Flylow Tannen Bibs – Thumbs Up from the Gear Destroyer
Flylow Tannen Bibs – Thumbs Up from the Gear Destroyer
Aaron shredding at Berthoud Pass in the Flylow Tannen Bibs (Photo by Yoseph Lakein)
Talk about solid. The Flylow Tanner Bibs $400 are three-layer softshell stretch low-profile bibs that work well for both the backcountry and lift-serviced runs. The best feature about these bibs probably is their waterproofness and comfort.
Aaron showing the fit of the Flylow Tannen Bibs (medium)
Flylow Tannen Bibs Review
There are enough pockets with two hand pockets, a thigh pocket, and a rear pocket (no chest pocket, obviously). The YKK waterproof zippers work well and haven’t given me any issues in terms of snags.
I’m able to take dumps with confidence thanks to the long exterior zip which allows me to pull the pants out of the way. Women who prefer a men’s cut will appreciate this feature of the Tannen bibs as well.
I can attest to the effectiveness of the Flylow Tannen bibs’ DWR waterproofing with multiple spring missions and steep bootpacks. Even after kneeling on wet snow for nearly 15 minutes in the baking sun waiting to take pictures, I still didn’t feel any water intrusion through the material.
Aaron Rose wearing the Flylow Tannen Bibs in the Colorado Backcountry (Photo by Ian Garrity)
In terms of durability, don’t let the lightweight feel of 600 grams fool you. There were a few times where I genuinely thought I had ripped a hole or scraped my bibs to the point they’d show damage. In one instance, rocks raked my whole body as I slid across a shallow bank of snow. I had a giant bruise on my thigh and some abrasions, but you wouldn’t know it from looking at the Flylow Tannen bibs.
Aaron Rose looking at his objective in the Flylow Tannen Bibs (Photo by Ian Garrity)
The downside to the Flylow Tannen bibs’ loose fitting is that you can’t afford to be sloppy with your crampon technique as I poked a hole at the same height above the 500 denier cuff reinforcements on both legs while climbing a steep line.
Nothing a little Tenacious Tape will fix, but I’d give some thought to the fitting if you spend a lot of time climbing with crampons. The articulated knee box works out though for those wanting to throw methods while the powder gaiter does a pretty decent job of keeping snow out of my boots.
Aaron grinning as he tops out on the Citadel in the Flylow Tannen Bibs (Photo by Seth Linden)
In terms of temperature defense, I would give these bibs a 7 out of 10. One spring mission I didn’t wear any base layers, but we ended up on top of a ridge earlier than anticipated and the sun was still hiding behind some cirrus clouds.
The wind chill factor made me wish I had worn a thin pair of base layers just to take the edge off. I can get away with wearing mid-weight baselayers under these softshell pants for most days on the ski hill, but I would probably wear two base layers if I knew wind chill would be a big factor. I was able to dump excess heat easily with the inner and outer thigh zippers on the other hand.
Overall the Flylow Tannen three-layer softshell stretch low-profile bibs get a thumbs up from the Gear Destroyer and will be in my go-to kit for most pow-centric tours this winter.
Aaron Rose
