Gear Review: 2012 Homeschool Snowboarding Line Up 2.5L Shell Pant Review

Homeschool Snowboarding - check out these legs

First off, his is the same shell material as the With Teeth 2.5L shell jacket I reviewed a little while back, so I'm not going to repeat a bunch of that info here. Check out the first few paragraphs of that review for the goods on the fabric. Synopsis: Cocona Xcelerator technology for xtreme breathability and great water resistance in a supple fabric with a comfortable cut. No insulation, so be sure to layer up. Now, let's get to the pant specifics.

Mmm... kibbles

The first thing I noticed about these pants was that thing on the right leg. They call it the Homeschool accessory holster and you can be skeptical all you want. I was. "I'm never gonna use it and it's gonna snag a tree branch and turn my new pants into basketball-warmup-style tear-aways," I said to no one in particular. Never happened. Turns out I actually use the thing. Every time. My gloves go straight in there whenever I take them off. They're easier to get at there than in a pocket, but still secure enough that they won't fall into the urinal. 

What about the rest of the pockets? Homeschool went with one back pocket on this pant. In reality, 'zero' is the correct number. Maybe some fake pockets back there so it looks normal, but back pockets on snowboard pants are terrible. I never use them. Too much chairlift time (most shocking stat from Alpine Replay). While we're on negatives, the cargo pocket on the left leg is poorly placed. Whatever you put in it falls squarely on your knee. I never use it. Then again, I never need to. The two hip pockets are plenty.

A note on fit, the 'Homeschool Engineered Fit' is neither tight nor baggy. I clock in at a 33-inch waist and 32-inch inseam and went with the medium. It fits as advertised. The waist has an adjustable inner velcro belt to tighten things as needed. Want ball-flattering tightness or gun-smuggling sag? Size up or down, use the belt or a sewing machine. 

Other details include zippered ghetto slits with snap-adjustable boot gaiters, full seam taping, mesh-backed inseam vents and some subtle yet stylish logo hits including a lift ticket 'ring.' The jacket to pant 'interface' is of the 'loop and snap' variety, so they include extra loops below the belt loops for that. Like I said in the jacket review, good but not great.

These pants have given me zero problems this year, but at a retail price of $225, you might want assurance that they'll last a few years before you swipe that MasterCard. Unfortunately, that's something I can't give you. I've only ridden these pants about 15 days at this point. They still look like new. They still perform like new. Their longevity will play out over the coming years. For now, I can only give my recommendation. Give Homeschool a chance. Discover what real breathability feels like on a garment designed by Northwestern snowboarders.

Check back for long-term updates in the "My Gear This Year" series to see how these and other products hold up to Father Time.

My Gear This Year 2012: Pants in Review

They keep your ass dry. Directly - you can sit down in snow and stay dry - and indirectly - they connect to your jacket in such a way as to keep snow out of that seam. They are pants. 'Pant suit' is a fun phrase to say, but I don't know what a pant suit is. Here is my stable of leg coverings for the year.

Homeschool, DC and Burton Ronin (L to R).

Far left is the 2012 Homeschool Snowboarding Line Up pant in Night (black). I got these at the beginning of the year in exchange for a review and haven't worn them on snow yet. They are 10,000mm water resistant and a booming 30,000gm breathable. Cocona fabric, ladies and gentlemen. My first impression is that the fabric feels supple, not cardboard stiff like some other highly waterproof gear. They have a reasonable four pockets and an accessory holster on the right leg. Basically it's a place to put your hat and/or gloves when you take them off, so you don't set them down and lose them. One possible negative is that they took the whole asymmetrical pockets thing a step too far as they have just one back pocket, one cargo pocket (and the holster) and one hip pocket zips on the side and the other on the top. I'm looking forward to seeing how the Homeschool kit performs, this stuff could really be the future. Keep an eye out for more reviews as I ride with these.

In the middle of the rack is the DC Baker pant. The bananas. They are last year's model (2011) and samples. They run 15k on both stats. (they call it Exotex, I don't know why) The fabric is flexible if a little thin. Given that, they feel a little drafty on snow. Also, semi-translucent and a light enough color that they were instantly and irrecoverably dirty. Six pockets is borderline too many. They have a nice bungee cord in the cargo pockets that you pull up to keep your cuffs from dragging as you walk. This is a nice feature because they are baggy. They are also the only pants I have that are Large instead of Medium. A good pant. The water resistance and breathability are both on-point. Cold on a windy day, though. 

The brown bibs on the end are Burton Ronins that I bought off one of those deal-a-day sites in spring 2008. I think that's when they stopped making the Ronin line. Anyway, 20k x 20k, but started to lose their resistance to the wetness last year. The spray-in Nikwax isn't reviving it either. I love me some bibs, though, and quality bibs are harder and harder to find. So good in pow. Maybe this is the year someone finally buys me a ninja suit for Christmas (merino wool, black, size medium, please). Anyway, this is the baggiest of the three. At medium it's almost as big as the DC large. The bibs, which are removable, keep it up. It's got six pockets and snap up cuffs. One cool feature is that it has venting on the inner and outer leg. All the other pants only have venting on the inner leg. All are mesh backed (none have insulation, either). The other bummer about these is that the right leg ripped when I tried to pull them out of a buckled binding. I had to Shoe Goo them back together. They were good while they lasted, but the writing's on the wall.

Pants, with the possible exception of gloves, are the outerwear piece that wears out fastest. Don't get caught with your pants down, always make sure you have a backup if you can. Nobody likes a soggy butt and your first defense against that uncomfortable ride home is some quality pow trousers.

Check the other "My Gear This Year 2012" gear review pages: Jackets and Boards.