Clothing, backcountry, Gear Review, Outerwear, Patagonia, Skiing, snowboarding, Soft Goods, splitboarding, waterproof

Patagonia SnowDrifter Bibs – Great Complete Snow Coverage

Great Complete Snow Coverage – His and Hers review! Patagonia SnowDrifter Bibs Patagonia SnowDrifter Bibs are minimalist yet complete coverage to keep snow out. Part of the SnowDrifter line, these are some legit snow bibs for deep days. Check out our review of the SnowDrifter Jacket as well. New backcountry ski and splitboard clothing from…

Sean Sewell

September 24, 2019

alpine touring, backcountry, Engearment, gear, Gear Review, pants, Patagonia, skiing, snowboarding, splitboarding

Great Complete Snow Coverage – His and Hers review!

Patagonia SnowDrifter Bibs

Patagonia SnowDrifter Bibs are minimalist yet complete coverage to keep snow out. Part of the SnowDrifter line, these are some legit snow bibs for deep days. Check out our review of the SnowDrifter Jacket as well.

New backcountry ski and splitboard clothing from Patagonia

We first saw the SnowDrifter line up at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market and were very interested in them. Corey showed us the kit and we were all impressed. I was a huge fan of the previous backcountry oriented kit – the Decsensionist kit – and was intrigued with the new gear.

Stay tuned for detailed review from a male and female perspective

This is going to be a fun project to share with all of you. We are going to do a mid-season update to this review, from a male (myself) and female perspective. Our favorite donut eating, female telemark gear reviewer – Eliza Lockhart – will be offering her review on this kit as well. How about that for full coverage!?

Patagonia SnowDrifter Bib Review Engearment.com — Patagonia SnowDrifter Bibs

SnowDrifter Bibs – Legitimate Bibs

The SnowDrifter Bibs are a full-coverage bib. This is ideal for deep days in the snow. What I like about these bibs, is that the upper portion is a lightweight and stretchy material. It is not stiff or restrictive. Heck, nothing about this bib is restrictive. There is even a zippered kangaroo style pocket on the upper bib. Great for a sandwich.

Patagonia SnowDrifter Bibs kangaroo pouch — kangaroo pouch

The materials used in the bibs are the same as the SnowDrifter Jacket – a 75D stretch polyester ripstop. Patagonia uses its H2No Performance Standard Shell in these. This is a 3 layer WPB membrane that has proven durable and reliable. I have used many jackets and pants that feature this WPB membrane and have always been happy with them. You can save some money by going with Patagonia’s house WPB membrane over a name brand one.

Beacon pocket

There is a dedicated beacon pocket inside the right thigh pocket. I love this feature. The stretchy pocket was able to hold my Mammut Barryvox S Beacon with ease. There is a stretchy loop inside the pocket to attach the beacon to as well. I only keep the beacon in that pocket. Perhaps some chapstick or something very small. I don’t want to have anything in the way and slowing access to the beacon!

Fit and Function of the SnowDrifter Bib

I am using the size large in this and find it fits very well. Not too tight, nor too short. I could size up to the XL with little issue if needed. I ran into this with the PowSlayer Bibs $599 as well (read our review on that here). This is a good problem to have! Though I think I will stick with the large for this season. For reference, I am 6’1″ 205lb, 45″ chest, 33″ waist, 32″ inseam. If you want extra room, size up.

Patagonia SnowDrifter Bib Review Engearment.com deep pockets — deep pockets

Review of the Patagonia SnowDrifter Bibs

As you can gather, I am a fan of these bibs. Matched up with the SnowDrifter jacket, and you have an incredible setup, for less money than GoreTex Pro gear. Plus, the materials are much more comfortable and quiet. The bibs are $349 and the jacket is $399. It is a good investment considering a good bib usually costs more than that.

For example, the Arcteryx SV bib is $699 Yes, those are GoreTex Pro, but they are also $300 more. Both are full coverage bibs. It is your call on whether or not you need that kind of bib. I think the SnowDrifter line is a fair price for essential backcountry clothing.

Waterproof. Check

Breathable. Check

Stretch. Check

Beacon pocket. Check

Get some!

Patagonia Women’s SnowDrifter Bibs- Reliable Shells for the Backcountry

Comfort and mobility is the name of the game with these bibs. A truly reliable pair of ski pants. With zippers for ventilation on the outside of each leg, deep pockets on the front of each thigh and a deep pocket on the chest of the bibs, the Patagonia SnowDrifter bibs ($349) are exceptional for everyday use. The times I’ve spent in them have been extremely comfortable.

There are two cons I have found in the bibs, one being the wind. They don’t completely block it since the material is on the thinner side, if its an extremely windy day you may get slightly chilled. Number two is the location of the side zippers. While the zippers themselves are super (two-way function for ventilation and easy in/out and a snap at the top), the tops are slightly behind your hip, in a hard to reach spot making it awkward to open and close.

Despite these two things, they’re an awesome outer layer for your days in the mountains. The H2No, as implied, is a waterproof material made of 100% polyester, 70% of which is recycled. This has a slight stretch to it giving you maximum mobility. This is extremely important to me as a telemark skier; I need my pants to give me enough room to go into a deep lunge and the stretchiness accommodates this. I have had no problems with this need for mobility and am really pleased with how unrestrictive they are. This material has a DWR finish to keep you dry and a polyester knit backer. The upper part of the bib is a lighter material designed for breathability and further mobility. 63% recycled nylon, 26% polyester, and 11% spandex means a 4-way stretch and comfortable core.

I have somewhat long legs (32” inseam) and I found the length to be perfect. In some online reviews, women said the pants were too long but I think these hit the sweet spot. Once I put my ski boots on pants tend to get even shorter, so to have these at the perfect length is a huge plus in my book. They fit slightly on the larger size so if you are between sizes I would size down, but the adjustable straps help you tailor the fit. Weighing in at only 18.2 oz (1.1 lbs), the SnowDrifter bibs are designed for the uphill and long days in the backcountry. So far, these seem durable despite their lack of bulk. I think these are going to last a long time. Patagonia has always been such a reliable company and I have a lot of faith in their products (and no, I’m not being paid to say that).

Eliza Lockhart

Growing up snowboarding and hiking in the bitter cold winters and humid summers of northern Vermont, Eliza learned how to beat up gear and quickly became infatuated with new technologies. After moving to Colorado in 2015 to pursue a degree in recreation and outdoor education at Western Colorado University, her passion for the outdoors grew exponentially. Soon after, she picked up rock climbing, telemark skiing, backpacking, canyoneering, and is slowly learning to love rafting. Through these learning processes, Eliza began to understand the importance of the right gear and hopes to share her experiences and knowledge with others through Engearment.

Eliza Lockhart in water

Now working for Beacon Guidebooks as the ‘Wearer of Many Hats’ (yes, that is her official title), Eliza has learned the ins and outs of the outdoor industry. She has also worked on marketing teams, as a photographer, media coordinator, outdoor instructor and as a wrangler. She is especially excited to encourage other women in the outdoors and is an advocate for diversity and inclusion.

2 responses to “Patagonia SnowDrifter Bibs – Great Complete Snow Coverage”

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November 29, 2019 at 9:30 am

[…] MEN – WOMEN – REVIEW […]

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Patagonia SnowDrifter Pack 30L – Easy To Use Backcountry Ski and Splitboard Backpack – Engearment

March 13, 2020 at 3:31 pm

[…] The SnowDrifter is a new line for Patagonia for the 2019/2020 season. The Engearment Team saw it at the Outdoor Retailer Summer show and both I, and Eliza Lockhardt were keen on getting the SnowDrifter kit tested. We did and the detailed reviews are here! SnowDrifter Jacket, Men’s and Women’s review and SnowDrifter Bibs, Men’s and Women’s Review. […]

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