Not 100% waterproof coverage

Conclusion
For the casual driver the poncho works, and works well. For the serious driver the poncho will flap in the wind and get in the way. Once you learn to drive a motorbike (properly), then you will outgrow the amazing rain poncho.

Givi Gear
Givi is an Italian company known for extremely high quality motorbike gear. In Vietnam however a lack of market conditions has landed Givi with an “Asian” line, that is not the same quality as the Italian products they are famous for. However the Givi suit is still one of the best and readily available choices available within Vietnam.

Pros -

  • Cheapest suits that work
  • Has the Givi label!

Cons -

  • No breathability means we sweat from the inside out. We get wet inside even if it not raining!

Chrunix / Race FX rain gear
Sold in the UK to professionals as the actual wet weather gear used by pro - riders. This is waterproof material on the areas we are likely to get wet and breathable mesh on the underside. Incredibly lightweight and simple pops over our adventure gear. Have a look at this product on the Chrunix site.

Pros -

  • Lightweight
  • Breathable

Cons -

  • No rain pants.

Keeping your bag dry
Buying a waterproof bag such as the Alayna bag saves the need for a rain cover, but if you already have a bag that you love that just lacks waterproofing then buy a MadFox Raincover.

If you are a regular driver, we highly recommend the OS Adventure bag that mounts on the side of the motorbike. 100% waterproof and incredibly light, this is the ultimate solution to keep your clothing dry.

Importing gear from abroad
When looking at wet weather gear we need to be getting “gore tex gear”. When it comes to motorbikes, gore tex is usually sold between $600 and $1000. Currently there are no options available in Vietnam that come close to being able provide such quality.

Staying dry is easier said than done
“Real” rain gear is very expensive. Cheap rain gear has no breath-ability which means it gets hot quickly. Especially in a tropical humid environment like Vietnam, we are really paying the price with our cheap rain gear.

Unfortunately rain gear that keeps us cool costs a lot of money. When it comes to motorbikes they can rip when crashed, so with the expensive gore tex material we then need mesh material. The price goes up and up and up.

We highly recommend our Race FX gear as a sensible compromise!