Review: Freeride Systems
Freeride Systems (FRS), based in Leadville, CO, joined the indie crew in 2011, making gear designed by skiers to meet the needs of those who ski, hike, and work in a variety of conditions. Whether you are cruising mellow groomers, choking on powder during a storm, bashing tight trees on a warm spring day, or skinning up 2,000 ft on a cold dark morning, you need to have gear that will work with you, and no compromises. Enter Freeride Systems.
Ron (left) in the Antero II Plus and Kevin in the Antero II.
Using materials such as Polartec Neoshell, FRS has created a line of jackets that meet specific needs; this review will focus on the Antero II and Antero II Plus. Designed and manufactured in Colorado, the jackets exhibit excellent build quality; I could find no flaws in mine. It is the same quality of any other premium brand but at a lower price point.
The jackets share an identical design but are made from different materials. The Antero II ($399) is a softshell with a nice fleece backing and is the heavier of the two. The ultralight Antero II Plus ($419) is a hardshell that still has some stretch and give. Neither has a powder skirt, which in my opinion is a good decision; I don't ever use one. You can cinch the bottom of the jacket if needed.
I bought the Antero II Plus because I wanted a lightweight jacket. It is a true three-season piece, possibly even four. Even with the Neoshell, FRS added pit zips, nice for dumping heat fast while hiking. The fit is different from most brands, which is a good thing. I am tall and thin, 6 ft, 170 lb, with a slightly wider upper back and shoulders (no Arnold here!) that put me in large sizes for most brands, but then I end up with a big baggy mid-section. After speaking with the folks at FRS (who are happy to help you get the right product), I opted for a medium tall. It turned out to be perfect: the sleeves are a couple inches longer and the jacket covers my butt, which keeps me warmer, especially on cold lift chairs.
Several features stood out to me:
Click to see larger image
Freeride Systems (FRS), based in Leadville, CO, joined the indie crew in 2011, making gear designed by skiers to meet the needs of those who ski, hike, and work in a variety of conditions. Whether you are cruising mellow groomers, choking on powder during a storm, bashing tight trees on a warm spring day, or skinning up 2,000 ft on a cold dark morning, you need to have gear that will work with you, and no compromises. Enter Freeride Systems.
Ron (left) in the Antero II Plus and Kevin in the Antero II.
Using materials such as Polartec Neoshell, FRS has created a line of jackets that meet specific needs; this review will focus on the Antero II and Antero II Plus. Designed and manufactured in Colorado, the jackets exhibit excellent build quality; I could find no flaws in mine. It is the same quality of any other premium brand but at a lower price point.
The jackets share an identical design but are made from different materials. The Antero II ($399) is a softshell with a nice fleece backing and is the heavier of the two. The ultralight Antero II Plus ($419) is a hardshell that still has some stretch and give. Neither has a powder skirt, which in my opinion is a good decision; I don't ever use one. You can cinch the bottom of the jacket if needed.
I bought the Antero II Plus because I wanted a lightweight jacket. It is a true three-season piece, possibly even four. Even with the Neoshell, FRS added pit zips, nice for dumping heat fast while hiking. The fit is different from most brands, which is a good thing. I am tall and thin, 6 ft, 170 lb, with a slightly wider upper back and shoulders (no Arnold here!) that put me in large sizes for most brands, but then I end up with a big baggy mid-section. After speaking with the folks at FRS (who are happy to help you get the right product), I opted for a medium tall. It turned out to be perfect: the sleeves are a couple inches longer and the jacket covers my butt, which keeps me warmer, especially on cold lift chairs.
Several features stood out to me:
- Neoshell: Polartec Neoshell breathes while providing a very high degree of windproofness; unlike other materials in a similar class, it retains heat better when it gets cold. It is also waterproof; for Colorado skiing, we don't often need that but it will be nice for spring and fall hiking.
- Pit zips: Ok, yes, I am psyched over pit zips! Why? because FRS is the only brand to get them right. The large one-pull zipper works so easily that you can truly use one hand and not have to hold the jacket with the other. Amazing! Best thing since sliced bread. Anyone who shares this frustration should buy the jacket based on this feature alone.
- Front zipper: FRS incorporates super smooth and easy zippers. They don't freeze and haven't gotten stuck once. The double zipper on the front is great for getting into the pockets of your layers. There is no need to unzip the entire jacket in really cold weather, just zip up from the bottom enough to reach those pockets. I use it all the time now. Not having to fully unzip the jacket when nature calls is also a bonus!
- Collar: The Antero has an independent hood and collar. On cold days, you can leave the hood down but still have a nice collar to block wind and cold. I love this. The collar also has a nice adjustment tab on the back for tightening it. I do wish the internal sides of the collar had a fleece backing, though.
- Hood: There is nothing nicer on a blustery day than to pull up your hood for cover from the driving snow. Most hoods require you to unzip your jacket to get the hood over your helmet; they can also be hard to adjust and cut off too much peripheral vision. This hood is another feature that only a true skier could have designed, and FRS nailed it: one hand up and down, great peripheral vision, independent from the collar, and perfectly sized. It has adjustment tabs as well.
- Pockets: The Antero has an external chest and two hand pockets. FRS uses the hand pocket material to create the internal stow pockets. There is also a zippered internal chest pocket but it's on the same side as the chest external pocket. My only wish is to move the internal chest pocket to the opposite side of the external chest pocket, which would make using both at the same time much more functional. Having stuff in both pockets makes the area too bulky. [note: On the medium tall Antero II Plus I received, the internal pouch pockets were not sealed the bottom. They are revising the design for the next run and may add a tall in the larges as well.]
- Sleeve closures: I wear my sleeves over my glove gauntlets. These closures are designed with specific purpose: they are wide enough to easily go over the gloves and have a wide tab placed strategically where it is easy to use the opposite hand to open and close the velcro. They also double as venting when left loose to channel air up the sleeve.
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You're always gonna be the handsome one though....
