Adventure touring puts a lot of demand on gear. It has to be able to handle heat and cold, street and dirt, rain and dust, often all in the same day. I’m normally suspicious of manufacturers who claim their gear does it all. Weak gear shows its flaws and finds its way to the donation pile pretty quickly. Enter the BILT Explorer jacket. So far, I’ve been completely satisfied with this jacket. It has armor in all the right places, vents where they should be, and all the adjustments that I’ve needed. It’s been warm with the liner, and it kept me dry in the rain.

A typical mid-Atlantic spring climate: chilly morning, delightful through midday, 30 minutes of moderate rain, and then cold and windy in the evening. I wore the Explorer, thinking that this weather would be a perfect test. I brought several layers, all of which I had on at some point—and in the evening, all of them at the same time. The adjustability of the jacket was excellent, with snaps making it simple to adjust for the amount of bulk I was wearing.

The only thing I didn’t do with this jacket is a crash test, but since this is now my daily gear, I’m sure it won’t be long until I can report on that. My guess is that it will hold up just fine, as the construction of the jacket is very good, with strong stitching throughout.

The Explorer makes even me look reasonably rakish and jaunty. There are a few reflective panels for nighttime visibility, but they’re basically just accents—not likely to make the difference between you staying invisible and being seen.

There are a lot of “the little things” that have this jacket climbing my “keeper” list: the cell phone pocket in the liner, the Camelbak pouch in the back, a loop for hose routing and a rubber pass-through for headphones. Very thoughtful touches.

There are pockets galore (including a large waterproof pocket in back). There are even lined hand warmer pockets that work great.

From crash protection and armor, to adjustability and versatility, BILT has made an exceptional jacket, and the price point makes it very accessible to most riders. MSRP: $399.99 CycleGear.com