Skiing and Riding Bib
Flylow Baker Bib
$430, 2 lbs. 2 oz./952g (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s XS-XXL, with tall and short sizes
backcountry.com
Skiing in Utah’s Wasatch mountains virtually every single time it snows exposes me to a wide range of inclement weather conditions: from subzero temperatures and cold smoke to warm, humid clouds dumping wet snow that can soak outerwear in minutes. Moreover, skiing as often and hard as I do exposes my clothing to a serious amount of wear. For these reasons, I went on a quest for a bib that would keep me dry through wet, seven-plus-hour days of skiing and have the durability to last hundreds of ski days. That search that led me to the Flylow Baker, which I’ve found ideal for resort skiing and colder, wetter days in the backcountry.
I’ll start with a full disclosure: I’m a huge fan of bibs, but you might not be. I run slightly colder than most guys I know (and much warmer than most women I know) and I ski a lot of deep snow. I prefer bibs because the extra height adds warmth and completely prevents snow getting in my pants no matter how deep it is. But if you run warm, ski in warmer weather than I do, and/or deep snow isn’t as common for you, pants may be a better option. And they won’t cause you to overheat as readily as bibs will.
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The Flylow Baker Bib consists of a surface three-layer waterproof-breathable membrane—which very effectively keeps moisture out—augmented by taped seams and a PFAS-free DWR (durable, water-repellent treatment).
This bib is loads of extra features. Both legs have large outer side zips, with the left side opening completely from the calves to the top of the bib (which is just above waist height on the sides) and the right zipper terminating almost a foot from the top of the bib on that side. A roughly four-inch-long inner thigh zip on both legs do a fantastic job of ventilating my legs while resort skiing without risking snags on branches or flashing other skiers in the lift line (just remember to close them when it gets deep or you’ll regret that oversight). Hook-and-loop straps at the top of the sides are an underrated feature that allows adjusting the fit around the waist, and there are belt loops around the waist.
Durability is outstanding (and I write that as someone who’s destroyed other bibs), including 1000-denier cuff and knee reinforcements providing burly protection in the most wear-prone areas. I haven’t noticed so much as a thread loose in nearly 100 days of skiing, a testament to the high-quality construction of these bibs.
Two zippered hand pockets and one zippered thigh pocket adorn the front of the legs and there’s a zippered back pocket; these aren’t huge, but the bottom front right pocket fits my (three-inch-by-6.5-inch) smartphone, and the other two are well-sized for smaller items like keys, an earbud case, or an RFID pass. (I haven’t used the back pocket).
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More useful are the two large, zippered chest pockets; both will fit a fat wallet and the upward-facing zipper is waterproof. There’s also a button pocket with a clip for a beacon leash on the front of bib (on top of the zipper pockets); I only use this when its contents don’t need to be secure, such as on the way to a resort.
I think it’s important to emphasize that it is not safe to use a button pocket for a beacon, and it makes no sense to me that Flylow placed the beacon clip in this pocket; I’ve read of at least one avalanche fatality where a beacon came out of a button pocket and ended up the length of the leash away from the victim’s body. When I tour in these bibs, I clip my beacon’s leash to the tag in the button pocket, then store the beacon safely in the upward-facing zippered pocket, with the leash routed through the very end of the closed zipper (see photo).
The Big Outside brought this concern about the Baker’s beacon pocket to Flylow, and the company’s co-founder Dan Abrams offered an explanation in this video.
Lastly, these come with standard ski-bib accoutrements, including powder gaiters in the cuffs and shoulder straps with clips.
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Flylow emphasizes resort skiing as the main use of these bibs, and I completely agree. They’re totally waterproof and windproof, even while sitting on a drenched chairlift in 50 mph wind gusts. They exhibit top-of-the-line durability; I’ve whacked them on dozens of branches at high speed with no problem.
They’re not the lightest or most breathable bib I’ve worn, but they pass enough moisture out that it’s not an issue if I’m a little sweaty at the end of each lap, and the vents provide much-needed respite when I’m wearing too many layers of long underwear or hiking up a long boot pack. The articulated knee box plus enough extra volume around the hips enable full and unrestricted range of motion, preventing any restriction while zipper-lining bumps and dragging hips in a carve. Finally, there’s more than enough space in the various pockets for my resort skiing inventory: pass, wallet, keys, earbuds, phone, and sometimes a beacon.
Despite the emphasis on resort skiing, I’ve also found these to have a role in the backcountry, specifically when I need something a little more waterproof or durable than my lighter and more breathable Outdoor Research Skytour AscentShell Bibs.
I’ve found that some three-layer membranes can soak through in extreme conditions, like boot-packing through five feet of powder up a 3,000-foot, 45-degree couloir (with snow constantly melting onto my thighs as I broke trail) or on warm, wet-snow days where snowflakes stick to outer layers and melt instead of cascading off. When I’m anticipating conditions or routes like this, I’ll reach for the Baker Bib instead of something more breathable (but less waterproof). And if conditions end up being warmer or less wet than anticipated, I’ve found that fully unzipping the inner and outer vents allows a lot of air to pass through, substantially cooling my legs off; but the lack of any chest vent can trap too much heat in my core while hiking uphill.
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So, if you mostly ski resort but also want a bib you can tour in, the Baker should serve you just fine.
I’d be remiss offering a verdict without mentioning my biggest issue with these bibs: the front crotch zip only opens down to about two inches above the actual crotch of the bibs (and isn’t very long to being with). As a result, it can be uncomfortable and time-consuming to relieve yourself, especially while wearing multiple layers of long underwear. I hope in future iterations of this bib, Flylow will extend the zipper length a couple more inches to solve this problem. If you don’t relieve yourself standing up, you shouldn’t have any issues; the full-length left zipper allows the back of the bib to be easily folded aside while squatting.
The Verdict
While more breathable bibs exist, the Flylow Baker Bib provides top-of-the-line waterproofness, durability, and features, making it perfect for resort skiing as well as on wetter, colder days in the backcountry.
BUY IT NOW
You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking either of these affiliate links to purchase the Flylow Baker Bib at backcountry.com or rei.com.
—Nate Lanza
Note from Michael Lanza: An avid backcountry and resort skier, climber, backpacker, and dayhiker, Nate Lanza has been doing all of these since he was a preschooler; and as my son, he has about 20 years of experience on wilderness adventures.
See all reviews of outdoor apparel at The Big Outside, including “The 12 Best Down Jackets,” “The Best Gloves for Winter,” “The Best Mittens for Winter,” “The Best Clothing Layers for Winter in the Backcountry,” “How to Dress in Layers for Winter in the Backcountry,” and “12 Pro Tips for Staying Warm Outdoors in Winter.”
NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See The Big Outside’s Gear Reviews page for categorized menus of all gear reviews and expert buying tips.
—Michael Lanza