Mountain Hardwear Mighty Power 3/4 Tight - Men's - 2009 BCS

skiing the backcountry daily means i have a rotation of tights that i go through. i'm always looking forward to the mighty power tight days. they are great.

i'll run in them on those days that don't quite require full tights but i want some knee coverage. however i mostly backcountry ski in them. as you can see in the video i posted they are 3/4 or capri pants. so you don't have to tuck them into your ski boot which can cause massive discomfort when you are buckled in tight for downhill... or deal with the tight ankle cuff pulled up around your calf. they are a run tight, so i think they are slightly less thick/insulated/warm than most, which i like since most of my day is spent skinning uphill.

the reason these don't get 5 stars from me is the fit. it's just not perfect for me around the haunches. i have cyclist haunches, not runner haunches so i can't remember this ever happening with a medium. normally a medium is tight around my thighs. also the butt of these tights feels more like boxers than tights for me. which felt weird compared to other tights but really isn't a big deal overall.

i don't love the draw string. once tied overhand kinda gets caught in the material. making it hard for me to untie without some effort.bottom

line: love the breath-ability. love the capri for backcountry skiing. for me the fit isn't perfect, but we're all different.

Didn't understand the mesh around the knees, but it does keep the pants from bunching up kneeling. Nice touch, as is the card pocket at the small of the back for ID and housekey if you're the ultralight runner. Drawstrings are a handy thing as well, if the waist doesn't stay where you want it. Although, like all tights, it's not kind to leg hair, the solid design and wicking make 'em worth it.

I was looking for a lightweight running pant to span the time between butt-cold and shorts weather. I gave up; I found either tights, or floppy warm-up type pants. I spied these, and thought they might fill the bill - they do. For a little more coverage in that 32 to 50 degree range, with or without light wind, I am finding them perfect. Not TOO tight, nice support of the calfs, reflective highlights for safety, and a killer fit. I am 5'8", 155 with a 30 inch inseam (short) - the medium is great. Like my other Mountain Hardware gear, if it fits, it is absolutely great stuff. Highly recommended.