Black Diamond Recon LT Ski Pants Overview

My ski touring associate and I kicked steps into the imposing west face of a traditional Gore Vary peak. I paused to search for on the first rays of morning sunshine fanning over the ridgeline. The ascent was a mixture of waist-deep aspects beneath a breakable crust, front-pointing the face, and scrambling abrasive granite. On climbs like these, ski pants are put to the check. 

It was a sophisticated day for layering, particularly for the decrease half of my physique. We needed to transfer quick, so I wanted one thing breathable. Plus, I’d be crawling over moist snow for hours and getting hammered with ridgetop winds, so I’d want one thing protecting. However given the abrasive nature of the climb and the miles of bushwhacking, I additionally wanted one thing sturdy.

The Black Diamond Recon LT Stretch Ski Pants confirmed up the day earlier than, and I made a decision to offer them a shot. If they may cling on a day like this, chances are high I may take them nearly anyplace.

The Recon LT ski pant was designed to be a light-weight but sturdy hardshell constructed for skiers and snowboarders planning to put on them within the backcountry or on the resort. The design is meant to not compromise waterproofing, breathability, or sturdiness. 

In brief: The Black Diamond Recon LT Stretch Pants ($350) blur the traces between softshell and hardshell, backcountry and resort performance, and breathable versus protecting. The designers managed to tease out the important thing traits of every whereas sustaining a low general weight and a aggressive value level for waterproof pants. One of the best half? They’ll stand as much as the pains of backcountry snowboarding, rocky scrambling, and getting beat up on the resort. Simply double-check your sizing — the built-in belt leaves room for enchancment.

• Match
  Common
• Materials
  Polyester with 3-layer Intuitive waterproof breathable membrane
• Waterproof Ranking (mm)
  20K
• Breathability (g)
  20K
• Insulation
  None
• Sustainable Options
  None

• 
  Wonderful stretchy waterproof cloth
• 
  Breathable on the pores and skin observe
• 
  Versatile for resort or backcountry
• 
  Sturdy and protecting

• 
  Waist fastening inadequate
• 
  Excessively vast under the knees

Black Diamond Recon LT Stretch Overview

After many days of snowboarding deep within the backcountry and lapping the resort till my legs fell off final winter and spring, the Recon LT Stretch ski pants stood out for a lot of causes. Additionally they took house an award in the Finest Ski Pants Purchaser’s Information.

Simply one of the best factor concerning the BD.dry cloth is the four-way stretch. Many different waterproof materials, together with GORE-TEX Professional, don’t stretch in any respect. That’s a giant deal in pants since it might critically impede motion. The Recon LT stretches so properly in all the precise locations that they nearly really feel like softshells in that regard. 

Even with all of the performance and bomber cloth, the Recon LT weighs in at 479g. That’s aggressive for pants on this class.

Excessive Waterproofness and Breathability

Black Diamond’s proprietary BD.dry waterproof-breathable four-way stretch shell cloth is definitely the spotlight of those pants. The membrane is an excellent various to GORE-TEX, which simply occurs to drop the value level. I used to be impressed after a number of days of back-to-back storm snowboarding that the wetness outdoors by no means acquired inside.

Even after kneeling in moist spring snow pits, the Recon LT proved to be plentifully waterproof. Based on Black Diamond, BD.dry has a 20,000mm waterproof score — lower than GORE-TEX Professional’s 28,000mm score, however hit the mark for snowboarding in nearly any winter climate, at the very least within the excessive alpine of Colorado. 

That’s the simpler half, although. Breathability is what units waterproof materials aside from one another, for my part. Whereas these snow pants don’t fairly breathe like softshells — like Black Diamond’s exceptionally breathable Daybreak Patrol Hybrid ski pants and ski jacket — they’re superb for hardshells. This design has a moisture vapor transmission charge (MVTR) of 20,000 g/m2/24hrs, which is properly suited to high-output cardio actions.

Zero Insulation, Layering

With a 40-denier cloth, the Recon LT is simply thick sufficient that I are inclined to forgo base layers for many touring days, which is identical technique I take with softshell pants. Even throughout mild and quick ski excursions with my speediest companions, the within of the pants by no means felt clammy, and man, can I sweat after I’m transferring shortly uphill. Between the breathability of the BD.dry and the beneficiant vents, I used to be in a position to keep a sustainable temperature on the climb. 

The Recon LT ski pant is non-insulated. For ski days on the resort, I didn’t hesitate to put on my pretty thick ¾’s Woolf merino baselayers and even my Fjallraven Keb Fleece Trousers when it was actually chilly outdoors. I wasn’t wishing for something extra with these base layers, even for cold chairlift rides. 

The Recon LT employs two waterproof zippers down the perimeters of the pants from hip to knee. They supply huge vents that may expel a variety of physique warmth shortly.

However be warned — they’re not mesh-backed, so snow will pour in once you’re wallowing in deep snow with the vents open. The good factor about these vents is that after they’re open, the pants keep low profile and don’t billow out, and are subsequently much less vulnerable to getting snagged on branches.

Match and Ski Boot Compatibility

Black Diamond defines the Recon LT as a daily or “traditional common” match that provides snug ease. The pants may function slight physique shaping however have a predominantly straighter match that may accommodate midlayers extra comfortably, says the model, which I typically discovered to be true.

However for touring pants, they’re very vast from the knees down, for my part. Between that and the stretchy cloth, I felt no restriction with lengthy touring strides. I may take excessive steps whereas bootpacking with none points, which isn’t at all times the case for hardshells.

I did, nevertheless, snag my crampons on the internal leg (even up by the knee) a number of instances. There’s a variety of free cloth there to get caught.

The quick, very vast, and flared cuffs are purpose-built for ski or snowboard boots. They don’t pair properly with different mountain footwear or nordic boots, they usually’re even on the gaping aspect for ski boots. The sturdy patches contained in the decrease legs assist fend off crampons, ski edges, and rocks near the bottom. They’ve stored the pant cuffs remarkably contemporary over the check interval.

Elastic cuffs beneath the outer shell are taut and stretchy. They simply stored the snow at bay, even after an hour of bootpacking, by creating a powerful seal on my touring boot. It labored properly for leaner boots like my SCARPA F1 LT, larger La Sportiva Vanguard, and my alpine ski boots, Dalbello Cabrio LV 130.

Loads of Pockets

I’ve at all times been a giant fan of the built-in avalanche beacon pocket, which is on the precise thigh of plenty of Black Diamond’s ski touring pants. Contained in the pocket is a small pouch that appears like neoprene that’s universally formed to carry a beacon like a holster.

Why not simply have a beacon free in your pocket? As a result of it’s annoying when it bounces round and flops sideways. The beacon pocket fixes that. My Mammut Barryvox S stayed put all through each tour I went on. There’s additionally a loop within the pocket for attaching the beacon’s elastic wire so it’s inconceivable to lose if it’s dropped.

The beacon holster isn’t detachable from the precise thigh pocket, which may very well be annoying for individuals who favor a chest harness or who’re utilizing these pants solely within the resort. It really works nice as a cellphone holster, although, in order that’s an important choice for these customers.

On the opposite aspect, the second thigh pocket is sufficiently big to accommodate giant telephones, snacks, maps, and a handful of ski straps. And even when it was stuffed full, it stayed low profile on my thigh.

Most significantly, each pockets are positioned excessive sufficient that they don’t work together together with your knees once you’re touring, which was not the case with a few of BD’s pants previously. The Recon LT pant pockets are refined in all the precise methods. 

Room for Enchancment

My first journey within the Recon LT ski pants shortly revealed their most important flaw, and I ought to have identified higher.

As my ski associate and I toured by way of the morning darkness, the Recon LT began sliding down my waist. I paused and moved the hook farther up the webbing ladder that’s constructed into the waistband to what felt like was tight, buckled my backpack’s hip belt, and stored skinning.

Inside 20 minutes, the pants have been sliding down. I ended once more and this time hooked all of them the best way tight, however the issue persevered. By the point we have been midway up the face in crampons, I had rolled the waistband over itself twice to cease them from slipping down. 

The pants weren’t too huge. My waist measures proper in the midst of the 31.5-34-inch waist vary for males’s dimension medium, however I’m principally sq. from shoulder to thigh with out a lot hip.

Nonetheless, the built-in belt ought to have way more vary, particularly for customers opting to make use of the avalanche beacon holster pocket. A fair higher resolution? Add low-profile belt loops for customers who need extra choices, extra safety, and fewer slippage. 

Conclusion

Not often do I come throughout ski pants that transition between resort snowboarding and the backcountry as seamlessly because the Black Diamond Recon LT Stretch Pants. They’re sturdy and waterproof. They’re breathable and movement-oriented for human-powered days.

Numerous that versatility comes from Black Diamond’s excellent BD.dry 3L waterproof cloth, which makes all these nice qualities doable. And these snow pants sit at a really aggressive value.

My most important gripe with these pants is the inadequate waist fastening choices that may require a DIY resolution. Match is subjective, although. Backcountry skiers and splitboarders that do discover a good match within the Recon LT are in for a really versatile pair of ski pants which are at house contained in the resort boundary or out on the skintrack.