Dainese Gullfoss jacket in grey / blue

In our world an adventure jacket, which would normally form part of an adventure suit, will come with a removable membrane. And that's because if you are somewhere hot, or if you are generating your own heat, off-road perhaps, you need to be able to remove the waterproof layer, not only to allow you to sweat more effectively, but also to allow the cooler, oncoming air to better reach your body.

 

Lots of brands do such outfits, although historically they have always been more popular with the southern European brands like Dainese, Alpinestars and Spidi because, of course, down in that part of the world it does get pretty warm.

 

The Gullfoss comes from Dainese, and although people like Rukka and Held bring a degree of finesse to the category that the Gullfoss cannot match, it is nonetheless true that neither of those brands can touch the Dainese suit on price.

 

We'd like to think that we are the last people to be overly influenced by aesthetics. We simply hate it, for example, when somebody comes into the shop when their only criterion for a new helmet is that it match the colour of their bike.

 

Yet we are all human. We can all appreciate beauty and beautiful things; and what cannot be denied is that Dainese knows how to make gear look good. And so even though we are a little embarrassed to admit it, the starting point for us is that the Gullfoss jacket, particularly in its grey colourway, looks the business. It just looks right. It says 'adventure', without being in your face. The design makes for a smart and stylish look that is going to work on just about any bike.

 

The outer fabric is a Cordura-style material of some description. The fabric has a softish handle that makes for a jacket that's comfortable to wear and that moulds to the wearer. But comfortable and cosseting as the jacket's outer material feels, the Gullfoss still rates AA under EN17092 for abrasion and tear resistance; and on a suit like this that's all that one might hope for.

 

On the subject of protection, it's good to know that the armour in the elbows and shoulders is Level 2 rated. There's a pocket for a back protector and, right now, we would probably go with Rheon's Level 2 one. Now the armour in the Gullfoss is perfectly acceptable, although it perhaps needs to be acknowledged that Dainese is not in the forefront in this respect in perhaps they way it used to be. The jacket also comes with pockets for a two-part, chest protector which will take the D3O two parter in either Level 1 or Level 2. 

 

You get two lower, zipped hand pockets that are no more than water resistant. There's a large pocket on the back that will carry maps, or perhaps more importantly the waterproof, over/under jacket.

 

You don't go short either when it comes to adjustability. There's an adjustable belt at the waist, which is something we always like to see on a slightly longer jacket. There's a drawstring to pull in the hem of the jacket; and again that works well. You get poppers to adjust the sleeve volume on the biceps and forearms. And that's important on a jacket like this where sometimes you will be wearing multiple layers, and sometimes none. At the sleeve ends you get zips and poppers. Most gloves will fit inside the sleeves. But the sleeve aperture might struggle with a full-on, winter glove.

 

The neck is lined with neoprene, both for added comfort and to prevent rain ingress as it runs down the outside of the helmet, and tries to find its way inside the jacket. You also get a useful, elasticated strap arrangement to hold the neck open to get air in on a hot day. And talking of air, it's ventilation that the Gullfoss is all about. 

 

Obviously the first thing is that when you remove the inner, waterproof jacket, air can pass easily through the outer shell because there's nothing to impede its flow. But on really hot days, or when you are working hard, you might need more. Well the good news is that, on the Gullfoss, you do get more. 

 

You get two, pretty huge, zip-down vents on the chest. Clearly these will allow lots of air in to promote sweating and to cool the skin down. You get an even huger, zipped vent across the back to allow warm air that builds up inside the jacket to escape.

 

You then get long zips up the forearms that, when zipped down from the top, also allow cool air to run up the sleeves. No two ways about it, with everything open this jacket will do its best to help you stay cool. But the Gullfoss is much more than just a high-airflow piece. It represents a one-stop, layering system.

 

The first thing is to note that it comes with a removable, inner, waterproof jacket. This can be worn on the inside or the outside. Worn on the inside, the waterproof jacket will do two things. It will help you stay warm, because it will serve to insulate body heat and protect you from the impact of the oncoming cooler air. The jacket will also serve to keep you dry up to a certain point. The rain is unlikely to ever pass through the inner, waterproof jacket, but after two or three hours in heavy rain the outer fabric could become sodden with rain. This can make you feel cold. You might, because of this, even think that you're getting wet, but that would not usually be the case.

 

The mark of a superior, 3-in-1 jacket like this, however, is a waterproof layer that can also be worn on the outside of the main jacket. Now to make this workable the waterproof element has to contain stretch, and the good news is that the Gullfoss's waterproof does. And when you wear it on the outside you will enjoy very high levels of waterproofing; indeed a level that might even be likened to that of a laminated, waterproof jacket.

 

Let's say you're in for a long ride in heavy rain. You put the waterproof over the jacket. You ride for three hours. When you get to your destination; you take your waterproof off, and the Gullfoss jacket beneath it will be pretty much perfectly dry. As will you be. And that's the gold standard.  

 

The jacket also comes with an inner, thermal liner that can be worn at the same time as the waterproof, or separately. On a really cold day you would wear both; ditto if it was raining on a cold day. But if it's simply a bit on the chilly side you could just wear the thermal jacket without the waterproof, although you should not forget that the waterproof inner jacket will always make you warmer, whether you wear it on the inside or the outside.

 

In truth, the thermal jacket is nothing much to write home about. It is filled with some form of hollow-form fibre, and will pass muster as a destination jacket, as long as you're not too bothered about how you look. It will do a job, but this is no Klim Maverick. It's not even a Rukka Lahti. Put it like this; if staying warm is a priority you can do better.

 

Anyway, that's all the important stuff. But you do get some reflective areas for better nighttime visibility. You also get a zip to connect the jacket to the Gullfoss pants.