Review: 686 Women’s Gore-Tex Hydrastash Bib

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In a nutshell

The 686 Women’s Gore-Tex Hydrastash Bib with its built-in hydration system is a fascinating and heavily-featured piece of outerwear that offers a polished package for inbounds skiers and snowboarders but unfortunately has one major flaw that keeps it from being perfect.

• Size Tested: Small

• Materials: 2-Layer bluesign® approved GORE-TEX Poly Fabric + DWR, merino wool blend inner waistband

• Pockets: Two zipped upper bib pockets, two front hand pockets with waterproof facing

• Vents: Mesh-lined inner thigh zip vents

• Features: Hydrastash integrated .75 liter (~25 oz) water bladder, pant jacket connect system, BOA compatible boot system in gaiter, adjustable elastic straps, lift ticket eyelet on belt loop

• Weight: 936 g without bladder (bladder weight: 69 g)

• MSRP: $480

Intro

When I saw the Women’s Gore-Tex Hydrastash Bib in the 686 catalog I knew I had to review it–no one else is making anything like this! It’s a high-end, technical bib with an integrated water bladder. 686 has been offering Hydrastash technology since 2018, first fastened into the powder skirt of certain jackets, and now in a rear panel on bibs. On top of its water-carrying ability, this bib has a whole lot of bells and whistles, making it really fun to think about and write about.

Fit

686 has a range of fits from tailored to ridiculously wide and steezy (it is a snowboard brand, after all), and the Hydrastash Bib, with an “articulated cut,” falls closer to the former end. I’m 5’5” and 135 pounds, with a biggish butt and pretty muscular thighs, and I thought the size small bib fit great. It’s a really flattering piece that’s not as boxy in the torso or legs as a lot of bibs I’ve used, while still leaving space for layers on the top and bottom.

The torso has a stretchy rear panel to accommodate layers and the suspender layout is probably the best I’ve seen on any women’s bib, with a v-shaped yoke that goes most of the way up the back and straps that are positioned closer in on the shoulders.

The 32” inseam means the legs aren’t too long, and while the cuffs are wide enough to fit over ski boots (and have two button snaps for width adjustment) they’re not as voluminous as some other pants I’ve tried recently.

Hydrastash

A built-in hydration system is fascinating. Before this season, I didn’t get it. I was usually skiing at resorts where either the car was easy to return to, or the lodge had a water fountain for a quick sip to tide me over. But this year my pass is at a mountain where it’s kind of an ordeal to get back to the parking lot, and inexplicably the on-mountain lodge doesn’t have a water fountain, just disposable water cups that cost fifty cents. I haven’t been wearing a pack, so I have come home thirsty every day I’ve skied inbounds this season. I get it now. I get the appeal of a built-in bladder.

The system is ingenious. The .75-liter cylindrical bladder wraps horizontally around the lower back of the bib and the thin microtube, half the size of a normal hydration hose, routes up the torso of the bib and pokes up toward a jacket collar via a loop on the right suspender.

I would definitely recommend filling the bladder and maybe even putting it in your pants at home rather than waiting until you’re on the hill, because it’s certainly fiddly. It has a watertight roll-top ziploc-style closure that also locks with velcro (there’s no way this bladder is coming open in your pants). Each end has a slotted strip of malleable plastic that attaches into the bib’s bladder pocket via a stretchy piece of buttoned webbing. The hose channels through the soft merino lining of the torso up toward your face, meaning it stays warm and is unlikely to freeze. The mouthpiece can freeze slightly if you don’t keep it tucked away, but can be quickly thawed as long as the hose and water stays warm.

The bladder seems thick and durable–I wasn’t worried about it being punctured while I was wearing it. Filled to capacity, it did add a noticeable bulk when I was sitting in the car or on the chairlift, and it did sit high enough on my back to interact with a pack, although I don’t think there are any circumstances where I would choose to wear both the bladder and a pack.

686 advises owners to empty and dry the bladder after every use. It takes a couple minutes to remove but keeping the bladder and hose free from mildew and mold is worth the effort. The microtube on the women’s bladder is shorter than the men’s version and the length is size-specific. The bladder system is compatible with any 686 Hydrastash jacket or bib, and you can buy a replacement system for $30.

If you read nothing else, read this: make sure your bite valve mouthpiece is secure! It isn’t locked unless it’s fully in place. When I first donned my bladder-bearing garment, the hose started gushing water because the mouthpiece had slipped down the hose a bit. I wish the mouthpiece had a more robust locking system because getting your underlayers soaked with water is a terrible way to start your ski day.

Other Features

I have found this to be the case with a lot of 686’s gear: this stuff is incredibly well thought out. Every single detail has been considered and enhanced. In almost every way, the 686 Hydrastash Bib outshines its competition, except in one very important regard, which I delve into in the next section.

The suspenders are excellent–they have locking adjusters. This is game-changing. I have noticed with a lot of women’s bibs that the suspenders are afterthoughts, and are often subpar versions of the men’s suspenders on the same model, which is infuriating. Basic webbing with budget adjusters means that the suspenders on your (generally quite expensive) bibs tend to loosen through the day and slip down your shoulders like cheap bra straps. On the 686 bib that’s not happening. You set the length of your suspenders, lock them, and they stay there, dammit.

The pockets are better. They’re ample but there aren’t too many of them. The leg pockets have an extra layer of waterproof facing to keep your phone or wallet dry. The two torso pockets are both spacious enough for a beacon, and the left pocket has a beacon tether and a routing hole for a headphone cord.

The cuffs are better. The zippers are better. The vents are mesh-lined. The seams are taped. The bib has an integrated belt with a massive, easy-to-use buckle (the belt isn’t removable, because it doubles as the webbing attachment for the bladder). You can attach your 686 jacket to your bib with connector tabs. You can dangle a lift ticket from the eyelet on your belt loop. If you’re a snowboarder with BOA boots you can access the knob without pulling up your pant leg; there’s a BOA-branded velcro-secured hole in each gaiter for that exact purpose. It seems like the designers at 686 thought of everything.

Performance

The Gore-Tex 2-layer fabric of the Hydrastash Bib feels high-denier; it’s not soft and slippery, it’s tough and durable, as well as being water- and wind-proof and breathable. This feels like a work bib, made for folks like lifties, patrollers, or cat drivers who are wielding shovels, wading through snow, and dealing with machine oil all day.

The bib isn’t advertised as being insulated, but it does have a layer of merino lining in the torso and a taffeta lining in the legs, both of which add a bit more warmth than a standard shell.

All those afore-mentioned feature frills, as well as the premium fabric and slight insulation, mean this is a very heavy piece of outerwear, not necessarily designed for big backcountry days. However, I did a short tour one day and didn’t find the bib overly hot or heavy. But this bib really shines inbounds. I skied in the rain and was wowed by how dry I stayed (my mittens and buff quit way before I saw any water egress in my pants).

Unfortunately I have some bad news about this bib: you’re going to be hydrated, but you might have a hard time peeing. 686’s other women’s bibs offer side-zip entry rather than a drop seat (a crescent-shaped zipper on the rear), so it appears that the drop seat is a design workaround for the Hydrastash pocket. I prefer the side-zip method, as seen in bibs like the Flylow Foxy and Strafe Scarlett, because in moments of panic, with gloves on, I find it much easier to use quickly, whereas drop seats are slightly more cumbersome and require more precise zipper use. They’re not a dealbreaker; Trew’s Chariot Bib, for instance, has an adequate drop seat. In the case of the Hydrastash Bib, however, the drop seat zipper simply isn’t wide enough for easy access.

In this photo you can see that the Trew bib drop seat zipper wraps all the way around to the front; the 686 drop seat zipper is constrained to the rear of the bib. I found it difficult to pull the seat far enough out of the way to pull down my tights or underwear, and even in a resort bathroom some major bodily contortions were required to make sure I wasn’t, ahem, wetting the rear of the seat. It was even tougher out on the hill when I tried to pull over and water some trees while still wearing skis.

The difficulty was slightly ameliorated when I wore low-rise baselayer tights instead of ultra high-rise ones like Wild Rye’s Jane Legging, but overall I dreaded the prospect of relieving myself and had to be very strategic about the circumstances in which I did so. It was also hard to tug my undergarments back into place after I was finished. Usually I just gave up and used the old-school “fully disrobe” method because it seemed less risky.

This is a real issue and is the only thing keeping me from wearing this bib every time I go skiing. It’s possible that other women with slightly different body shapes or who always use the indoor facilities may find this to be less of a problem, but I hope that 686 will consider a minor update that would mean a major improvement to this bib.

Who is the perfect skier for the 686 Gore-Tex Hydrastash Bib?

If you’re a resort-focused skier or snowboarder looking for a high-performance bib with a ton of interesting features, the Hydrastash Bib may be a good pick thanks to its inconspicuous and ingenious built-in water bladder and very thoughtful details. However, be warned that you might find it a little challenging to relieve yourself in the field.