Nike Budmo Gore-Tex 2013 Review by The Good Ride

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The Nike Budmo Gore-Tex Pant is something only Nike and maybe Burton can do at this price point with Gore-Tex.  This offers a fleece lining as well so this is more than your average shell pant.  That is a lot of tech bundled into one pant at this price. The pant runs a little on the snug side of normal, has a very minimalist look and feel. Many feel they need a 3 layer ultra backcountry pant on the mountain but 2L Gore-Tex pants protect more than almost anyone needs.

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Size Tried: Medium
James’ Specs:
Height: 5’10”,
Weight: 195 lbs,
Lower Body:
Waist 33”
Hips 42”
Inseam 30”
Upper Thigh 24.5”
Mid Thigh 22″
Calves 17″
Turn On’s: Size L Jackets that fit well around my chest, size M pants that fit well around my thighs so I can get in and out of my pockets, Surfy Powder Turns, Riding with Friends, Open Roads, new gear and especially my super-hot super smart super funny wife.
Turn Off’s: Size Jackets that don’t fit well around my chest, M Pants that I can’t get up over my thighs, traffic, and people who can’t park inside the lines.

Fit: Perfect fit for my body type.

Construction: There are only 2 minor complaints. I’d rather see a zipper or some better seal for the back pockets instead of the Velcro strips they have in place now.  The Velcro came loose often and stuck to car seats when sitting in there. The front Velcro system was fine on the leg but the back just doesn’t work for a place that has a wallet. My wallet never came out or anything like that.  It’s just that the Velcro flap came loose and was annoying.  I’d also like to see some sort of system to keep up the pant legs when walking with them.  Many pants these days have a system to hold the back pant leg up on the calf so you don’t wear out the bottom of your pants as I did.  It would be nice to have this.  The outer fabric is soft but sturdy.  There are no marks after many days of hard riding so this soft material acts more like the thick sturdy material that you see in other pants.

Insulation/Warmth: The liner of this pant is a mesh with bonded fleece on it that is very warm and did a great job anywhere I took it from the colder Rockies to warmer Sierras.  I’d say the coldest days were -15 to -10 and the warmest were in the high 40’s to low 50’s.  It kept my knees and butt warm as well as the rest of my lower half.  I didn’t get up to the freezing north or northwest but it seems like with good layering these will be pretty warm. On the warmer days, I found the vents to do their job.

Waterproofing: The waterproofing is great and borders on excellent.  Noting ever got through and I have about 30+ days on them in all kinds of conditions. I love the look of these and they took the place of the Burton AK Stagger Pants that I usually get every year as my travel/#1 pant.

Breathability: Doesn’t feel super breathable but maybe it’s because they are soo warm.

Overall:  Nike does a great job of constructing a nice pant at a reasonable price.  This is the kind of pant that a 20-100+ day a year rider will really appreciate.  I was skeptical of Nike when they joined the snowboard world but after extensively riding their boots and wearing their clothes I’ve been pretty impressed.  No one is perfect.  Nike is new but this pant seems like it’s been worked on and refined for years.

The Nike Budmo Gore-Tex pants have been my personal favorite and were taken with me on all my travels.  I had to pack light so I only brought one pair of pants and these were it. These pants are warm, fit well around my larger thighs while still looking slim and are very functional.  If they fit around my thighs they will fit most riders well.