I have high end well known name brand bibs. They zip to the hip (a must in my opinion), are wind proof, quiet, and pretty darn warm. Are they expensive? Sort of. But I feel like they are worth it....until.....
I got my hands on a king of the mountain wool shirt/jacket. I had never heard of it, got a good deal from a member here on a used one. The versatility, and toughness of that garment has me rethinking the whole clothing thing.
Their bibs and jacket would cost you about 2000.00 new. That seems insane. But when you talk to folks who have had the gear for 20+ years, and worn it through some crazy weather and adventures, and it's still trucking, it doesn't seem so crazy. You'll drop close to a third or half that for any of the high end stuff coming out these days. Who's to say if they'll last 3 seasons. Or five. If they make it to the 7-8 year mark, it's probably a good investment.
But I'm really considering cashing out on the fancy synthetic stuff. I've gone through a few pretty intense situations with the wool, and I've come away impressed.
I don't have the answer, just tossing out there that I thought I had it figured out, and now I'm afraid I've missed the boat...