I’ve enjoyed my Northbound Pants for two seasons now – and the pants as an option for winter climbing (and hiking) are worthy of consideration when getting kitted up.
I appreciate the made in North America principle. Although not waterproof, they’re sufficiently water-resistant enough to withstand a dripping Dirty Harry (ice climb), wind-resistant enough to stave off the chill on Bark Lake (frequently wind-blown to warrant skates ‘n sail for an approach) and tough enough to take the abuse of scrappy mixed climbing (think: Tooth Floss at Diamond Lake, yes the one that climbs through the off-width!)
The exterior fabric is mated to a warm 100 weight fleece on the inside. The material itself is stretchy enough for high stepping and wide stemming. The knees are endowed with perhaps the most stand-out feature: durable grippy patches. For either full-on “alpine knees” mantles or technical knee stabs to surmount tricky hanging curtains, the extra whisker of grip on snow-covered ice has let me move more confidently.
The one criticism is the material isn’t wood-burning stove proof, so like the rest of your technical outerwear, it’s best to keep it some distance from hot stuff. The pants come with an inexpensive-looking nylon belt and plastic clip. It’s not inspiring, but after a fair amount of abuse, it has yet to let me down.
With the combinations of waist and inseam sizes you can get, you’re certain of a good fit!
Worth checking them out: www.NorthBoundGear.co If you’re not on the social platforms, have your partner follow them – they routinely put their items on awesome sales, so keep your eyes peeled!