I remember when we were thinking about moving away from Idaho and I asked her if she had any preferences. He response was, “anywhere warm”. I suggested Arizona but that it got very hot there. She suggested that there was nowhere outside the surface of the sun that would be too warm. I took that challenge and to her word she hasn’t complained even when summer temperatures reach 120 degrees.

Unlike Trina I have never had a problem being cold. A lot of that is probably the result of the insulating barrier I was building around my midsection. I never really had an appreciation of what she was going through or feeling until I started this diet.

Almost from the beginning of this weight loss journey I have had trouble staying warm. Despite living in Arizona where the winter lows rarely reach the mid 40’s I have found myself huddled under blankets or blowing on my hands to try and keep them warm.

My health coach Amy said this was a fairly common side effect and not to worry. Not to worry? I was maybe two degrees away from becoming the human icicle and she says not to worry.

For the longest time I didn’t think this diet was actually working. I would look at myself in the mirror from time to time and did not see any changes. It wasn’t until Trina reminded me that I was wearing two shirts, a sweater, and a sweatshirt that I realized that maybe the bulk I was seeing in the mirror was more clothing than it was me.

Recently the temperatures have begun to rise as spring arrives in the Arizona desert. Spring Training is now in full swing and I am spending time in the bleachers watching games where the afternoon temperatures are in the low to mid 80’s. It is definitely shirtsleeve and shorts weather but I still find myself reaching for a jacket when those around me are sweltering in the heat.

Hopefully after I am through with the weight-loss portion of the diet that my body will acclimate to the heat otherwise Trina and I will be wrapped up in blankets while everyone else is reminding us that it’s a dry heat.

With temperatures now cooling off, I’ll be putting the hydration jacket in the closet and finding something that will keep me a little warmer. In times like this I turn to my Harley-Davidson Alternator jacket.

This leather jacket utilizes what Harley-Davidson Motorclothes refers to as “Switchback Technology”. This is more of a marketing term than anything else but in a nutshell it means that the jacket is capable of transforming from a full leather jacket into a textile mesh jacket.

The front and rear panels of the jacket are zippered from the base of the sleeve across the chest and back. During the cooler morning rides the jacket can be a cool weather leather coat blocking the chilly wind from reaching your body.

As the daily temperatures heat up making a full leather jacket too much, the rider is able to unzip the front and back leather panels removing them for storage in your saddlebags. The jacket then becomes a mesh jacket allowing good airflow.

The top of the sleeves remains leather to offer protection in case of a fall. The jacket also includes pouches for flexible body armor protecting elbows, shoulders, and spine (with an optional spine pad) in case of fall. The sleeves include elastic and snaps to allow them to be more form fitting to your arms eliminating a lot of the flapping that comes with other jackets.

Removing and replacing the panels is a fairly straightforward exercise that doesn’t take much time or effort. If early morning temperatures are colder still, the jacket could be included with a sweatshirt or insulated garment making this jacket perfect year round for riders in the southwest.

The jacket is a standard black leather with orange embroidered Harley-Davidson across the front. With the panels zipped off the mesh jacket is also black with an orange Harley-Davidson logo on the right breast. The sleeve has a Harley-Davidson bar and shield logo embroidered on the black leather. The jacket contains two zipped pockets for warming your hands and includes an inside pocket for storage.

This is a very versatile jacket that will keep you warm in the cold air and cool in the warm air. It is the perfect jacket for fall and spring riding where temperature ranges are greater. It is comfortable and stylish. Removing the body armor makes this a casual jacket that can be worn around town off the bike as well.

While there are several jackets made for riding in the cold, riding in this kind of heat is not something that many people have to endure so manufacturers have been somewhat reluctant to develop riding gear for severe heat.

Although many ride in just a T-shirt, I would rather have something on my upper body that will protect me in case of an accident. The problem is finding something that will wick away moisture while still providing the necessary protection.

A jacket is advantageous during summer riding even during hot temperatures. The reason for this is that a jacket protects the rider from the hot sun beating down on him during the ride.

To date a rider had two choices when it came to protective riding jackets. There were leather jackets that protected very well but tended to be rather warm in the desert climate. There are mesh and lighter weight leather but these still tended to trap the moisture inside causing the rider to potentially overheat.

The other choice was textile jackets more commonly known as mesh jackets. The textile jackets allow air to flow through the mesh fabric to promote the removal of moisture. Many of the brands include some type of removable body armor that protects the rider from any mishaps.

The historical problem with jackets during summer riding has been one of moisture management and body cooling. When a rider sweats, air will evaporate the moisture and cool the rider. Too much though and the rider could dehydrate making for a dangerous riding situation. Too little and the rider could overheat.

Harley-Davidson Motorclothes division came out with a new jacket to help with the war against heat. During the spring they introduced what they referred to as a hydration jacket. This is a mesh jacket with special compartments that can hold hydration pouches.

The pouches contain polyacrylite crystals. When soaked in cool water the crystals expand. The expanded pouches are then added to the jacket. During a ride, air flows over the pouches cooling the rider allowing him to retain a lower body temperature.

The polyacrylite pouches are reusable. According to documentation that comes with the jacket the pouches are good for 50 rides or one year whichever comes first. Additional pouches are available for purchase from Harley-Davidson.

I was curious whether this jacket would live up to its billing. I bought the jacket and brought it home. The temperatures have been hovering around 100 degrees so I figured this would be the perfect time to try them.

Soaking the pouches takes approximately five minutes and I used cool water from the refrigerator since water coming out of the tap in Arizona really isn’t that cold during the summer. I was surprised how much the pouches swelled.

Besides being larger they were also a lot heavier. Adding the pouches to the jacket increased the weight of the coat by a measurable amount. Unfortunately I was so eager to try the jacket that I didn’t even think to weigh it but my guess was it was four to six pounds heavier.

I got on the bike and went for a ride. According to my bike thermometer the temperature was 101 degrees. I didn’t notice the weight of the jacket while I was wearing it. It felt fairly comfortable. The mesh jacket allowed for decent airflow.

I was skeptical of the polyacrylite crystals but I have to admit they really did work. It was much cooler with the pouches in place and almost made the ride bearable. Just to test and make sure it was not all in my head, I removed the pouches and put them in my saddlebags and rode home.

While the jacket had good airflow it was just warm air blowing from the atmosphere and I was much hotter. I am going to continue to use the hydration jacket during the warmer months and I’ll try to update with longer-term usage experiences.