Helly Hansen Mission Cargo Pants: $200

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The Good: Good looks, plenty of pockets, and ventilation that really helps manage heat.

The Bad: The elastic waist cinch didn’t tighten down enough for my skinny frame, goggle pocket didn’t fit my large goggles, and a set of boot zippers would help with adjustments.

The Excellent: Water and wind shed right off, and the light blue made it easy for my buddies to keep track of me out there.

Photo Credit: Brett Faulknor

No one can argue that jackets keep critical core warmth in while we play out there in the cold,  but our pants generally take the brunt of our outdoor abuse. Pants snag bushes, fend off knee-deep powder, and protect our backsides every time we take a seat on the chairlift. For all the protection they provide, pants give the ability to not only survive a day in the cold, but enjoy it the whole time. Helly Hansen’s Mission Cargo Pants are built to keep the warmth in while shedding snow and water with their HellyTech professional shell (Fully taped and welded seams, Ykk water resistant zippers) and Primaloft insulated liner. The knees and seat are double insulated, and thigh vents with pipe ventilation in the boot gaiters keep down on the clammy during high intensity play. The pants have a goggle pocket, double hip pockets, and one rear wallet pocket to keep the essentials close at hand. Although we didn’t test the set, a built-in back zipper allows for seamless mating of HH’s matching jacket, a plus when the wind really starts to whip out there.The pants have a built in RECCO beacon for rescue assistance if you find yourself buried in an avalanche. Not something we tested out on this trip, but potentially life-saving if the need appeared.

Photo Credit: Brett Faulknor

We took the Mission Cargo Pants on a multi-day ski trip down to Lake Tahoe’s Northern resorts. The pants protected us in snow, substantial wind, and stayed cool during a full day of sun in Alpine Meadows. The Goggle pocket is not large enough to hold Zeal Optic’s HD camera goggles, but honestly those were huge; a normal set of Electric goggles fit a bit tight but well enough. Also, the lack of zippers on the gaiter section made it a bit hard to get at boot adjustments without working at it, but they didn’t ride up while skiing so performance over convenience always wins for me. I was impressed with the articulated knee section that didn’t bind up when squatting, kneeling, or sitting on a chairlift, this is partly because the material is soft enough to just about forget your wearing pants at all. The belt loops are generous enough to accept wide belts if necessary, and with a skinny frame like mine the built-in elastic cinch adjustment made a belt fully necessary.

Overall, the pants are a great shell with a decent amount of insulation. Expect to layer with a thick set of liners if the temperatures drop too far. So for a great pair of big mountain pants, the Mission Cargo are worth a look.

 Photo Credit: Brett Faulknor