Rukka Trek-R jacket in grey / orange

The Rukka Trek-R is a proper adventure jacket, by which we mean that it’s a jacket from which the membrane can be removed. And this is, for us, the defining quality of an adventure jacket. And that’s because if you’re riding somewhere really hot, or if you’re working up a sweat off the beaten track, the last thing you want anywhere near your body is a waterproof membrane. A membrane will make it harder for the body to sweat. Sweating is the body’s natural way of cooling itself down. As our sweat turns from a liquid to a gas it draws heat out of the body. And a membrane makes it much harder for that change of status to take place. A membrane will also serve to insulate the heat that is generated by the body. Lastly, a membrane will prevent the oncoming air from cooling the body down. All of which explains why the Trek-R is a proper adventure jacket.

The jacket has a 500 denier outer shell, with additional 1500 denier layers on the shoulders and elbows. You get Level 2 ‘Air XTR’ D3O protectors in the shoulders and elbows. There’s a Level 1 protector in the back. A chest protector can also be fitted.

As you would expect, a jacket like this is well vented. You get vents on the chest, at the waist, in the shoulders, down the sleeves, up the flanks, and across the back.

Pockets are in plentiful supply too. There’s a large map pocket on the back, a time card pocket on the sleeve, two chest pockets, two lower pockets with flaps, and two water-resistant pockets in the detachable liner.

The jacket has a lot of adjustment. There are velcro flaps on the hem, and at the ends of the sleeves. Importantly, and we think it’s a must on a mid-length jacket, there’s a belt arrangement at the waist. The sleeve volume can also be adjusted.

The most important element of the Trek-R is the waterproof inner jacket. It’s made from a Gore-Tex 3-layer membrane, but the interesting thing about it is that, with its stretch component, it can be worn inside the jacket, or on the outside. And this is important because, if worn on the outside of the outer shell, you create a jacket that as waterproof than a laminated one. An outfit that will never wet out.

You also get soft neoprene in the collar, and stretch panels inside the elbows, under the arms, and on the back.