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rockgardn trailstar

mandown

Poopdeck Repost
Jun 1, 2004
20,126
7,674
Transylvania 90210
anyone got some saddle time with this product? looks promising for some light protection.
http://www.rockgardn.com/items/body-armor/trailstar-detail.htm



Hardcore, lightweight (2.51 pounds), over-jersey protection that can be put on or taken off in a matter of seconds. Can also be worn beneath a jersey.
3-piece chest design offers excellent protection with unrestricted movement. ABS plastic-reinforced sternum pad also aids in diminishing neck hyper flexion.
Re-designed back plates are wider and ventilated to keep you both protected and cool.
Fully adjustable shoulders for customized fit.
Comes with optional straps to allow the attachment of Rockgardn Landing Zone ™ Elbow/Forearm guards.
Attachment points for the Rockgardn Neck Roll.
Leatt Brace compatible
Optional TrailStar Hydropack allows your armor, hydration, and pack to be a single unit.
One-size-fits-most fitment
 

mandown

Poopdeck Repost
Jun 1, 2004
20,126
7,674
Transylvania 90210
can you give some general impressions? does it fit well, being as it is one-size-fits-most? what size are you? any impacts while wearing it? how did it hold up? it is light and cool? does it hotbox you? does it feel secure? does it feel bulky?
 

Abstrakt51

Monkey
Oct 11, 2006
981
1
OC
Yo Adam, I just bought the Trailstar but decided that I'm going to return it. I was looking for more of an under the jersey type of fit and the trailstar was a bit burly (which is good). As far as fit, there are so many strap adjustments that I have no doubt that you'll be able to make it fit like a glove. For the 10 minutes I had it on, I was getting a bit warm but I'm not sure how it compares to other short sleeve suits. Let me know if you want to try it on and I'll wait a bit on the return.
 

Abstrakt51

Monkey
Oct 11, 2006
981
1
OC
On the fence between the 661 Assault or the RF Rally. The Rally looks super sick, but its a jacket so it'll put me back in the same situation as with the trailstar.

 

sethimus

neu bizutch
Feb 5, 2006
4,881
2,132
not in Whistler anymore :/
the 661 assault (the soft one, not der 2008 version) is a very light option. plus you can fold it to a very small package and put it in your backpack (fits in a nomad apex) so you dont have to wear it on your way up. the protection on the other side is not as good as with a hardplastic one but for longer tours its the best solution...
 

mandown

Poopdeck Repost
Jun 1, 2004
20,126
7,674
Transylvania 90210
would not have thought that would fold up very small at all. good to know. i may look into it if the Trailstar doesn't workout.

i'm guessing the best part of the trailstar is the attachable hydration pack. i'm excited. it should be here in a few days.
 

mandown

Poopdeck Repost
Jun 1, 2004
20,126
7,674
Transylvania 90210
i'm gonna go both. i've got an underarmour base layer that i will put on, then the trailstar, then something with some steezy over it all... bake for an hour and a half and i should rise nicely and be toasty warm and ready to serve.
 

Cat Daddy

Chimp
Dec 17, 2002
17
0
can you give some general impressions? does it fit well, being as it is one-size-fits-most? what size are you? any impacts while wearing it? how did it hold up? it is light and cool? does it hotbox you? does it feel secure? does it feel bulky?
The TStar has been designed to fit lots of people: at Interbike, it was on people as small as 5'5", 135 pounds, up to a huge Samoan dude with a 50" chest. The shoulders are attached with 2", heavy-duty elastic along with 1" adjustment straps front and back, so customizing the fit is easy. The side straps have both a ladder-lock buckle and a slider to adjust the length and minimize the amount of dangling straps.

I'm a size large in a Flak Jacket. I've been wearing the TStar since the first prototype, and yes, have taken some hits in it... the most memorable one being LONG slide on my back down a rock-filled chute. Not a scratch or bruise so far.

The TStar is really light in weight, but it's pretty burly protection. With 5 back segments, it has just one less segment than a S/M size Flak Jacket (2 less than sizes L-XXL). There isn't plastic padding on the bicep like the FJ, but the padding is doubled in that area so it's almost an inch thick. The chest area has a lot of things going on. Behind the area where the two chest pieces meet is a hidden strip of plastic, so you're getting the effect of a full plastic chest piece, but it still allows for articulation around the body. Above that is a sternum piece, where the foam thickness is doubled and there's another layer of hidden plastic.

The inner material is very soft, and the profile isn't any larger than a Flak Jacket, so it can be worn underneath a jersey if you need to represent. It really shines, though, when it's worn as the outer layer with the pack attached. You hardly notice the weight of the pack, and it's awesome to be able to shed it fast and throw it in the back of the truck you're shuttling in... pull your arms through, unsnap two quick-release buckles, and both your hydration and armor are off.

It's does have a very secure feeling, as it wraps around a body nicely. As far as cool goes, it's as cool as good protection can get. The foam is aggressively perforated, and the mesh material laminated to the foam is very breathable.

Hopefully, I covered everything. Let me know if there's anything else I can tell you!