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Gear Reviews
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| Tester Information |
|
Name: Rebecca
Sowards-Emmerd
Location: Los
Altos, CA
Age/Sex:
27/Female
Height: 5'5"
(1.65 m)
Weight: 125
lb (57 kg)
Email:
rebecca@backpackgeartest.org
Website:
http://www.calipidder.com |
I began backpacking in
the summer of 2000 after moving to California. Although I started off
carrying everything but the kitchen sink, my style has shifted to
lightweight gear and techniques, though I am known to carry a few luxury
items (mmm...pillow). First in my heart is summer backpacking, but I also enjoy
snowshoeing, skiing, and snowcamping, as well as long dayhikes and peak
climbing. I spend time outside during weekends year-round in
the deserts and mountains of California. My weekend hikes are often
'spur-of-the-moment', and usually occur in and around Yosemite National
Park, Desolation Wilderness (near Lake Tahoe), and Sonora Pass in the
Sierra Nevada mountains, as well as Lassen National Park and Mt.
Shasta area in the Southern
Cascades. |
|
Product Information |
|
Name: Guide Lite
Pant
Manufacturer:
Ibex
Manufacturer website: www.ibexwear.com
Year of Manufacture:
2004
Listed Weight: 18.2
oz/516 g (average)
Measured
weight: 16.5 oz/468 g (womens small) |
The Ibex
Guide Lite pants are an elastic waisted pull-on pair of pants made from
Climawool, Ibex's proprietary softshell fabric.
Softshell pants allow me to get away with a single layer of
clothing that provides what it normally takes two layers to do -
insulation and wind/water repellency. Softshell is also remarkably
more breathable than typical winter wear, preventing the build up of
clammy sweat. Although it doesn't provide 100% water protection or
extreme insulation, softshell technology is ideal while active. It
eliminates uncomfortable bulky and thick multiple layers, allowing me to
move more easily on skis and snowshoes.
The Guide
Lites have a simple design with an elastic pull-on waist, two zippered
front pockets, and zippered expandable panels at the ankle to accommodate
bulky boots. The men's version of these pants has a front
zipper but the women's version does not. Softshell pants like these have become my favorite bottoms
of choice for winter activities such as snowshoeing and skiing, and the
Guide Lite Pants fit the definition of my 'perfect winter
activewear'. |
| Field Information |
|
After the initial two months of
wearing these pants on every single hike I cut back on my long-term testing period use to snow trips
only. Although I find the Guide
Lites perfectly comfortable pants for hiking they are just too warm for most non-snow conditions.
However, for playing in the snow I
don't think I'll ever find a better pair of pants. A sampling of the trips on which the Ibex Guide Lite pants were used
are as follows:
 Overnight snowshoe backpack to Dewey
Point in Yosemite National Park: January 2005
On this trip the snow was fresh and
the sun was shining. Conditions were perfect for an overnight in the
snow. Although the temperatures were forecasted to get well below
freezing overnight, it barely dropped below freezing. Daytime
temperatures were in the 40s F (5-10 C) and warm enough that only a
single layer was needed for warmth, so my jacket was stashed away in my
pack until evening.
The picture to the left shows my
typical behavior when I set up camp - I tend to kneel and scooch around in
the snow on my knees quite a bit as I bury snow anchors and dig out snow
'furniture'.
Outdoor Retailer Show
Backcountry Basecamp: Salt Lake City, Utah, January
2005
At the Outdoor Retailer Show in late January I participated in a Demo
day which gave me the opportunity to try out different snowshoe, ski, and
alternative snow gear. With the overcast and cold conditions the Ibex
Guide Lite pants were a perfect choice to remain comfortable while active
and also for keeping warm when standing around in the chilled air chatting
with manufacturers. I wandered the hills in snowshoes for a while, did a
lot of cross country ski demoing, and even did some heart-stopping
frightening high-speed sledding, called Airboarding. I took a few
high-speed tumbles off of that thing!
Sequoia National Park:
February 2005
This trip included two dayhikes on
snowshoes, one through the Giant Sequoia groves and the other to a
half-frozen backcountry waterfall. During the Sequoia Grove hike it
snowed heavily, and the next day it was warm and sunny on the hike to the
waterfall. We camped in the snow overnight and encountered freezing
rain/hail/snow while sitting out cooking dinner as well as
overnight. I wore the Ibex Guide Lite pants all weekend, and layered
them with waterproof pants while sitting in our snow kitchen in the heavy
snow.
 Lassen National Park overnight snowshoe trip: March
2005
This trip was an overnight visit
to the base of Lassen Peak in the snow. During the winter the park
road is closed due to heavy snowfall, but this makes the park a wonderful
uncrowded backcountry destination. On this particular visit we hit
the backcountry in a group of 12 and the weather was perfect! It was
hot and sunny on the snow, and at night it cooled down to around
freezing. The sunscreen was the most essential thing in my pack on
this trip! The picture to the left shows the fresh snow and bright
sun that we have to deal with here in California. I'm wearing the
Guide Lite pants, REI Gaiters, and a windshirt with a simple wicking tank
top underneath. Photo courtesy of Paige Falk.
Dayhike at Echo Lakes, Lake
Tahoe: April 2005
We sure know how to pick them!
This was yet another hot and sunny day on the snow in Tahoe. A
couple of long narrow frozen lakes surrounded by rolling hills and
towering peaks makes for a lovely day of cross country skiing. We
spent a few hot hours out on the lakes and surrounding hills.
Dayhike at Elephant
Back, Lake Tahoe: April 2005
The day following the hot and sunny
day at Echo Lakes we headed up to the Elephant Back for a dayhike to
stunning views of the south Tahoe region. Again it was warm and
sunny, but the exposed nature of the hike and higher altitude meant it was
a bit windier and colder than the previous day.
 Loch Leven Lakes, Tahoe: May
2005
Unfortunately I didn't make it all the
way through winter with perfect weather. On my last weekend of
testing the Ibex pants we encountered some stormy rainy weather. The
picture to the left, dotted with rain, is me in the Guide Lites on a brief
excursion to a lake beyond our camp. It was not terribly cold (it
didn't snow until long after dark), and the rain was brief but enough to
get everything thoroughly wet, including me. Fortunately I was in my
Goretex hat, jacket, and Ibex Guide Lite pants! Photo courtesy of
fellow BGT tester Steve Nelson. |
| Long
Term Report |
|
There are two things I wish to focus on in this final report.
After six months I can comment on the comfort of the Guide Lite
Pants in many types of conditions, and the second is their durability
after six months of heavy use.
Comfort
Temperature Range
 The
Guide Lites are not a lightweight hiking pant, but they have been
comfortable for me in a wide range of conditions. I found that they are
ideal in the snow from very warm to very cold
conditions. On the many hot and sunny days I spend in the
snow I still prefer these warm pants as they are extremely
comfortable, and insulate well when I take a tumble or want to sit
down. Even if I get really hot and sweaty on uphill slogs or
unshaded exposed high-altitude terrain the pants are comfortable.
I've sweated heavily in them and there was no clammy feeling since they
breathe quite well and dry quickly. The picture to the right shows
one of the many hot days on the snow where I had stripped to my base layer
on top but was still quite comfortable on the bottom. The only thing
that I wish is that the pants were a lighter color since the black can be
quite a heat magnet in the sun.
Layering
In most conditions it is not necessary for me to
layer these pants. However, when I have layered them it has worked
out perfectly. On particularly chilly nights around camp I will add a
layer of snug REI expedition weight thermal bottoms underneath the pants.
They fit a bit snugger when this thick underlayer is added, but they are
certainly still comfortable enough to move around camp. If I were to be
active again I would remove the bottom layer, not because it was
uncomfortable but because it would be too warm.
As far as an over-layer, I occasionally threw Marmot Full-zip Precip
pants over the Guide Lites. I chose to add this layer on only two
occasions. The first was in camp during the heavy and icy snowfall in
Sequoia National Park, and the second was in a brief rain storm on a
snowshoe hike away from camp in Tahoe. On both occasions the conditions
were wet and cold enough that I wanted to ensure that the Guide Lites
would remain dry. In lighter snow or drizzle I never felt the need to add
the waterproof layer since the Guide Lites shed moisture and dry quickly.
I never had them in a sitution where rain or snow saturated the material
to the point where I was uncomfortable or they wouldn't dry, but I also
avoided getting them this wet to begin with, so I can't comment on their
performance when in a soaking wet snow or downpour.
 Durability
These pants have held up remarkably well, showing very few signs of
use. Most impressive is the Climawool material, which hasn't exactly been
treated with special care. I am constantly kneeling in ice and snow,
scooching across abrasive surfaces, and catching
snowshoes/poles/crampons/skis on the inside of the leg (which is also
frequently protected by gaiters). Upon careful inspection I see only two
locations on the Climawool material with signs of wearing. Both of these
are directly below the pockets on the sides, and are small patches(about
the size of a half dollar coin) of mildly pilled material. It isn't very
bad, and I can't even get a photo that shows the wearing since it is so
minor. Since there are identical wear spots on either side of the pants I
figured out that this is where my arms swing when I am using poles with
skis and snowshoes or while hiking. I keep my poles close to my body and
the natural swing of my arms brushes the handle/my hand against the pants
at this location as I walk/ski.
In my field report I mentioned loose stitching:
"Though the material seems indestructible, the Achilles Heel of these
pants seems to be the stitching. There are several places on the pants
where the stitching has come loose or undone. So far this has not happened
in large or critical areas, but I'll be keeping my eye on further wear or
damage and report on it in my Long Term report."
I am happy to report that even after much more use and countless washes
the stitching hasn't come any looser than it was in the Field
Report. I was, admittedly, a bit disappointed in the fraying
stitching that I noticed early on with these pants, but since they haven't
degraded any further I now consider them cosmetic imperfections.
The belt continues to be annoying as described in my Initial and Field
reports, but I have tucked it inside the waist and ignore it now. I
would prefer a different belt design, but given how much I love the pants
otherwise, I'm happy simply ignoring it.
Washing
Washing these pants continues to be a breeze. I
wash them after each use (regular cycle, hang dry) and I have noticed no
decline in the material quality, ability to dry, or ability to insulate.
Furthermore, there is no effect on the fit of the pants - they don't
shrink or resize themselves after a trip through the laundry (the blue
jeans effect). The Guide Lites surprisingly pick up very little smell,
which I certainly can't say about my wool top or wool socks. I don't feel
icky when I put them on the next morning in camp after a hard sweaty
previous day of hiking. Given wool's natural propensity to smell bad when
wet, I have been very pleased with the lack of stink!
Summary
I love the Ibex Guide Lite pants, and there isn't much
more to say than that! I wore them for all of my winter activities
for the past six months and they performed as well or better than expected
each and every time. I was continually impressed with the comfort in
a wide variety of conditions and quality of the Climawool material.
My nitpicks are few, and don't detract from the positive experiences I've
had with the pants. Although it's starting to warm up out there in
the mountains and I'm looking forward to the summer hiking season, I'm
also looking forward to next year's cold season so I can wear the Guide
Lite pants regularly again! |
Read more reviews of Ibex gear
Read more gear reviews by Rebecca Sowards-Emmerd
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