Whats the best Jacket and Pants for deep powder?

[Snoweasel]

Klim

My vote goes to KLIM. I've experimented with Polaris, Coldwave, and few no name brands and finally KLIM. I can't think of trying anything else, but I will try the new E-Vent jacket that came with the Dragon. The advantage of KLIM is it's pretty much the only stuff that truely breaths, expells moisture but doesn't allow moisture in. I can play in powder all day and I'm always dry at the end of the day. And the knee pads in the KLIM bibbs....awesome for an old phart like me Costly yes, but if I every had to do a all nighter in the cold, I'll want to be in my KLIM gear.

 

[SnowSnob]

I am a big fan of The North Face. I have a pair of the ski bibs, and the work jacket. Dry, warm, and extremely light weight. Klim stuff is nice, but I was able to get my bibs, jacket, and a pair of gloves for under 300 at REI.

Geezz why don't you just write a check to the Serra Club while your at it.

 

[STINGRAY]

I ride with a Klim parka and Cabelas Dry Plus insulated pants.Never got cold or wet. And the pants are only 90 bucks plus they have a gaiter in the bottom of the leg that closes around your boot,really keeps the powder out.They also have full length zippers so you can get them on easily while wearing your boots.

 

[Bull Elk]

i just bought klim klimate bibs and jacket a few weeks ago.

i have 2 rides on the stuff. i bought it after getting soaked the weekend before.

so far i have ridden with a pair of sweats under the bibs and sweated all day i was warm but wet from sweat.

the second trip i wore long johns but had similar results but not quite as bad.

not bashing the product at all. it is very nice and comfy but what do i wear underneath so i dont sweat but stay warm? i guess i will always sweat but i need something that gets it away from my body.

i am all ears thanks

 

[FirstPlaceParts]

I'm a Klim dealer, but here is my opinion as a rider. If it does not say Gore-Tex and is not guaranteed waterproof, you are going to get wet. I know other companies say "waterproof coating" or "waterproofing", call them and ask, "If I stand in a shower for 15 minutes in your gear will I be dry. If they say No do not buy it.

With Gore-Tex, the garnet will be wet but your shirt under the jacket will be dry.

There still are a few companies who sell Gore-Tex gear but in my opinion Klim is the gear you want. Life time warranty, great quality, and is designed with snowmobiling in mind.

Thanks
Mark

 

[SHEFFY40]

i just bought klim klimate bibs and jacket a few weeks ago.

i have 2 rides on the stuff. i bought it after getting soaked the weekend before.

so far i have ridden with a pair of sweats under the bibs and sweated all day i was warm but wet from sweat.

the second trip i wore long johns but had similar results but not quite as bad.

not bashing the product at all. it is very nice and comfy but what do i wear underneath so i dont sweat but stay warm? i guess i will always sweat but i need something that gets it away from my body.

i am all ears thanks

YOu should never wear anything cotton(good way to get hypothermia)..You want to wear layers that wick sweat....either wear polyester or merino wool base layers with a fleece jacket under your coat and and the same layers under your pants(do not wear cotton underwear either or you will still sweat....get poly or merino as well).Merino wool is the best hands down as it wicks well and is still warm even if it gets wet.I do alot of backcountry splitboarding and have tried many products...nothing compares to Merino....trust me.MEC has great prices on merino wool

www.mec.ca

 

[Zoomie]

From my post earlier: The best first layer stuff I have ever worn, and now swear by is Maxit, it is used by all the NFL teams and you won't find it in any stores, plus they don't advertise so very few people outside of pro-sports have ever heard of it. I found out about it from a winter survival course I attended a few years back. It's pricey, but well worth it.

http://www.maxit-inc.com/products/index.html

The stuff is made out of Polyolefin and does a very good job at wicking the moisture away from your body. I feel it works just as good as Merino wool, but when wet, unlike wool it still feels dry. I wear the hothead bavaclava and the QB shirt with mock turtleneck. The best place I found to purchase Maxit products is from:

http://www.stretching.com/

They have the best prices, and are very good to deal with. Maxit products don't get the funky smell in them, or get all streatched out like a lot of the poly-pro fabbrics do. They almost last forever.

Proven to work from the Superbowl to Mt. Everest!

 

[mtnclimber]

I ride with Arctic Cat gore-tex.......and it works great, but I think that KLIM gear is probably some of the best. The Price is really high though

 

[Anti-Hero]

Klim or Reima

 

[F-Bomb]

Zoomie great info and really worth an in depth look from some of us vendors! We've been using dry tek materials in various weights and while they do move moisture they always stink and don't hold a shape.

People what you can see when you read all of the responses is that any quality outer layer waterproof performance fabric will work but that is just part of the program. The success is in your entire system. You need to combine performance fabrics in layers with some level of insulation in the middle. How much mid system insulation depends on your conditioning and the effort of the day.

Here is my combo for upper torso

0* to 20* general mountain riding 8 ounce weight base, BWEAR Vest (here is the insulation layer) HMK windstopper tek jacket or loose fit 20 ounce pile fleece zip up then my STEALTH Shell (no liner). Above 20* and I don't need the tek jacket or fleece. Spring riding I drop my base to a 3 ounce tek shirt, vest, and the shell jacket.

You just need to experiment on what system works best for you. The kiss of death is excessive sweating so you must design your system to fight over sweating and trapping of that moisture.


"light, warm, dry, with a maximum of freedom for movement"

HMK Stealth System

 

[zebiraross]

Arc'teryx

 

[Bull Elk]

YOu should never wear anything cotton(good way to get hypothermia)..You want to wear layers that wick sweat....either wear polyester or merino wool base layers with a fleece jacket under your coat and and the same layers under your pants(do not wear cotton underwear either or you will still sweat....get poly or merino as well).Merino wool is the best hands down as it wicks well and is still warm even if it gets wet.I do alot of backcountry splitboarding and have tried many products...nothing compares to Merino....trust me.MEC has great prices on merino wool

www.mec.ca

thankyou for the info. i will agree on the merino wool. i have six pairs of those socks from cabelas and they do exactly what you say. i will look into some base layers. i appreciate it.

 

[weetee]

Uh, I'll pass on the wool underwear.

 

[longtrack156]

I Ride with Arctic Cat Goretex, but, why don't the manufacturers make a good one piece suit?
Much less bulky and warmer than 2 piece.

 

[TAV]

KLIM, KLIM, KLIM.... and TNA for gloves....

 

[chinaman]

carhart all the way, you may not be dry, but you will look really cool at the bar!

 

[chopperride]

What was the Arctiva ;I have Trooper coat and love it probly not as good as Klim but alot cheeper

 

[zsnowshredder]

I have been using Klim for the past 4 years and always warm and dry. I tried alot of different brands before and I was always wet by the end of my ride.

Base layers are always moister wicking poly and fleece products.Always remeber COTTON is ROTTON, if you are using cotton it will defeat the purpose of Gortex shell.

 

[xrated]

Under Armour for the base layer and cheap Old Navy and Walmart fleece for the mid.

As for bibs, I've had Poo bibs, to bulky and wet. Best thing I ever did was go to Cabelas and search the Bargain Cave till I found a pair of their goretex bibs with maybe 100-200 grams of thinsulate. Just like Klim, even cost 200-300 brand new, but I picked them up for 90.

As for coats, I'm wearing Slednecks right now. so far I'm happy, but I havent' really tested it. Maybe I'll hope in the shower!

I have also used a Helly Hansen shell(very very thin shell) and have been happy with that. Kept me warm bombing lakes and trails in MN/UP also handled powder riding very well. Stayed dry except for where snow dust got arund the helmet and melted. Also got that coat in the Bargain Cave for maybe 60 bucks.

 

[Superjag]

Like someone else mentioned, Arc'Teryx is pretty much the sh*t. I've had some type of gear made by just about every brand mentioned here and the Arc'teryx has proven to be the most weatherproof by far. Absolutely bombproof. Micro seam allowances. Gore taped seams. Laminated zippers and pockets. Bad a$$ stuff. Big time pricey though. Just the shell (Sidewinder) and fleece under layer ran me $630.00. Would never go back to anything else though.
Just my .02.