Patagonia Stormstride | Testing the backcountry ski pant

The Patagonia Stormstride series is designed for backcountry touring but capable of pulling double-duty at the resort. This waterproof and breathable ski pant offers plenty of stretch for movement. 

The Patagonia Stormstride series is designed specifically for ski touring. From the fabric selection, to fit, to features, these pants are aimed at skiers and snowboarders who go uphill as well as down. That said, I actually find them to be a great all-around pant, especially for those of us who don't care for baggy ski gear. I've worn the Stormstride pants in the backcountry, skinning at the resort, and riding lifts. I have very few complaints and find them to fit great, breathe well, and keep me protected in driving snow.

Pros

• Fit - The slim fit eliminates bulk and flapping during activity. Great for people who find relaxed-fit ski gear too ... relaxed. The stretchy fabric allows for plenty of movement.
• Lightweight and breathable - Less bulk means less weight. These feel nimble and regulate heat impressively well.
• Zippers - These ski pants feature the same great zippers found on the Stormstride jacket. They run smooth and we've had zero issues with snagging.

Cons

• More zippers than I need - I don't find the zippered expansion at the ankle useful and would be happier with less hardware.

Patagonia Stormstride Pant Fabrics

Like the jacket, the Patagonia Stormstride pant uses a three-layer, 4.8-oz 40-denier Pertex® Shield 100% recycled nylon stretch plain weave. That's a mouthful. The backing is a knitted recycled polyester. Pertex® is a Japanese textile manufacturer, and you'll find their fabric on some of the top-performing jackets in the outdoor industry. You can read more about Pertex® Shield here.

Shield is made for protection from precipitation while allowing for exceptional breathability. Pertex® describes the breathability of the Shield fabric as dynamic, meaning that the moisture transmission rate increases as the output of the user increases. I've done both a leisurely tour with some gentle ups and downs as well as a hard steep uphill power-hour type effort. The first was on a warm afternoon when I was happy to have vents on these pants. The harder effort started in the dark in single-digit temperatures. In both cases I've been impressed with how light the Stormstride pant feels and how well it breathes. 

Water Resistance & Breathability

Water resistance

Like much of Patagonia's product line, the Stormstride backcountry ski pant is tested to meet its H2No® standard. This standard aims to provide a benchmark of durability for waterproofness and breathability. The article linked below gives more detail on Patagonia's approach to testing. That said, Patagonia does not publish ratings of either metric (waterproofness and breathability) for their outerwear. The H2No page (linked below) indicates that all H2No products are tested to 20,000mm in the water column test. This level of waterproofness is sufficient to protect you from rain and wet snow under very high pressure.

Breathability

Patagonia uses both the moisture vapor transfer rate (MVTR) and Resistance to Evaporative Heat (RET) for its breathability testing. MVTR is a measurement of how much water vapor (i.e. body moisture) can pass through a fabric in a given time. RET is the opposite, measuring how much impediment there is to evaporation. Specifically, MVTR measures the vapor transmission rate in grams per square meter every 24 hours (g/m²/24h), though Patagonia doesn't tell us exactly how this jacket performed in the MVTR test.

While Patagonia doesn't publish the results of this testing for the Stormstride, they say this on their H2No information page:

"We test this by measuring a fabric’s Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate (MVTR) and Resistance to Evaporative Heat Transfer (RET), tests that measure how effectively vapor and air can pass through a waterproof material under different conditions, from fly fishing to alpine climbing. We then retest breathability after Killer Wash to ensure that the material performs all of the above after simulated prolonged use."

In addition to the breathability of the fabric, there are zippered vents on the outside of each Stormstride leg that measure 14.5" long. 

Features of the Patagonia Stormstride Pant

Adjustable waist

The pants have belt loops on the exterior. On the interior of the waist you'll find two hook-and-loop adjusters to tighten the waist for a snug fit. 

Pockets

The Patagonia Stormstride ski pant has two front cargo pockets. A small feature that I think makes a big difference is the stretch pocket found inside the right-side cargo. Stretch storage is great to make sure something small in your pocket isn't sliding around with each kick in the skin track. I often put my car keys in here, but it's also big enough for a phone.

Edge protection panels

Patagonia refers to these as "scuff guards." Edge protection is key for making sure the edges of your splitboard or skis don't slice your pants. The fabric on the Stormstride's panels is much tougher and abrasion-resistant than the lightweight Pertex® shell found everywhere else on the pants.

Cuff adjustment

The opening of the leg on the Patagonia Stormstride ski pant can be adjusted to three different sizes. This is to accommodate both smaller touring boots as well as full-on alpine or snowboard boots. Keep the ankle zipper closed and use the provided snaps to make the ankle narrow. Open the zipper to expand the opening for full-sized boots. Even with my tele boots I still run the zippers closed, so frankly I'm not sure how helpful they are. My boots are too big for the most narrow position using the snaps, so those are legitimately for skimo or xc boots.

Easy-access gaiters

On the gaiters you'll find a snap and some hook-and-loop that can be opened when you need to tighten your boots at the top of the hill. This is a nice touch for a touring pant because it is very common to be futzing with your boots throughout the day. I tend to run my boots a click or two looser on the uphill and almost always need to tighten things up before descending.

Concluding thoughts on the Patagonia Stormstride Pant

These pants fit, move, and breathe well. While the Patagonia Stormstride series is designed specifically for backcountry and touring use, I think they function perfectly fine as resort pants as well. I've worn the Stormstride in varying conditions from very cold and snowing to warm and sunny and find them to be extremely comfortable. I've taken them in the backcountry as well as for Sunday laps at the resort.

The Stormstride is a very versatile pant, especially for anyone who likes to go uphill as well as down. I'd like to see them simplified even more by eliminating the zipper at the ankle, which I find unnecessary. That's a small complaint for an otherwise high-performing ski and snowboard pant.