Arc'teryx Alpha SV Bib

The Alpha SV Bib is the perfect compliment to the Alpha SV Jacket. Lightweight, waterproof, and durable. This bib has waterproof zippers that run the length of the legs, and have two-way zippers that allow for venting or removal in a flash. Arc'teryx has placed a durable laminate material at the cuff of the inside pant to reduce crampon damage, and they also placed drawstrings at the ankle for makeshift gaiters.

There is a midrift drawstring to shape the fit. There is an internal pocket for sunscreen/power bar and two outer pockets for your hands. But these pockets have the same strange placement and shape as the jacket, which forces the user to cross their arms to effectively cover their hands.

The Alpha SV Bib is the only pant in the Arc'teryx outerwear line that has a zipper to answer nature's call. When you are climbing high, and you gotta go, it prevents removal of all your gear to take the suspenders off which may reduce the frostbite victims reported in 1999.

The pricing is right where Mountain Hardwear and Marmot tend to be, and this bib delivers what it promises: weatherproof, lightweight protection.

A tip on sizing, if you don't have toothpicks for legs, order one size bigger than you might normally wear. I purchased the large, and barely had room for long underwear in between the bib. The XL was an inch longer in the leg, but there was more leg room for additional layers when Mother Nature required it.