In the Northern Rockies where I live and ride, the winter of 2024- 25 lasted longer than usual, meaning more people complained about the depth of snow in 5,000-foot-elevation towns than ever before. The cold came and stayed, much to the enjoyment of the mountain-loving, cold smokehungry snowmobile pilots!

To our enjoyment, the CastleX Backcountry Freedom Monosuit ideally fit the bill for the conditions experienced in the Montana mountains.

Cold days? It had us covered. This suit kept even the coldestbodied American warm and cozy. Hand gaiters kept snow at bay from the awaiting sensitive wrists. The shell itself is made of a highperformance nylon and polyester material, waterproofed via the Ven- Tex 10,000mm / 10000g / waterproof, windproof, breathable laminated shell, with updated DWR outer surface treatment to repel moisture.

The seams are double stitched for extra cold and moisture mitigation. The Velcro adjustable wrist cuffs add adjustability for the desired comfortable fit.

Warmer winter days? We’ ll still see you in the hills wearing this gear. Opening the glorious ventilation system curtailed most of our sweaty fears. The backpack-friendly Ven-Tex ventilation system with snow blocker kept the fumes at bay and eliminated snow ingestion into the body of the suit.

Within the walls of the suit, the Comfort Flow mesh lining reduces schwass on the long rides. If it was over 21 degrees, the ride must be brisk-paced to keep airflow moving through the full framed suit. The fully lined fleece collar feels comfy against the skin but can retain odors or moisture at excessive levels. The end of a season required a nice bath for this gear!

The finish and overall fit of the suit is second to few. The suspender system is crucial to some but it’ s also removable for those convertible

riders desiring non-suspended links between hip and shoulder for maximum maneuverability. Precurved arms and knees kept the fit near the body without restricting motion along each axis with the seating surface.

Additional bum padding kept comfort level paramount. The suit also proved to be plenty bashable through the fiercest and thickest lodge poles that seem personally incentivized to poke holes through sleeve materials. Longer-crotched gents and those with shorter chestorial regions may find the Castle Freedom monosuit slightly junk-puckering in the inseam region, but proper fitment can be attained through the suit’ s adjustment system.

The main zipper is an up / down reversible system, which simplifies restroom breaks. The removable hood can serve to curtail snowflake incursion on the blizzardy days. There’ s also an attached safety tether D-ring for the safety-conscious parent among us to forbid runaway sleds. Safety freaks will also dig the 3M Scotchlite reflective elements along broad body facets. Gaiters at the bottom of each leg make best use of the integrated boot attachment loops – and are dual-stage to have two sets of buttons on the exterior.

A few other features really set the tone for a bad or good day in the hills( thank you memory foam padded knees and insulated padded seat), like a moisture-resistive outerlayer with double-stitched seams.

- T. J. Krob

INFO

Freedom Monosuit – $ 489.99 Castle X Green Bay, Wisconsin Castlesales. com

EASY: Castle has easy-on / easy-off defined with its onesies, and this Freedom suit falls right in line.

CLASSY: The overall look of the gear is quite appealing, with splashes of hi-viz material to add flair but no massive, over-the-top splotches.

FEATURES: From the forearm key pocket to the removable inner suspenders and the removable hood, it has a well-designed chassis.