The North Face Free Thinker Pant - Men's - 2009 BCS

Wanted these pants for sometime, been fortunate to put some good time in them in various condtions. The pants performed well in cold and high winds with the 3x gore-tex performing great, the same in dumping snow, and in the warm spring days. The add on suspenders and bib function is great for helping to protect when getting in the powder. The pants are very durable when getting brushed up against trees, etc. The drop out seat is way cool. Although pricey, they should be a pant that will be with you for as long as you like. One thing on the sizing is that the pants tend to seem a little short in the stride. I normally wear a L and the L has worked for me.

Bought these pants as part of a Free Thinker combo before tackling the Haute Route last season. The jacket spent most of the trip in my pack until a blizzard kicked in on the last day. The pants, however, were worn as a staple on every day of the tour, in an effort to save weight over carrying extra softshell trousers.
First off, I found the pants comfortable in all the conditions you might expect during a temperate ski tour, from wet snowfall on lower slopes, through hot and dry sunshine on glacier ascents, to the aforementioned blizzard. Venting is good using the side zips, they are cut slightly baggy compared with normal mountaineering waterproof pants/salopettes (definitely more of a freeride cut) which helps move air around inside and pump through the chimney system. This system consists of small mesh vents at the top of the built-in gaiters leading into the lower leg. Cold air is drawn in through these vents by body-heated air escaping out through the venting zips at the top and side of the pants. You might expect noticeable chills or drafts with this system, but in use (even during ascents that had me working hard) it merely prevented that annoying skin adhesion you can get with shell pants, especially if you're not wearing full-length thermals beneath (I skied the whole tour with basic merino base layer garments under the shell).
As with my review of the Free Thinker jacket, the pants always seemed to be performing well within their limits during the multi-day tour, despite the wide range of conditions encountered. The mix of pockets works really well, from storing a small bottle of sun block in the tool pocket down low on the left ankle, to simply stuffing my hands in the comfortable trouser pockets during food breaks - it's amazing how restful this simple act feels after a couple of hours of uphill poling! The thigh pocket is large enough to keep a compact camera within easy reach which made a big impact on photography - anything that helps avoid protracted stops or gear faffs while searching for a camera is a bonus.
The other thing I couldn't help notice were the positive comments and envious stares I received from other skiers we met on the Route; the cut and finish of the pants seem to strike a cord with older mountaineers and younger freeride-orientated skiers alike.
Free Thinker pants will physically connect to the Free Thinker jacket using a zipped panel, effectively forming a one-piece suit. This would probably be most useful in deep powder conditions to minimize ingress; I haven't felt the need to become fully connected yet (!) and the jacket and pants performed more than adequately in normal mode, despite many falls in wet, slushy spring thaw.
If you are considering investing in the Free Thinker jacket, it's well worth considering these due to the high compatibility and usability factors. Of course they'll match well with any of the other Summit Series jackets, especially in the classic North Face Henry Ford colour option (black). You'll have a bomb-proof system for the hills when you really need it and will look good, too!
Overall, hot or cold, I couldn't find their limits: 10/10

Really wanted to like these pants......but they kept riding up my crotch.....really high inseam. The material is really tough for 3 layer gortex and on paper they look like the perfect bib, but the uncomfortable inseam and drafty design will leave you irritated and cold. I'd pass on these if your going to use these for skiing and have decent sized thighs, and like not freezing your butt off on the lift. ;(