New for Fall 2018, the Outdoor Research Black Powder II Pants have been updated to be more streamlined and slimmed down. 

Outdoor Research Women's Black Powder II Pants
​Size: XS-L
Colour: Black, Saddle
​Price: $249 USD
Weight: 25.6oz/724g (medium)
Fit: Standard

Features:

The Black Powder II Pants feature a waterproof, windproof breathable Pertex Shield 200D 100% Nylon 

​Hand pockets (one with an avy beacon clip), thigh pocket and back pocket. Integrated belt system.

​Pros:
Durability - When the Blackpowder II Pants arrived, you can immediately feel the quality of the material used to make these pants. The 200D Pertex shield fabric instantly boosts your confidence that these pants will be able to withstand attacks from sharp edges and moisture. They feel very durable and no wonder they are popular with lifties and patrollers. 

Snowboard vs Ski - As a skier and a snowboarder, I actually preferred using these pants snowboarding. The durable Pertex Shield 200 D fabric was great when sitting down on the snow strapping into my board. The fabric shed snow and moisture really well and I felt they worked with my snowboard style better.  The internal gaiter fit well over both my snowboard and ski boots in the size medium unlike other reviewers have mentioned.

High Waist - OR has raised the fabric to cover part of the low back. I love this feature on some of their other pants like the Iceline Pant but really liked when snowboarding. Bending over is part of the deal snowboarding and I love how these pants had by back covered! 

Pockets - These pants have 4 usable pockets which come in handy as a ski/snowboard race coach. I could fit tools, extra lift tickets, money, and start lists in these hand pockets. 

​Insulation- I wouldn't call these pants well insulated but the burly outer fabric combined with the inner linings have kept me warm on the coldest of days. The polyester tricot lining feels great in areas where I feel cold the most:  the bum and hips.

Protection from the elements- I wore these pants in rainstorms and snowstorms this winter. Rain beaded off the Pertex fabric and left me feeling pretty confident that these pants can handle anything Mother Nature will throw at it. 

Cons:
Tight around hips - I found the pants a bit tight around the hips and I would consider myself an average built woman. For a women's specific design I would use or add more of a stretch material that contours around a woman's hips and allows for more freedom of movement  flexion and extension of knees and hips.

Heavy for touring - Although the Blackpowder II pants have touring features like a beacon pocket and clip, generous side venting options as well as breathable fabric, I would not use these pants for long uphill tours. Heli-skiing, catskiing and short sidecountry forays would be more appropriate. Not really a con per se, but wanted to clarify where I think they would best be used.

Belt - I love having belt systems on my outdoor pants. The internal belt system works well on these pants I would most definitely prefer velcro adjustments to this hook in style belt. I have used velcro before on OR's Iceline and Cirque pants and really like how quickly you can adjust it (in case you eat a big lunch!) as well as how well it snugs your sides. The webbing belt system is effective but didn't feel great all the time. A small piece of webbing definitely is less comfortable than velcro.

Best Uses: Resort Skiing and Snowboarding, Patrolling, Instructors, Lifties, Racing, Sidecountry

Disclaimer: I was given these ski pants as part of OR's #ORInsightLab. The opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

The Outdoor Research Women's Transcendent Down Hoody was completely re-designed for Fall 2018 with a number of big changes. 

Outdoor Research Women's Transcendent Down Hoody
Sizes: XS to XL
Colours: Black, Lapis (blue), Slate, Garnet/Zin, Pacific Plum/Amethyst, Seaglass/Washed Peacock
Price: $225 USD
Weight: 12.9oz/ 366g

Features:

The Transcendent features water-resistant, wind-resistant 20D lightweight 100% ripstop polyester. It is filled with 650 responsibly sourced goose down insulation.

Pros:

Women's fit- New for Fall 2018, OR is introducing an all new women's fit. This new design fit is supposed to increase movement, layering, and leave room for expansion due muscle hypertrophy. As I see it, the Transcendent Hoody meets all of the criteria.  The hoody allows for ease of movement. I don't feel restricted at all in any plane of movement. Secondly, I can layer the hoody (size small) over multiple other layers including baselayers, insulating layers and shells. The puffy's thin profile also allows it to layer underneath shells seamlessly allowing it to be used for a variety of activities. Lastly, I can spot subtle details like the ruching around chest and upper back areas allowing for expansion in case you carry more size in those areas.
​
Compressibility- The Transcendent Hoody is 650 fill down jacket. Traditionally this means that the jacket is not as compressible as a 800 fill jacket nor as lightweight. I did a quick test to compare against two other jackets and found a striking outcome. The Transcendent jacket compresses smaller than the Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody (800 fill- size small) but larger than the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Jacket (800 fill-size medium). I was surprised that this jacket beat out a market favourite 800 fill jacket for compressibility. Impressive! Check out the photos below a scroll over the for captions.

​Lightweight- According to the OR website, the medium sized Transcendent Hoody rings in at 12.9oz/366g. Comparing it to the Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody at 13.1oz/371g for a medium. This again is a surprising outcome - a 650 fill jacket lighter than an 800 fill?  

Style- OR has expanded it's colour selection for women in recent years and so the jacket comes in a variety of colours. They have even created a few two-tone jackets such as mine in the Pacific Plum/Amethyst. I am enjoying these new style options for women - I am not a fan of the old way of taking a men's garment and  'shrink it and pink it' for women's outdoor clothing. I also like the new fit of the women's clothing...not too tight and not too loose. 

Warmth-  I have used the Transcendent Hoody the entire winter which had temperatures from above freezing to -30 below. I generally used the jacket as a mid-layer for resort skiing under a shell which worked fabulously. I also used it to throw on and off before and after cross country skiing and snowshoeing in the car. I can't say that I was ever cold in the jacket - it performs well for warm and is not lacking warmth by any means but I didn't use it as an outer layer when standing around in the winter. I am looking forward to using it this spring as a hiking lunchtime layer and as a stand along when spring camping. It hasn't replaced my belay parka and winter camping expedition down jackets but does the job for an in between layer.

Weather Resistance - The 20D ripstop nylon feels lightweight and slippery. It has been able to handle some light moisture (moist snow and light rain). It protects me from the wind well and the hood is great at bumping up warmth and protection if the weather is not agreeable.

Cons:
Baffle fill-When I saw the Transcendent online, the wide baffles and photo made me think that jacket would be a mid-poof-sized down jacket landing somewhere between my expedition size down jacket and my lightweight thin down jacket. When it  first arrived  I was disappointed to see the baffles weren't completely stuffed resembling more of a lightweight thin down jacket. I'm not sure what the ratio of down to feathers is in the baffles but they seem to be evenly filled and puff out somewhat but not to the degree I was imagining. I would recommend that it be distinguished a bit more from the Outdoor Research Illuminate 800 fill (which is competitive with the top 800 fill lightweight jackets on the market) and an expedition puffy, even if it decreases compressibility and increases weight. I would fill the baffles and fatten the jacket out a bit more. Sure it might mean that it doesn't work as a mid-layer anymore, but that's what the jackets like the Illuminate are for. I would love a puffy that works as an outer layer for non-expedition temperatures.

Durability - The 20D nylon fabric has stood up to all the use and abuse I have put it through this winter. While wearing it I threw my alpine skis over my shoulder, leaned the metal edges of my xc skis against it and even got it caught a couple times in doors and backpacks. So far it has stood up to the test of time unlike my 10D Ghost Whisperer puffy that has multiple holes in it. I do hope it continues to shine but if this is what has given the puffy it's lightweightness, I have to question it's long term durability.

Best Uses: Mid-layer for resort skiing, an overlayer for aerobic winter activities, hut puffy, casual.

Disclaimer: I was given this puffy as part of the #ORInsightLab. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.