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TREW POW FUNK JACKET & EAGLE PANT
Me:
6'1"/185cm
180lbs / 82kgs
Waist size 32
Hard on gear
Scrambling on rocks
Brushing through trees
Good skier but not super-fit so do heat up
Having picked up the Pow Funk Jacket and Eagle Pants in November, I've put this suit through its paces over the course of a varied winter season here in Europe. From dedicated backcountry trips to riding park, cruising groomers and end of season spring sessions including the acid test: pond skimming!
Fabric:
Trew calls this 20k/20k waterproof/breathable DERMIZAX EV membrane. Going by the numbers, this puts it at the top end of the market, if slightly behind the top Gore Tex pieces by Arc'teryx, Patagonia, Norrona, Haglofs and the like, which tend to come in around 25-30k. I've never had much faith in these numbers myself, and having owned many such pieces, the Trew suit performs as well as anything I've ever used. Several of my days in the backcountry were pretty warm and I never got too moist downstairs, if you know what I mean, which has been an issue in the past. A couple of days in driving rain and I was bone dry in the jacket. What impressed me most was pond skimming earlier this month- most people were drenched up to the knee. But the Eagle pant, having been used 40+ days, was keeping the spray as beads on the exterior, nothing soaked in. Mighty impressive.
Functionality
The Pow Funk is pretty stacked. Pockets all over the joint for everything you could need, including big interior pockets you can fit skins in, which can be important to keep the glue warm. Standard under-arm and inner thigh vents work well. I'd prefer full length outside leg vents for touring, but the Eagle inner leg vents are decent. Only surprise is lack of inner wrist/thumb cuffs, but the sleeves are pretty long so isn't a problem. On the pants, I like a pant that has some kind of ankle cuff/cinch system to protect the bottoms when you're not in ski boots. The Eagle pant doesn't have that, but it does have an absolutely bombproof reinforced cuff, which I'll come to under durability. The cargo pocket is excellent, and quite unusual in top-end pants, which tend to be a little more minimalist. Really useful for extra stash. The pockets and zips are bomber too- phone etc dry as a bone inside.
Fit
The Eagle pant fits pretty standard- I have L, which fit somewhat baggy without being too silly. Pretty much what you'd expect, comfy and functional.
The jacket is advertised as a longer fit, which it is- the XL comes about mid-thigh for me, which is pretty perfect. The jacket is a bit baggier than I'd ideally like, but that's just a personal styling preference. It's rarely super-cold in the Alps, so I don't really need the space for loads of thick layers underneath. It's only a slight gripe, I'd just prefer a slightly slimmer cut. Most of the time I'm riding with a pack on anyway, and even without I still like the styling.
Price-point
I do struggle to come to terms with the pricing of top-end ski outerwear, particularly when you're just talking about shells, but it is what it is. The Pow Funk retails at $460, the Eagle Pant at $395, which is where you'd expect it to be. Not as crazy as top-end Arc'teryx, but still a lot of money. It's right around its competitors at Orage and the like. If you can afford it, it's worth it. The step up in performance from a mid-market product to this is really noticeable I'd say, whereas the step from here to the very top-end isn't for 99% of skiers.
Durability
Outstanding. As I say, 40+ days and no issues whatsoever. The "Superfabric" pant cuffs are actually amazing. All pants I've ever owned get beaten-up around the bottoms. These still look brand new. Everything else in great shape.
Aesthetic/Styling
I really like this. I think it looks unlike anything else on the market, without being too noisy. I like the kind of outdoorsman vibe. The "Greybird"Â colorway on the pants is a bit browner than it looks on the Trew site, but it looks great.
Conclusion
A really high-end suit. It's not cheap but you get what you pay for. Trew are fairly new on the market in Europe, and I'd recommend it highly.
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