Going into winter 2019-2020, I had been wearing the same pair of ski pants for many seasons (2013, I believe). Hilariously, they were actually women’s pants because they were in the men’s section of the store where I bought them, and they fit me well. I remember trying on ski pants at the time and thinking that they all felt so baggy.
I was living in New York at the time, so my style was a bit more…stylish…than what is currently considered acceptable where I live now in Denver Colorado. I’ve always said I don’t want to be head-to-toe in “REI chic” as I call it, but I’ll be honest that my wardrobe has become a lot more outdoors-brand-hats-and-clothing than it is stylish. Sometimes I look at clothes I used to wear in the city and sigh wistfully.
Anyways, back to ski pants.
Winter 2019-2020 had started with a vengeance and we were spending a lot of time at our ski lease by Breckenridge. We were skiing a lot and the snow was good.
But on days where we went touring instead of to the resort, I was too warm. Even though I could unzip the leg zips, I was still getting way too hot especially when pulling my daughter in her Thule Chariot with the ski kit adapter.
It was time to get a new set of ski pants.
How I made my decision
When considering what pants to get, I had a few things that mattered to me.
In order, they were:
- Very waterproof. There is a lot of snow and moisture where I ski in the Rockies, so I needed something with high waterproofing. The Fawk have 20,000mm.
- Very breathable. As stated above, we do a lot of backcountry skiing. I needed something that wouldn’t overheat me. The Fawk are rated to 20,000g of breathability.
- Look good. I’ve invested in some good gear over the last few years, most recently my Ortovox 3L Ortler jacket, and I needed something to complement that gear.
- Will stay up on me. No fun having your pants sagging on you as you’re ripping a double black in knee deep powder and hanging on for dear life. Bibs check that box.
- Enough pockets. I needed pockets for my phone, wallet, and ski pass. Check.
- Won’t break the bank. At $209, these are a steal.
Montec Men’s Fawk Ski Bibs Review
My bibs arrived in early February 2020 when I got a call from the DSL delivery guy that his truck couldn’t make it up to our house. Sigh.
So I went down to meet him at an intersection, and the package was secured. I brought them back up to the house and put them on.
The first thing I noticed was the attention to detail. My Fawk bibs are black with the white lettering, as seen below. They’re great looking pants.
Next I noticed the quality of the product. From their Shield-Tec fabric which brings the waterproofing and breathability to the taped seams, the workmanship is top notch. They feel like they’ll last for a very long time.
When I put them on, I noticed the fit. I mentioned that I bought my previous pants because they fit me well instead of looking like I was a snowboarder trying to ski. The Fawk are cut well but wide enough where they matter to fit over my Dynafit Hoji Pro Tour boots.
These pants have everything I wanted – from waterproofing and breathability to quality workmanship and features such as the main pockets as well as a zippered cargo pocket where I can store my car key, I’ve found nothing lacking.
Warmth
My old ski pants, as mentioned above, were way too warm for my current needs. The Fawk are definitely thinner and not lined like those, so they’re awesome for days out on the skin track or pulling my daughter. They’re windproof so I don’t get too cold (I do tend to run cold), but they’re definitely not an insulated pant. I usually wear a mid-weight Marmot base layer when skinning and at the resort.
So far, they’ve been plenty comfortable on the chair lift as well (though who knows how often we’ll be on chair lifts this coming Covid winter).
Do they breathe?
These pants are incredibly breathable and waterproof. I’ve used them in dumping snow (20″+ in a weekend) and on the skin track, and I’ve never overheated or gotten wet. They weren’t kidding about how both waterproof and breathable they are.
How’s the fit?
I’m just shy of 5’9 (by 1/4 inch) and weight ~155lbs. I’d call my body “athletic dad bod” at the moment, though have slimmed down over the summer.
I bought a size Small in the Fawk bibs. The leg length is perfect. The only thing I don’t love about them is that when the shoulder straps are adjusted correctly for them to not slide off my shoulders, I get a bit of a wedgie when I bend over. I would say that the inseam is slightly too small for me ideally. I don’t know that I’d get a Medium in retrospect, but this is slightly uncomfortable when I’m doing things like wrangling my daughter into her Chariot.
Photos
What Montec says
This is what Montec says about the Fawk:
The Fawk is a true all-mountain predator. With class-leading technical prowess and uncompromising design, this bib excels in all conditions. Built from the ground up to be comfortable and warm and to toe the line between resort and backcountry-ready, there is nothing it can’t handle. A tall, slightly-cinched upper creates the perfect powder barrier, while a baggier fit lower down provides more space and comfort for those long riding days. And with a layer of compact insulation, it’s designed to endure everything from the deepest powder to the slushiest park runs. The Fawk is a real workhorse, and won’t let you down.