Softshell Opinions? - Pants/Bibs

Similar to the other topic but now more related to Pants & Bibs

Primary uses will be ice climbing, skiing, alpine climbing,etc.

Thanks Everyone

I have a pair of Mountain Hardwear synchro bibs that I use for backcountry skiing and I love them. I don't know if MH still makes the bibs but I know that they still make the pants. I got the bibs so that I could stuff skins/gloves/whatever in bib area like a kangaroo, which makes for super quick transitions when you're a chronic meadow-lapper like me.

I wouldn't sit in the snow all day in them, but for tele skiing (and tele-crashing) I find them just as waterproof and much more pleasant to tour in than my old insulated "hardshell" pants. I don't ice climb (yet), so I can't really speak to their usefulness there.

I've used my Patagonia Alpine Guide Pants for all of the above. They're great! I find that I actually stay dryer in softshell pants than hard shell since it breaths so well.

I don't know if anyone makes something similar to it nowadays, but I still use my Arcteryx Salopette (farmer john) and it's by far my favorite piece of clothing for alpine endeavors. Highly recommend the bib style or farmer john if you can get it - such an added sense of warmth by not having the gap in the back when the shirt comes untucked.

+1 Patagonia Alpine Guides.

They're very versatile. I haven't used them skiing, but ice and general mountaineering they're fantastic. Great weight, just layer with different weight long underwear underneath for whatever temps you'll encounter, and they pretty much keep me dry for multi day winter trips.

I have the original Patagonia Guide Pant, also the Cloudveil Symmetry pant. The Alpine Guide is a little heavier than the original...about the same weight as the the Symmetry pant. But the Symmetry pant is a little less comfortable due to the positioning of the seams. Cannot go wrong with Patagonia!

I've got a pair of alpine guides. They've been beaten hard for 2 seasons and show the wear a beginner that tries hard puts them through. I like them but I'm not convinced "there isn't something better".

Also I have fit issues with them as a 30" waist and a 34.5" inseam...

EDIT: I have a pair of the Patagonia Traverse pants too. These I like a lot. They're not tough enough for winter alpine/ice but the fit is great and they see a lot of use for me running/hiking/climbing rock etc.

+ 1 for the Alpine Guides! Just got a pair and they fit and feel GREAT.

I like the Outdoor Research Exos Pants. Not a lot of features, but ones that are there are really useful. outdoorresearch.com/site/m_…

They seem to have a more tapered leg than a lot of other soft shell pants. I find this makes getting a gaiter on easier.

I have used them for ice climbing, backcountry skiing, mountaineering, and even rock climbing when it is cooler.

Marmot Scree is a super cheap awesome pant, only $100. I used them on everything but the coldest days. Then a pair of the MH vertex windstoppers, but like anything good they don't make them anymore.

I have a pair of North Face Mammatus bibs that I use for the wet days. Very light, with the softshell top, but again I think they stopped making these.

Wish they still made the Cloudveil Black ice bibs!!

Chris Plesko wrote:Also I have fit issues with them as a 30" waist and a 34.5" inseam...

A couple of outdoor clothing companies have woken up to the existence of tall, skinny climbers.

For about the same price as name-brand gear you can get custom-sized soft-shell jackets and pants from beyondclothing.com. They use Schoeller fabric.

Marmot Scree pants (soft-shell) are available in tall sizes for about $100.

Arcteryx Alpha bib pants (Goretex) are available in tall sizes for about $500.

I picked up a pair of Beyond Fleece pants a few years back, and while they fit great, and block the wind well, their waterproofing is a little sub par.

This year I got a pair of REI Taku Pants and I love em. Stretchy, available in multiple lengths, and well priced (especially with a 10-20% off coupon) at $159 msrp.

Martin le Roux wrote: For about the same price as name-brand gear you can get custom-sized soft-shell jackets and pants from beyondclothing.com. They use Schoeller fabric.

I've been using beyond jackets for about 6 years now. While the customization is nice, the pattern that allows it is bulky and not optimal for vertical sports. My cold fusion jackets see a lot more use on cross country ski trails than steep up or down. That's why I shied away from their pants.

I've been using a pair of first generation rei mistral pants for about 8 years. Or rather, I had a supply of them. As long as I wore gaiters, I never had any issues getting wet.

Erik W wrote:I don't know if anyone makes something similar to it nowadays, but I still use my Arcteryx Salopette (farmer john) and it's by far my favorite piece of clothing for alpine endeavors. Highly recommend the bib style or farmer john if you can get it - such an added sense of warmth by not having the gap in the back when the shirt comes untucked.

I'll 2nd that emotion. I've been using the Salopettes exclusively for winter fun (mostly ice climbing) for the past 5+ years in MT an WY. IMO Polartec Powershield is the best SS fabric, but I'm biased since Arc'teryx fits me really well and I haven't really tried much else, so my opinion is probably dated too. My ice suit has been the Salopettes on the bottom and the Gamma MX on top with different weights of base layers depending on the temps.

If I remember correctly, Powershield was advertised as ~95% windproof. I was able to wear the above combo for a month on Denali in '08 with very little discomfort (I think I wore my hard shell once or twice). Polartec now has an O2 and Pro version of the original Powershield which is probably worth looking into. As far as finding a pair of Salopettes try eBay or call Wild Things in NH they are in the process of overhauling their entire line, but before they went offline they had a Salopette-style Powershield offering which was on super-duper discount last xmas in store, worth giving them a call.

Has anyone used the Mountain Hardwear Synchro bib?

Taiga in Canada lists a Power Shield bib, but they are out of stock. Might be worth an email to see if they will be making more.

taigaworks.ca/cart.php?m=pr…

coop wrote:Has anyone used the Mountain Hardwear Synchro bib?

It's not a softshell, it's just advertised as one. It's a full-on membrane and doesn't breathe well at all. I have the jacket and it's much more suited for pimping around town than climbing.

I wear the Mountain Hardwear Transitions Tights for just about everything until it gets nasty enough for a hardshell. They have a Windstopper layer which is a nice compromise between a real WB membrame and just a weave. They are slim-fitting, which makes me the butt of jokes. But, they weight much less, are warmer, and don't snag on stuff so I'm sticking with them.

I have the Patagonia Ascentionist, which is a similar fabric to the Guide Pants, which people love. The jacket and material are phenomenal, but Pata pants don't fit me at all.

Yeah, I've been using the MH Synchro bibs. Couple of ice climbing trips and for skiing. I like them, good breathability, roomy enough to layer under without binding, double side zips, don't know how effective the inner gaiter is, but it's worked for what I've used them for. Been happy with durability, no holes, despite ski edges and crampon kicks. Pockets are in good position for use with a harness or pack waistbelt. And the back section of the bib comes up high enough to avoid the "plumber's crack" feeling. A bit steep though, so be sure they are what you want.

+1 for bibs or suspenders. i was walkin around the ice crags with my pants on the ground until i had suspender attachments added to my climbing pants. now, i look like a respectable dirt bag.

oh, and, i really like my mammut alto pants. the schoeller fabric is great...breathable, weatherprooof, stretchy, and pretty durable. and, they fit a fairly tall/skinny build (6'1"/175 lb) well.

coop wrote:Pants & Bibs... Primary uses will be ice climbing, skiing, alpine climbing,etc.

I had a few options but ended up spenting the majority of two months climbing and skiing while in Chamonix in a pair of the NWAlpinist bibs by NWAlpine. Liked them so much I just bought a second pair.

nwalpine.com/apparel



More here on bibs.

coldthistle.blogspot.com/20…

I`ve ski`d and ice climbed in my MH Synchro pants for 2 seasons now. I kind of wish they had a gator built into the pant leg instead of the elastic draw cord but other than that they are great.