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iron
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iron
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PostThu Oct 31, 2013 4:07 am 
what are people wearing these days? for snowshoeing, i normally wear bike pants, which seem to work fine. but that setup uses gaiters. now that i'm getting into splitboarding, and will be without gaiters, i need to investigate another system. i have some RAB shells that i use for mountaineering. i don't think the cuffs are big enough to fit over my boots. plus, i'm kinda thinking something with bibs would be nice for all the times i'm sure to fall in the snow. but, open to the idea of softshells too. thanks in advance.

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Tom_Sjolseth
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PostThu Oct 31, 2013 7:13 am 
I have used my RAB salopettes for skiing. The disadvantage of this is they're expensive and the lightweight fabric tends to break down where the inside of the boot cuffs rub against one another. For snowboarding, that wouldn't be as much of a problem, although if you do a lot of sliding on your rump durability could be an issue. I have now switched to using NW Alpine neoshell salopettes and they are much more durable and plenty warm.

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hbb
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PostThu Oct 31, 2013 8:01 am 
These are the softshells that have worked for me. I've never had much interest in bibs and/or hardshell pants; I figure I'd have the leg vents wide open and the top folded down most of the day. Outdoor Research Trailbreaker: http://www.outdoorresearch.com/en/mens/pants/mens-trailbreaker-pants.html Norrona svalbard: http://www.norrona.com/Products/4017-13/svalbard-flex1-pants-m Patagonia Backcountry Guide: http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/mens-backcountry-guide-pants-for-alpine-climbing?p=83555-0

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DIYSteve
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PostThu Oct 31, 2013 8:59 am 
#1 -- for PNW touring you need at least two pairs of pants, one for mid-winter and one for spring/summer corn (when we do >1/3 of our touring). One pant aint gonna do it for 10F pow day, 30F soaking wet pow day and a 55F sunny corn day. Lighter weight softshell pants with an ample cuff work fine for spring, so the question is what to get for mid-winter. I'm seeing fewer and fewer bibs on backcountry skiers. They are okay for midwinter in the interior west but too warm for most PNW tours. Most of my BC ski buds wear inexpensive pants cuz pants get trashed touring and even moreso lift skiing. That OR Trailblazer pant is interesting. Softshell thigh and water resistant shin/cuff. Popular with the TGR mags, but I've heard some complaints that the fabric pills and the zippers open inadvertently. Also, soft shells can get soaking wet on PNW wet pow days. If price were no object, I'd get the OR Vahalla pant and wear it next-to-ski for most mid-winter tours and with a silkweight layer for colder tours and lift skiing. I would not get it in blue to avoid being confused with Chainsaw Willie lol.gif

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trestle
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PostThu Oct 31, 2013 10:04 am 
The OR Trailbreakers look like a good combination of fabrics and have a removable internal boot gaiter if that's something you don't need. They also allow the use of suspenders, a popular and effective alternative to bibs. Hard to beat their local return policy as well.

"Life favors the prepared." - Edna Mode
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DIYSteve
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PostThu Oct 31, 2013 10:11 am 
J37, see my revised comments re the complaints re the TB pants, pilling and zippers opening, but others really love them. I might check them out.

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Critter
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PostThu Oct 31, 2013 11:11 am 
It's hard, maybe impossible, to beat theArc'teryx Sabre Pants. Another excellent choice would be Patagonia's Pow Slayer Bib, or of course the Arc'teryx Alpha SV CZ Bib. The Arc'teryx Saber Pants are made from "lightly insulated N80p-X GORE-TEX® textile [which] is highly durable." They weigh 1 lb 6 oz and they seem fairly heavy duty. These are the pants I scrutinizingly chose for my more extreme excursions. The Pow Slayer Bib is made from the new Gor-Tex pro material which is up to 30% more breathable than last years, but very lightweight. I don't think they have the N80p-X face fabric that Arc'teryx uses. They only weigh 1 lb 4 oz. and they are a full bib. They seem a little lightweight for ski pants actually. The Arc'teryx Alpha SV CZ bib also uses the new Gore-Tex pro material. It is made from the durable N80p-X face fabric and has N-155p-X fabric in high wear areas. Like the Patagonia bib they also weigh 1 lb 4 oz, but they don't have the same baggy fit.
Arc'teryx-Sabre-Pants
Arc'teryx-Sabre-Pants
Patagonia Pow Slayer Bib
Patagonia Pow Slayer Bib
OD-ISPO-2013-Awards-Alpha-SV-Bib-CZ
OD-ISPO-2013-Awards-Alpha-SV-Bib-CZ

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DIYSteve
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PostThu Oct 31, 2013 11:38 am 
Critter, do you ski or board? Funny how Critter Style now includes $450 poser fancypants. lol.gif One season of hard lift skiing and they'll leak like a screen door.

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Critter
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PostThu Oct 31, 2013 11:51 am 
This coming from the guy who hates Gore-Tex. I just stated facts.

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JPH
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PostThu Oct 31, 2013 12:10 pm 
I usually just go cheap-ish or lightly used and save the money for better skis or boots. My winter pants are white sierra lightly insulated pants that I bought because they were a good deal online (thought they would be kind of crappy) and they turned out to be awesome. on a side note, does anyone know of an easy patch to reinforce the inside cuff on ski pants? Mine are totally shredded and the duct tape patches don't last very long.

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DIYSteve
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PostThu Oct 31, 2013 12:58 pm 
Critter wrote:
This coming from the guy who hates Gore-Tex. I just stated facts.
Nah, you echoed marketing palaver. And I don't hate Goretex, so please stop making that false claim. I am aware of the limitations of GTX, but I don't hate it. Gore's false marketing? Well, that's another matter. So, do you ski or board?
JPH wrote:
does anyone know of an easy patch to reinforce the inside cuff on ski pants?
I've sewn 500D cordura, 1000D cordura and 1050 ballistics cloth inner cuffs on several pants. All of those fabrics are available at Seattle Fabrics. It's a great way to metamorphose a pair of rain pants into ski pants.

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Critter
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PostThu Oct 31, 2013 1:01 pm 
No. I don't ski or board but I know what gear is the best in the world.

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iron
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iron
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PostThu Oct 31, 2013 1:06 pm 
is it wrong of me to ask for non-critter responses in this thread? i want information from people that have been in the mountains for more than a few days using brand new clothing that costs more than my entire pile of mountaineering gear.

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Critter
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PostThu Oct 31, 2013 1:10 pm 
Trust me I've been in the mountains longer than just a few days. I guess you didn't like my suggestions. That's cool. I also have hundreds of miles on Storm Venture Rain Pants. $40 dollars from Campmor.

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iron
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iron
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PostThu Oct 31, 2013 1:14 pm 
Critter wrote:
I also have hundreds of miles on Storm Venture Rain Pants. $40 dollars from Campmor.
cool. do they fit over ski boots?

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