In December last year I had to buy snowboard pants at the last minute since my older 686 pants were ripped up in the pant legs (I warrantied them soon after). I picked up the 686 Smarty Complete 2.5 Ply Snowboard Pants. They are the men’s snowboard pants, I prefer baggy pants and after trying them on, they fit me around the hips and waist with the baggy feel so I got them.
I don’t expect pants to last 100 days and I have yet to see pants last 100 days without any major wear and tear. I also know that because I wear them baggy, that the bottom of the pant legs can become ripped easier and drag along the ground since they are too long for me. So definitely note that these pants are longer than I need, but I prefer them that way. That is the only thing I have fixed on these pants is the rear middle belt loop which I had to sew up to continue riding in them.
Since December, they have been my main snowboard pant on the mountain and now they have finally hit 100 days just in time to check out how well they have lasted and have held up.
Appearance:
There’s a reason I tend to choose black snowboard pants, because even over time they hold the color without major stains or damages in appearance.
I have yet to wash the pants, I know it’s gross but I rarely wash snowboard pants and in this case, I haven’t washed them at all since I bought them. All the beer stains blend in with the black and trust me I’ve spilled beer on them a couple times at the bar.
Waterproofing: I haven’t touched the pants in terms of getting them more waterproof yet. They need it but I haven’t done it. On really snowy days, I start to notice that the pants are heavier but I haven’t had them get cold or feel drenched. In Colorado, the snow is lighter and dryer than when I lived in Washington where waterproofing was more important than here.
Belt Loops:
There are 5 total belts loops on the Smarty Pants, unfortunately for me by the end of last season 2 of them decided to break. The two that broke were the rear (middle) and the front (right). I’ve found out that I only needed to repair the rear middle and so far I’ve been riding without the front right for most of this season without any issues.
Since my sewing skills are not up to par at all and I did a quick fix, it doesn’t look pretty. I’m working on giving my pants to a friend who will repair both of the belt loops for me.
Rear (middle) Belt Loop. Obviously I was not meant to be a seamstress.
Zippers:
There are 5 zippers on the pants and all of them are in working and good condition. I’ve never had a problem with the zippers in the leg vents or the pockets.
Rivets (buttons):
I counted 7 rivets (buttons) on the pants. All of them are in working condition, none of them have popped off or come undone.
Removable Liner:
The removable liner doesn’t have 100 days on it, it probably has 20 days at the most. I usually only wore that on really cold days and when I needed a lot of warmth. I actually used a thinner underlayer for most days on the mountain. Pre-season and late season I usually just wear nothing underneath the pant.
Even the inside of the pant is in good condition, there’s no wear and tear on the inside.
Boot Cuffs/Gaitors:
One of the boot cuffs is in perfect condition and the other has the seam splitting on it. That’s the only place on the pant where the seam is splitting and to me it doesn’t bother me or affect me riding unless I’m in very deep snow and it can get inside the pant.
Since my pants drag on the ground, they show damage to the bottom where it drags.
The seam splitting on my boot cuff
The gaitors are tore up and I need to cut them off because they are now getting stuck under my boots on some days. Because the pants are longer than I need, the gaitor around my boot can be dragged underneath my boot when I’m walking.
Right Gaitor
Overall:
They are a very comfortable snowboard pant and I’m surprised how well they have held up over 100 days on snow. I have new 686 pants waiting for me to replace these but they’ve been hard to put away.