Fly Stow-A-Way II Jacket

Company: Fly Racing

Price: $89.95

Roost

An affordable outer shell to keep you warm and dry.
Built tough and proven durable.
Stuffs into a pack that isn't too large to carry on rides.
Excellent zippers/pockets.

Endo

Not the most breathable or waterproof fabric.
A little more bulky than some.

What it is

A claimed waterproof shell that can be stowed.

The Fly Stow-A-Way II waterproof/breathable shell is made from waterproof and breathable fabric with taped seams that are claimed to prevent stitching from leaking. It has a detachable hood, adjustable Velcro neck closure for a snug or loose fit and drink pack tube exits allow you to keep your water near your body so the hose doesn’t freeze.
A rear zip vent provides massive ventilation along the back with a waterproof main zipper in the front. The rear cargo pouch allows you to store the jacket within itself and it has a strap to carry with a quick snap buckle connector. It comes in S through 3XL and in the popular Black color.

How it works

A great addition for a light weight jacket.
It will save you in adverse conditions and be versatile enough to have with you all day.
Generous fit to go over packs and stay comfortable.

The Stow-A-Way II is one of those pieces of gear every rider should have in the gear bag. Off-road or track riders. It can save you in adverse weather conditions and take the edge off or early morning or evening temperature drops. And in the rain it can keep you mostly dry.

This Fly piece is sized generously, enough so that we may even suggest going a size under your normal fit. It was like they were expecting you to be wearing a chest protection or a backpack under it, and you could at your normal size. We wore our size large over a tool carrying backpack easily. The front neck zipper goes nearly a full third of the way down the front to make it so you can get the garment on or off with your helmet still on. Or open the jacket for venting. Having it and the rear vent really keeps the body portion of the jacket cool and air flowing when you need it. Seal them up and it is pretty impervious to the elements.

Overall the water resistance of the material is on par with most waterproof jackets out there. In the beginning the jacket does not let much if any moisture through. The reason we can not be 100% sure is that when used in typical aggressive riding you are sweating to a certain point. Like most materials it traps that moisture quicker than it can vent it in wet conditions. It is breathable and in dry conditions the

Stow-A-Way vents as good as some more expensive and more popular breathable fabrics.
After a full year the water resistance of the jacket went down a little but we found that washing and running the jacket through the dryer will rejuvenate the water resistance. Especially on the arms where branches have beat the fabric over time. Kinda like a tent, if the jacket is soaking wet and you keep touching it, the moisture comes in. But just dampness. When it dries up outside the jacket dries as quick as anything and if opened up so do you. Of note the front pockets were also surprisingly water resistant.

The shell is a pretty tough material, tougher than most wind breakers out there, we’d say it is twice as strong in the tear resistance of others we have used. The taped seams survived our washing and drying without coming apart, something we have seen on lesser quality stuff. We recommend not riding with the hood in the trees. Ours was strong enough to rip a rider off the bike before tearing at the stitching. Luckily is can easily be stuffed in one of the pockets. The rear pouch turns inside out where the jacket can be inserted inside-out and carried with an attached strap. It isn’t as compact as some, blame the tougher build. The closures on the wrist and neck can shut down tight enough to keep most water out but not all as with any jacket.
If there was anything to complain about we had a few riders feel the length of the jacket in the back was a little long (they were not wearing a backpack or tool belt) where they would sit on the tail of the jacket. This showed with the fabric wearing heavily from being sat upon in muddy conditions. Then it tugged on them when they slid back on the seat. We also could not find the specific opening for the drink system hose unless they meant the neck or the back vent. Either way we didn’t feel this was a big deal.
The Stow-A-Way is a tough jacket that is water resistant and keeps you as dry as could be expected. Plus more durable than we thought. It is priced very reasonably--for as much as it gets used--having it in your gear bag, a add to your gear collection.