So I, relatively recently, got into downhill skiing. After figuring out how to turn, I took to it with my usual reckless abandon. I mean, clearly, I needed another expensive hobby.
The first couple outings, I wore the cheap shell pants I keep in the bottom of my SAR pack. I hardly ever hike with shell pants, as I get overheated, so I haven't put a lot of money into this. The pants performed well enough,. However, when I ate snow (which happened a lot), I got snow between my jacket and pants, and then down into my unmentionables.
Thus, I decided I needed overalls to ski.
First, I grabbed a pair of bibs from Wal-Mart. $30, water "resistant," and insulated. What more could you want?
Some way to take a leak without getting undressed, for one. Better elastic. Waterproof. Just better build quality, overall. Frankly, for $30, the Walmart specials were adequate. However, I'm picky about gear. Time to stick a crowbar in my wallet and hit REI.
Or so I thought.
REI carries several sets of bib overalls, though plain pants are vastly more popular. Dunno why. Maybe it's refreshing to have snow down your ass crack? Maybe bibs are just too dorky? However, I don't like snow up my butt, and I've already surpassed the dork threshold at lightspeed. Normal pants instead of bibs are not going to save me from dorkiness.
But I digress. I first grabbed a pair of North Face bibs, because they were the least expensive. But they weren't insulated at all. They're just shells. For snowsports. I figured if I was going to spend big money on ski pants, I wanted a pair with some insulation. Back to REI.
Next I proceeded to try every stinking pair of bibs that REI carries. Two common threads: no insulation, and they're all tiny. The North Face bibs I started the show with were the only ones which came even remotely close to fitting, and they were uncomfortably snug.
I'm not a huge guy. I'm 5'11" and weigh about 200 lb. Granted, I could stand to lose a little weight, but I figured an XL would be suitable. Evidently not.
Eventually I gave up, grabbed a pair of shell pants (because those fit fine, for some reason. Just not the bibs), and got in touch with my inner MacGyver. I ordered a couple yards of softshell fabric and made myself a bib upper to sew to the pants. I then got a quilted pant liner, similar to the liners for the old M-65 Field Jacket, and stuck it in the pants.
Problem solved, but it should not have been this bloody difficult.
