stoic bombshell bib pants

Stoic is the house brand of the giant online gear retailer backcountry.com. They bill their Stoic Bombshell Bib Pants as “Technical, breathable, and bulletproof; the last winter pant that you'll ever need.” Bold claim from Stoic – here is how they fared when put through backcountryskiingcanada.com’s testing.

These pants are not a traditional one piece bib pant, they consist of hard shell legs with a removable soft shell bib to allow for a wider range of applications. I did not find a time when I wanted to take the bib portion off, but it is nice to have the option. Most of the time, if weather permits I prefer to skin with just a base layer on my upper body, I found the Bombshell’s softshell bib portion are really complimentary to this system – they are nice and breathable and kept any wind that might be blowing off my core. The bib also features two pockets (which can double as vents if you want) that are handy for a radio and small camera (keeps the batteries warm next to the body). One small complaint that I had in regards to the bibs is towards the suspender straps - they are made of a material that snow sticks to, and they have a large amount of excess strap adding bulk.

The pant portion of the Bombshell Bib Pant also holds its own. They are three layer construction, but do not feature any name brand technology in the all important membrane to keep you dry from the inside and out. Whatever technology the membrane uses, in combination with the Bombshell’s welded seams and mesh backed inner thigh vents made the breathability quite good on these pants. The stretch in the fabric and the articulated knees ensure that mobility is always good in the Bombshell bibs.

There are a few other little features on the Bombshell Bibs worth noting including adjustable tabs on the waist to get the fit dialed in perfect. They also have “Keprotech” reinforcement on the cuffs to hold up to ski edge cuts while skinning. Noteworthy for negative reasons is a very short fly, which makes is a little more awkward to drain those morning coffees from your bladder.

Verdict:

Great pants – especially for the price. The removable softshell bibs, give you all the benefits of a bib pant, but use a very breathable fabric on the parts normally covered by your jacket. The Bombshell Bib Pants have the performance and features that I would expect out of the big name brands, a couple hundred dollars less.

SPECS:

Price: $229.99 USD
Weight: 1.85lbs / 839g
Manufacturer Warranty: Lifetime
Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL

PROS:

- Bib portion is breathable and removable
- Great value

CONS:

- Short fly
- Only available online

Rating: 9/10

Fit / Mobility                   1.5/2
Packability                       2/2
Waterproof / Breathable  2/2
Features                          1.5/2
Quality / Price                 2/2

This is only our opinion. Do you disagree? Did we miss something? Are we totally out to lunch? Join the discussion in the forums here, and let us know what you think. People like/dislike gear for different reasons so chime in and we'll get a well-rounded evaluation. 

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