Helly Hansen Odin Mountain Pant
March 31, 2012
Holy crap these pants are awesome. They have Kevlar. They are customizeable. They have a great size range. They fit well. They’re warm. They cover all the bases. They’re brilliant.
I guess I have to elaborate, but if you’re in the mood for a quickie review, just stop there and you’ve got the gist of it.
For those who want more detail, check it out: you can set these pants up anyway you want – as bibs, as regular pants, with or without powder cuffs, integrated with the matching jacket (they zip into the Odin Mountain Jacket if you so desire that setup) – they’re fantastic. It’s easy to see that they are designed for the mountain professional. The strategic zippers are a great feature. Finding that the powder cuffs just zip right out was awesome; I hate powder cuffs and usually just cut them off my pants. HH had already thought of this and made theirs removable on the Odin Mountain Pants.
I also like the transition from regular pants to bibs and back again via a waist zipper. I usually stick with the bibs configuration, but if you prefer just pants they work fine that way as well. I like the bibs because they’re warmer, provide one more pocket option on the lower rib cage (though this pocket would be better if it were a teeny bit bigger and could more easily accommodate an avalanche transceiver)
There are two nice pockets on the front of each thigh which is something that most women’s gear lacks. Good pockets are a must and so many manufacturers haven’t figured that out. I like the front-of-legs pockets because they’re always accessible and a lot more flattering than the look you get when you stuff something into hip pockets. The leg pockets are also better when using the pants with harnesses and/or longer jackets. My field notebook fits in there nicely which is great when doing snow science stuff.
Sizing will kind of run the gamut. I can usually wear either a small and tend to find that mediums are just too big and baggy, but I found that the Helly Hansen small was on the itty-bitty side. I can wear it, but for full mobility I swapped to the medium. The M is a little bit big for me but not too bad, and at least women smaller than me will have something that fits them well for once. I’d really like to see gear for women made in numeric sizes rather than just the S/M/L models. it would be great to have women’s pants in lengths as well, like guys have, but now I’m off on a tangent. Back to the Odin Mountain Pants. My only real problem with the size mediums is that they’re obviously made for a taller woman, and at 5’5″ I’m not exactly short. I have to pull the shoulder straps all the way up, pulling well past the end of the elastic to make them fit. Even then they’re still a little loose but it doesn’t actually bother me when I have the bibs on.
These are without a doubt the best professional-grade pants I’ve tried in the last five years. No question. I love Helly’s commitment to making women’s gear to meet professional standards, and I’m grateful to them for their amazing ad campaigns featuring women outdoor professionals – not just in the women’s market, but in the outdoor market. Helly Hansen ads in ski magazines feature women If you roll up on the Helly Hansen boot at OR, you’re likely to see a larger-than-life billboard of a female athlete; something not exactly normal for companies that make gear for both sexes. It’s a testament to Helly’s regard for women that their gear is great and they value their women athletes enough to put them front and center on such a consistent basis without fear of alienating the male market (most likely the reason more companies don’t feature women in their ads, which is lame). Thanks Helly Hansen for a great piece of gear and for having so much respect for women in the outdoor industry!
Item submitted for review by Helly Hansen.
Helly Hansen HH Dry Revolution Base Layer
December 11, 2011
I’m a real sucker for a base layer that works. I know we’re supposed to view sweat as our enemy in rough conditions but I just can’t help myself because I like to work hard. Ergo, I sweat. So I need a base layer that excels at moisture transport away from the skin.
I also am picky about the way base layers feel. I mean, it’s a base layer so it’s right against your skin, yeah? When the base layer is scratchy or doesn’t fit right or rides up or otherwise makes itself obvious, it’s a no-go as far as I’m concerned. The base layer has to be the right length so that you can tuck it in the way you want, and has to fit perfectly or it’s just annoying.
Helly Hansen told me the Dry Revolution Base Layer was their biggest story this year so I was keen to check them out. I was stoked to discover that the base layer is soft, stretchy, and otherwise perfect in every way. Should I just stop there?
When you first pull the top out you’ll think it’s going to be too small, for it does look a little tiny. It’ll be okay though, because it’s made from a super stretchy fabric that fits like a second skin without feeling tight. I usually wear a small and the small fit fine and the medium wasn’t too baggy, so you can probably size up without any issues if you are worried about sizing. Personally I like the base layer to fit nice and snug for optimum wicking and since once I put the Revolution on I can’t even feel it, I usually go with the smaller one. The bottoms are similar, and tall chicas will be stoked to find that the legs are nice and long so even their ankles can be covered with wicking fabric. The fit of the top is nice and long so that it can be tucked in, and it stays put once you do.
The only improvements I would make would be to raise the collar of the shirt to go a little towards crewneck-style so that I can wear my transceiver over it without the strap chafing my neck. On cold days I can avoid this with a mid-layer with a higher neck, but most of the time when I ski I just wear a jacket over my base layer while I skin up. A crewneck/1/4 zip version of the Revolution top would be perfection.
I would also love to see a ski-length version of the bottoms since I don’t like to fold the legs up because they’ll stretch out. I could also do without the racing stripes on the sleeves and lower legs – without them the base layer could be worn under dresses as simple tights, but the racing stripes make them look a little weird because they show even over tall boots. Those are just minor quibbles, though; in general these are my absolute favorite base layer pieces and I think they’re likely the best on the market at this time.
They’re not that easy to find in retail yet, but you can get them at Altrec by clicking here.
