Overview: 

Discontinued model that is best suited to colder conditions due to fleece liner. Softshell with DWR keeps you dry in light to moderate precipitation. Great outdoor pants for cold/wet conditions. Take a look at the newer “Glacier” model if you need something for warmer temperatures.

 

Cost
Durability
Water Resistance
Wind Resistance
Warmth
Average

 

 

Activities best suited towards:

• Skiing/Snowboarding
• Mountain Biking
• Winter/Alpine Hiking
• Hunting/Ice Fishing
• Motorcycle rides early/late in the season
• Snowmobiling

 

Price Range:

• Retail – Discontinued (was ~$450USD)
• Ebay – $100-180USD

 

Product Specifications:

Detailed Review:

I got a pair of these off eBay for a steal of a price and set forth to put them to the test. This model is no longer produced by Beyond so eBay is really the only place to get them. I thought I was getting another pair like my Beyond Glacier L5 pants but in Coyote color, and was a bit surprised when these showed up and were a considerably different build. The Cold Fusion line are made from a very stretchy fabric, and have a soft inner fleece liner. Whereas the Glacier line are slightly less stretchy and only consist of a the thin soft-shell fabric.

Although they looked brand new, the DWR effects had seemed to be gone on the lower half of the pants. I tried to revive them with multiple washes of “Sport Wash” (review coming) and 3-4 extra rinse cycles to ensure all soap was gone. I got a little of the water repellent effects back but was still not happy with how much it was “wetting out” in light rain. I contacted Beyond and they recommended “NikWax” (review coming) spray to replenish the DWR properties of the fabric.

When I purposely got these soaked the first time from the ankle to about knee height from sloshing through deep puddles on a hike, I observed they retained their warmth and seemed to dry very quickly. With the NikWax treatment, I expect them to perform much better but I think the fabric used may be a limitation here due to how stretchy it is. The Glacier line pants I have seem more water resistant, as they are a denser and less stretchy soft-shell material.

The construction/feature layout of these are like cargo pants. There are zippered hand pockets on each hip, velcro cargo pockets on each leg, and zippered vents on the waist which allow access to pants pockets underneath if you are using them as an over-layer. On each side of the waist, you also have velcro adjustments to bring the waist in or out, great for adjusting to different layers. The inner waistband also sports two sets of attachment points for suspenders, supporting H or X configurations. The inside of the waistband and ankle’s have a rubber grip material and some tie off points which look like they may be for make-shift gaiters which is a nice little addition.

Overall they are priced inline or below current commercial soft-shell pants. Color options are limited to Coyote (Brown) and Alpha Green (Grey) from what I have seen, camo patterns may exist as well. Durability I gave them a 3.5 / 5 as I was not impressed with how the DWR properties faded on such new looking pants, but they seem to stand up well to dirt and abrasion from branches. Wind resistance is great, especially since there is a fleece liner, but they are not “windproof” like a L6 goretex rain jacket would be. Warmth is a 5/5 considering how warm they are without the need for under layers.

 

Pictures: