# Outwear companies that suck...or don't?



## JeffreyCH (Nov 21, 2009)

Since my workload is lightening up and I have the time I have been going through ebay looking for new(or used) pants and jacket. I've been wearing the same shit for 5 years now, my special blend jacket is starting to show it's age, and I've never had a pair of "real" SB pants. (always used wind pants with layers under) 

The brands I've been looking at are, special blend, 686, four square, burton, north face, columbia, quicksilver, oakley, mountain hardware, patagonia. Any other brands I should look at? Any brands to completely stay away from? I'm not looking for specific recommendations, just overall impressions about quality from the various brands out there.


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## SimonB (Oct 13, 2010)

I've had good experience with AK (Burton), Volcom and Special Blend.

Me and the GF both have gore-tex jacket. Well worth it at 50% off.

I'm looking at 686 Smarty pants (last year model) for this year. Looks pretty well made (and 50% off...).


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## 2hipp4u (Dec 24, 2010)

I have my crew (family) outfitted with with mostly Volcom and 686, never a problem.


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## SnowOwl (Jun 11, 2012)

I'm rockin all 686. I have a jacket from the smarty section. Awesome quality, super light weight, super warm still. Win. And I have a pants from the Reserved section. They look like pin stripped grey dress pants. They're extremely comfortable and warm. Gettin my face mask today actually  It's a big win since I paid $90 for both the pants and jacket


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## JeffreyCH (Nov 21, 2009)

Ahh yes I forgot about Volcom  What about Sessions?


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## JeffreyCH (Nov 21, 2009)

SimonB said:


> I've had good experience with AK (Burton), Volcom and Special Blend.
> 
> Me and the GF both have gore-tex jacket. Well worth it at 50% off.
> 
> I'm looking at 686 Smarty pants (last year model) for this year. Looks pretty well made (and 50% off...).


I really like the 686 smarty....just don't go around tellin everyone you got your pants half off, might scare the children :cheeky4:


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## bseracka (Nov 14, 2011)

I like Sessions esp their Gore stuff. In the past it was pretty reasonably priced for what you got. The one knock on their stuff is it is only critical seam sealed.


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## john doe (Nov 6, 2009)

I'm a goretex whore. I was able to get my Burton 2L AK pants used for $120 off ebay. There was nothing wrong with them and were in near new condition.


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## backstop13 (Jun 27, 2012)

i really like Oakley gear for non-goretex gear. 

you can score some good, cheap stuff from oakleyvault.com

other than Oakley, I like 686 a lot.


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## LuckyRVA (Jan 18, 2011)

JeffreyCH said:


> Ahh yes I forgot about Volcom  What about Sessions?



Volcom is now my go-to. I had a Sessions jacket two seasons ago, while it was warm and dry I did not lke the fit. I am 5'9" and was about 180lbs at the time and a medium jacket fit me like a potato sack.


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## JeffreyCH (Nov 21, 2009)

LuckyRVA said:


> Volcom is now my go-to. I had a Sessions jacket two seasons ago, while it was warm and dry I did not lke the fit. I am 5'9" and was about 180lbs at the time and a medium jacket fit me like a potato sack.


No shit! I was looking at some of the actual measurements on some jackets and it seems that a XL is made for sasquatch, some of the measurements are out there. I'm a pretty big guy, but damn, one jacket I looked at measured 28" arm pit to arm pit....I measure 17-18" on my work coat. Kind of sucks, I found a sick Burton Ronin in black for 60 bucks but the thing is huge. 

Are all SB jackets sized like this? Or is it hit and miss? I like a little baggy so I can move, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna wear around a potato sack :laugh:


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## LuckyRVA (Jan 18, 2011)

Most outterwear companies have different fits in their line. Can't remember if Sessions does (or did a few years ago). Anything "team" fit is going to fit big and long.


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## Triple8Sol (Nov 24, 2008)

32 and Airblaster make some good looking stuff at good prices = good values, from what I've seen.


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## JeffreyCH (Nov 21, 2009)

Airblaster huh? I've been skipping that brand all together...I dunno....just sounded cheap. Almost grabbed a pair of Bonfires, looked pretty good, got home 5 minutes late and someone sniped em by .50... for 17 bucks twas a deal... oh well.... didn't care much for the color.


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## JeffreyCH (Nov 21, 2009)

Was just thinking about some of the other brands I avoid. Edlewiess, Pipeline, Magus, none of the blabbercrommy n snitch type brands, and no Spyder either(the choice of skier dads everywhere lol) 

Couple things I ran across that I am curious about. Obermyer? Their stuff any good? Then this jacket...a Killy? I found very little on it through a couple googles, looks like some hardcore BC stuff, has a build in RECCO KILLY MASTER TECH A.W.T. BLACK SKI JACKET, Rescue Systems RECCO (XL) | eBay
I dig that coat, might go 50 on it. If it is some kinda special deal that is gonna shoot up to a couple hundred bucks in the last day of the auction then I'm gonna forget it n snap up a buy it now deal I found.


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## bseracka (Nov 14, 2011)

You can keep skipping airblaster. Most of their stuff is designed for the park crowd and has what I consider unacceptable wpr,breath at 10/10.

Bonfire has some good stuff, but you can tell they cut corners to hit a price point. These corners may not be an issue to you, but be aware.


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## turbospartan (Oct 27, 2010)

Burton AK stuff is probably the best made stuff I've ever bought / worn. I know people around here don't like the big B, but I bought the AK Stagger jacket a couple years ago and it is phenomenal. Still looks and feels brand new. I will say that unless you want to be gangster style, buy a size down. I originally bought the Medium and it was HUGE. Traded it for a Small and it fits pretty well, maybe even still a bit too big. 

I also have a 686 Jacket which I really like. Lot of little built in features and really no negatives that I can think of. 

I have Bonfire pants and they've held up well, the only problem with them is that instead of a button that goes through a hole, it is a snap button and sometimes when I'm bending over to strap in, the button pops and then I sag like a gangster, or I have to take my mitts off to snap it back. Wearing a belt solves the problem though. 

I had a pair of Sessions pants way back and wore them for probably almost 10 years. Besides the bottoms shredding / fraying from being too long - they were decent pants as well. 

Columbia - I'd stay away from them, at least in my own experience. I bought an Omni Tech (or whatever its called) jacket about 5 years ago because I liked the way it looked, wore it to the mountains and it basically soaked through. Weak sauce.


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## SnowOwl (Jun 11, 2012)

turbospartan said:


> I will say that unless you want to be gangster style, buy a size down.
> 
> when I'm bending over to strap in, the button pops and then I sag like a gangster, or I have to take my mitts off to snap it back. Wearing a belt solves the problem though.


nothin wrong with the thug life hater.


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## ShredLife (Feb 6, 2010)

:laugh::laugh::laugh: you probably live in the Palisades


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## JeffreyCH (Nov 21, 2009)

Well the search for a jacket is over, found this for 35 shipped. It's a Ride MTN dry series, not sure if the gheyish light blue collar is me...but meh...it's 35 bucks. I hope their outwear is as good as their bindings, I'm still riding the deltas I bought 3 seasons ago (bout 60ish days on them) and they still look new. 

In any case, here it is...it'll work....I'm not picky...the 100 I saved paid for a third of my pass...the quest for pants is on


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## RightCoastShred (Aug 26, 2012)

Any company that specializes in outerwear is good like volcom, sb, etc


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## SnowOwl (Jun 11, 2012)

RightCoastShred said:


> Any company that specializes in outerwear is good like volcom, sb, etc


Way to pitch in after the convo haha


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## bseracka (Nov 14, 2011)

Is it 10/10? If so send it back, unless you're going to use it in dry conditions and not sweat. Pants sometimes you can get away with 10/10, but not with your jacket.


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## hktrdr (Apr 3, 2012)

bseracka said:


> Is it 10/10? If so send it back, unless you're going to use it in dry conditions and not sweat. Pants sometimes you can get away with 10/10, but not with your jacket.


Not sure I agree with that - the WP rating of pants is at least as (if not more) important than that of the jacket for most riding.


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## i8somepie (Sep 19, 2012)

What WP rating and breathability rating is the minimum for both jackets and pants?


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## SnowOwl (Jun 11, 2012)

i8somepie said:


> What WP rating and breathability rating is the minimum for both jackets and pants?


What a random first post to the forum. Hi


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## LuckyRVA (Jan 18, 2011)

i8somepie said:


> What WP rating and breathability rating is the minimum for both jackets and pants?


Are you asking what would be the minimum you should consider? I wouldn't consider anything less than 10,000/10,000 myself.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

Depends where you are riding also. In CO and Utah, the snow is usually dry enough that you could ride in cotton if you wanted - why do u think the Texans still do it?! 

Goretex is just nice, cleans nice - lasts with proper care.


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