EMS Men's Helix Bib Pants

Comments about Eastern Mountain Sports EMS Men's Helix Bib Pants:

I wore these on a sunny, 55 degree death hike in the Whites last week...a 23 mile Presidential Traverse. I am already familiar with the amazing waterproofness-ness of the Helix Jacket so I wasn't out to test the Neoshell there. What I wanted to test was this bibb's breathability. Honestly, I was completely comfortable the entire hike. Although these weigh 18 oz more than my beloved Arc'teryx hiking pants these bibbs were just as comfortable and never felt "heavier" than the Arc'teryx. I never thought, "Man, these pants weigh over 2 lbs". These are super-comfortable! EMS, let me offer a couple of small, small, criticisms for future seasons: the back of the bibbs cut a little low - my shirt came un-tucked often. Also, even with the built-in gaitors, the ankles need some elastic. I have already added some "aftermarket" help with minimal effort and about $2 strain on the pocket. EMS and Polartec, you guys rock! Now, owning both the Helix jacket and the Helix Bibbs, I feel pretty invincible under every condition. I cannot WAIT until winter to truly test these beasties!!!

Comments about Eastern Mountain Sports EMS Men's Helix Bib Pants:

Eastern Mountain Sports recently provided me with a pair of EMS Men's Helix Bib Pants for the guiding work I do out of our North Conway, NH climbing school location. The fact these were given to me have not influenced my review of them in anyway, and the opinions below are my honest impressions of these bibs!

It's hard to find a bib that is good for everything in winter. For ice climbing I want the range of motion soft shell pants give me. For winter mountaineering on Mount Washington I want the bombproof windproof-ness of a hard shell. For back-country skiing I want both mobility and bombproof protection, plus a fit that works over bulkier ski boots. EMS has almost hit the bulls-eye with these bib pants!
Fit: I'm 5′ 9″, 178lbs, with a 34 inch waist so according to the size chart I am a medium in these. The first time I tried them on they felt a little snug. However after over a half dozen ski tours and a couple Mount Washington ascents I've found the Polartec NeoShell fabric really does stretch unlike the traditional hard-shell bibs I have worn. They're less baggy than my older EMS System III 20k bibs, and I feel much less boxy and more technical.

Breath-ability: While I don't fully understand the claim "Uses convection rather than diffusion to promote more efficient moisture vapor transport", I can report these breath extremely well. So well that while skinning uphill for 2 hours in regular winter conditions I have yet to take advantage of the full side zips to let any steam escape. Granted, it's has been a bit unseasonably cold the last few trips, but I notice no moisture getting trapped under these at the end of the day.

Windproofness: I wore these for my coldest wind chill ever ascent of Mount Washington just a week ago. How cold? Try -65 degrees!
With nothing but heavy weight long underwear (EMS Power Stretch Pants) and some thermal boxer briefs underneath they kept me comfortable during a rather long ascent in wicked conditions.

Features: Full length waterproof side zippers make these go on and off easy, but I especially like the built-in internal gaiter that easy fits and snaps secure over my ski boot. Other faves are the small chest pocket the holds my iPhone and the zippered hand pockets that can fit my avalanche beacon.

Improvement: The only thing keeping these from getting a perfect score for me is I need a thigh cargo pocket big enough to hold an AIARE Field Book (7in x 4.5in) for quick access during a ski tour. If a thigh pocket doesn't work with the side zippers then the chest pocket could be deepened to accommodate the field book that more and more back-country skiers will be carrying.

Bottom Line: These are an excellent technical bib at a great price! I'll rate them based on primary use…

Ice Climbing 7/10

Mountaineering 9/10

Back-country Skiing 8/10

Comments about Eastern Mountain Sports EMS Men's Helix Bib Pants:

Nice pants and I like them but they will not keep you warm, only dry. The waist doesnt have much adjustment so dont get fat.

Comments about Eastern Mountain Sports EMS Men's Helix Bib Pants:

I bought the Helix Bib Pant primarily for when I go tele-skiing in Utah. The material is light and durable and unrestrictive.

Comments about Eastern Mountain Sports EMS Men's Helix Bib Pants:

Bought the Helix Bib pants for my husband for Christmas. He is a telemarker. The bib pants looked beautiful in the store and an employee told me the pants were worth the investment and were extremely warm for winter outdoor activities.I think those coments were true.
But, when my husband put them on at Christmas, the medium was too small and my husband is a perfect size medium. The velcro shoulder straps were the most disappointing. They seemed of cheap quality and unreliable for keeping the bib pants up during athethetic activity. We returned them.