Does anyone have time wearing these? How do you like? Pros/cons
Klim stealth bibs?
- Thread starter Mr. Pump Gas
- Start date
I bought some last year and love them. You'll need to wear a good base layer and on really cold day a mid layer. Very comfortable.
P
powerfuldodge
Well-known member
I have them too... Not sure why they are $650... But they do the job .
X2 they are expensive
S
Sledcrazy2014
Member
Best bib ever don't think about just buy them worth every penny
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These guys are all spot on. Really expensive but the best coat and bibs you will ever buy.
I got a pair last year and have about 1,700 miles of riding on them. I tried on pants in the $600 range from several very reputable gear manufacturers before deciding to go with the Stealth bib. Many were from the ski industry, which quite frankly has much better technical gear available than what's marketed to sledders. I feel Klim is really leading the sled market as far as overall quality of their gear, I'm not saying the line is flawless, but it's a pretty solid product overall using quality, proven, brand-name materials.
Pros:
-VERY high quality pant overall, on par with the nicest ski touring and climbing pants available and tailored to the demands of sledding. Much more durable and abrasion resistant than many of the ski/climb pants.
-Nice mix of fabrics. 4-way Gore-TEx stretch fabric in the crotch area is awesome, the pants never felt like they were impeding my movement in any way. Durable fabric on the inner cuffs that gets worked against your tunnel.
-Very light weight pant. I mean that both figuratively and literally. It weighs very little and has zero insulation value. I run hotter than hell so this was great for me, I wore a mid-weight base layer and was pretty much perfect most days and could use the vents if I got really hot.
-High back on bibs, I never got snow down the backside. Also, the upper bib section is stretch fabric so it moves with you nicely.
-The knee pads that are built into the pants (removable) are D30 material, which is a flexible rate sensitive material-it's soft until you hit something, then it becomes really hard. The knee pads I always wore under my pants from mountain biking with the same material are $130. I don't have to wear those anymore and it's much more comfortable having it built into the pants.
-There is a lace hook on the gaiter. All pants should have that.
-The zipper around the bib didn't make sense to me for a while. Then I realized I could use a crapper without taking off my jacket. Genius.
-My a$$ never got wet in these pants. No matter how wet my seat was, my a$$ was dry. Having a wet a$$ on a cold day sucks. We can all agree on that.
Cons:
-The gaiter diameter was a bit too loose on my boots which would allow snow to creep up under the gaiter and into my boot on deep days. I used some rubber ski straps around the outside of the gaiter cuff to keep them in place. If you have big diameter boots, this probably won't be a problem. However, for me it was. The best gaiter design I found in my search was, by far, the one on the Patagonia Super Alpine Pant ($549). Put on something like this and it'd be sweet. It's Hazmat suit sealed:
-Another issue on the gaiter, the material is the same as the bib portion, and while it won't let snow though, it does get soggy. I'd love to see some other material used here.
-The fit is 'athletic' but will favor the skinnier overall guy. I'm 6', 190 lbs. Not tiny, but not huge. I have thick thighs, skinny jeans are not my thing. By all measurements on the Klim sizing chart, I'm a 'large', but in reality the large size is pretty much skin tight on my thighs and waist, but the right length. I went with the XL size due to this, so if you're on the edge, go up, not down. However, this made the knee pads sit about an inch lower than I'd like, I have a lot of extra shoulder strap, and a bit more room around the waist than I need.
-They are not indestructible. Nothing is, but compared to the moto style pants, they are going to be more prone to damage. I do have 3 small tears that will have to be patched before the season, the largest being about 1 cm.
Final Say: Not perfect, but still the closest thing I can find to my ideal pant.
Pros:
-VERY high quality pant overall, on par with the nicest ski touring and climbing pants available and tailored to the demands of sledding. Much more durable and abrasion resistant than many of the ski/climb pants.
-Nice mix of fabrics. 4-way Gore-TEx stretch fabric in the crotch area is awesome, the pants never felt like they were impeding my movement in any way. Durable fabric on the inner cuffs that gets worked against your tunnel.
-Very light weight pant. I mean that both figuratively and literally. It weighs very little and has zero insulation value. I run hotter than hell so this was great for me, I wore a mid-weight base layer and was pretty much perfect most days and could use the vents if I got really hot.
-High back on bibs, I never got snow down the backside. Also, the upper bib section is stretch fabric so it moves with you nicely.
-The knee pads that are built into the pants (removable) are D30 material, which is a flexible rate sensitive material-it's soft until you hit something, then it becomes really hard. The knee pads I always wore under my pants from mountain biking with the same material are $130. I don't have to wear those anymore and it's much more comfortable having it built into the pants.
-There is a lace hook on the gaiter. All pants should have that.
-The zipper around the bib didn't make sense to me for a while. Then I realized I could use a crapper without taking off my jacket. Genius.
-My a$$ never got wet in these pants. No matter how wet my seat was, my a$$ was dry. Having a wet a$$ on a cold day sucks. We can all agree on that.
Cons:
-The gaiter diameter was a bit too loose on my boots which would allow snow to creep up under the gaiter and into my boot on deep days. I used some rubber ski straps around the outside of the gaiter cuff to keep them in place. If you have big diameter boots, this probably won't be a problem. However, for me it was. The best gaiter design I found in my search was, by far, the one on the Patagonia Super Alpine Pant ($549). Put on something like this and it'd be sweet. It's Hazmat suit sealed:
-Another issue on the gaiter, the material is the same as the bib portion, and while it won't let snow though, it does get soggy. I'd love to see some other material used here.
-The fit is 'athletic' but will favor the skinnier overall guy. I'm 6', 190 lbs. Not tiny, but not huge. I have thick thighs, skinny jeans are not my thing. By all measurements on the Klim sizing chart, I'm a 'large', but in reality the large size is pretty much skin tight on my thighs and waist, but the right length. I went with the XL size due to this, so if you're on the edge, go up, not down. However, this made the knee pads sit about an inch lower than I'd like, I have a lot of extra shoulder strap, and a bit more room around the waist than I need.
-They are not indestructible. Nothing is, but compared to the moto style pants, they are going to be more prone to damage. I do have 3 small tears that will have to be patched before the season, the largest being about 1 cm.
Final Say: Not perfect, but still the closest thing I can find to my ideal pant.
Great info! Thank you very much
N
nuggetau
Well-known member
Is the zipper in the rear intended to be a poop shoot? 
Or, is it just for detaching the top? The impact foam is just on the knee, or does it go all the way down the shin?
A bib that had a specified poop shoot and had armor cloth(no rips or tears) all the way up to the crotch, and has shin protection would get my money irrespective of the cost. Anyone have a bib that meets my specs?
Or, is it just for detaching the top? The impact foam is just on the knee, or does it go all the way down the shin?A bib that had a specified poop shoot and had armor cloth(no rips or tears) all the way up to the crotch, and has shin protection would get my money irrespective of the cost. Anyone have a bib that meets my specs?
Is the zipper in the rear intended to be a poop shoot?
A bib that had a specified poop shoot and had armor cloth(no rips or tears) all the way up to the crotch, and has shin protection would get my money irrespective of the cost. Anyone have a bib that meets my specs?
The zipper is a for detaching the top. The knee pad covers the upper part of your shin.
P
pez
Member
I have the jacket and the bibs. They do fit like skinny jeans. I should have went one size up. They do stretch.
I think for the money, I wish they held up better. The bibs got torn pretty bad on my running boards. If you hit a tree, the jacket will tear. I sent the bibs in for pant leg repair already...$90.00.
Next time, I will go with the Togwotee Bid. My Freeride pants look in better condition after 6 years.
I think for the money, I wish they held up better. The bibs got torn pretty bad on my running boards. If you hit a tree, the jacket will tear. I sent the bibs in for pant leg repair already...$90.00.
Next time, I will go with the Togwotee Bid. My Freeride pants look in better condition after 6 years.
I love this style from Klim, however my only complaint is that they are not very durable in the trees. The fabric rips very easily. Second ride out last year I ripped a hole in the leg on a branch. I bought another pair while I waited for the first pair to be repaired and I ripped that pair a couple rides later in the same spot. Got the first pair back from repair and sent the second pair back for repair. Went to Colorado and ride at Burandt Backcountry and ripped the first pair again on the opposite leg.
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