I love outerwear and I usually keep most of my old outerwear…although I always try to pass on gear to friends that need it. Just in case someone forgets their outerwear or needs to borrow some, I have spare stuff in my closet.
Today was the big tent sale in town so I managed to score a pair of black cargo snowboard pants by 686…my favorite outerwear company. I got them for $85 so I just had to share my good luck. I also picked up the Helly Hanson jacket back in Seattle for $60…so I’m stoked because it’s another outerwear set for my collection. I posed wearing both on my back porch that looks out over Steamboat.
Jacket: Helly Hansen Windbreaker (Helly Tech Watertight Tech for Wet weather conditions)
Best Conditions: This is my new lightweight, pre-season sunny day jacket.
Pros: Lightweight and breathable material.
Cons: No vents
Pants: 686 Mannual MCG 10k (10,000mm and 8,000gm)
Best Conditions: I haven’t taken them out on snow yet, but for CO dry snow these pants will be my everything pants.
Pros: warm liner, leg vents, cargo pockets and a couple other necessary pockets. Black Color!
Cons: mens pants so they will be baggy on me and i’ll have to duct tape the bottom after they rip open from drag.
Jacket: 686 Smarty Vanity in Tweed (15,000mm and 10,000gm)
Best Conditions: Cold winter days.
Pros: The thickness of the jacket holds up really good when it’s super chilly out, the jacket comes with an inner jacket but Ive found that I don’t even use the inner jacket because of how good the jacket is. Lots of pockets (seriously) including a chapstick pocket on the sleeve, season pass pocket on the arm…must haves. The vents I’ve used and glad to have them under the armpits. I love hooded jackets but if i need to, i can remove the hood. The jacket has magnetic strips to keep it closed over the zipper.
Cons: I don’t mind free stuff, but i got a 686 beanie and 686 gold necklace and some flower thing with the jacket…which is all worthless to me. The tweed is not my favorite material, it does fine on cold days but when it’s dumping powder the snow sticks to the jacket.
Pants: Bonfire Kinetic T10 (10,000mm and 10,000gm)
Best Conditions: Anything and everything, these pants have been worn through the coldest winters, wettest winters and summer/spring riding.
Pros: Black pants with cargo pockets, tons of other pockets, fleece lining with mesh in the front, the quality has held up very well through any condition…even on rainy days without waterproofing last year, these held up where i stayed dry underneath.
Cons: The right vent zipper broke and even then I still rode with the pants because they are that good…I was just a bit more breezy when I rode switch.
Pants: Bonfire Radiant (12,000mm and 10,000gm)
Best Conditions: Warm winter days
Pros: These are pretty thick pants, durable and tough for winter days.
Cons: There are pretty of pockets but I don’t like the design of them, the flaps over them and the cargo pockets were too not easily accessible like pockets should be.
Jacket: Burton (I can’t find the name but I will eventually)
Best Conditions: Spring
Pros: I could sport this jacket and really did in any condition as long as i layered up underneath. It had armpit vents, decent amount of pockets.
Cons: The jacket was still in good shape, but the zipper totally broke off and was un-fixable and un-wearable so I had to throw it away. It was then replaced by the Helly Hanson jacket, very similiar to this one.
Pants: Same pants as with the 686 Vanity Jacket.
Jacket: Burton Formula Jacket
Best Conditions: Cold winter days with a ton of powder.
Pros: This is my warmest jacket ever, the inner jacket is fully fleece lined and the material is thick. I could go shirtless underneath and still be kept warm. Armpit vents, decent pockets, chapstick pocket, removable hoodie. Despite numerous seasons with this jacket, it has held up surprisingly well through NW wet snowy days.
Cons: You can tell how old the jacket is, because the inner pocket is meant for a discman (hehe).
Pants: Bonfire Fusion C10 (10,000mm and 10,000gm)
Best Conditions: spring or winter riding, but not too cold out or any rain.
Pros: These are still the nicest cleanest pants I’ve laid eyes on…in fact sitting here typing this I’m amazed how clean they are and in good shape but I spent a ton of days in them in the NW winters and summer riding. The pants are pretty thin, there’s only lining around the butt area the rest is mesh for breathability. The vents are super long from the waist to the knee, giving good air flow.
Cons: There are only two pockets in the pants and that’s not enough.