You and your Columbia Men’s Ridge Run Pants are eyeing that untracked line in the bowl to the right of the chairlift. OK maybe your Columbia Pants aren’t exactly eyeing it, but the 10K-rated waterproof fabric and fully taped seams are certainly ready for your pow-attack. The wicking lining and inner thigh vents keep your legs cool as you hike up to get the full line, and leg gaiters block the snow as you float down.
I was actually pretty surprised with these pants. They are great quality. I needed a pair of pants for my husband and didn't want to spend a ton. These have all the bells and whistles of pants twice their price. Very comfortable and very functional.
This is the best pair of ski/snowboard pants I have owned, for many reasons. Most importantly, the 10K/10K rating had held true; not once have my legs been either wet or sweaty. To facilitate this, the cuffs are extremely well-designed, with velcro/button gaiters that just won't quit. The hip pockets are a bit tricky to access, but that means it's not as easy for snow to get into either, so I'll definitely take it. The side pockets are huge and easy to handle with gloves on, and will hold anything that does not fear water, such as energy bars, sunscreen, etc. Note that the zip pockets aren't particularly waterproof, so I'd suggest wrapping your stuff in small dry-sacks before or else risk a bit of moisture. Finally, the vents are very well-designed and again, easy to use with gloves. Just a quick tug in either direction. On the topic of venting, note that these pants are not insulated and are thus not particularly warm; this is easily remedied by the use of thermal underwear, which you should have anyway, even if just for the moisture-wicking capacity. And, for those of you interested in showboating in front of your homies, the cut is somewhere between old-school ski pants and really baggy stuff made by Burton or Sessions. Look just as rad as anyone in those potato sack pants with none of the loss in functionality, and for about half the price, to boot.
