Wind Pants

[Coffee]

I am in the process of refining my gear for an upcoming thru hike of the Colorado Trail. In the past I have carried Dry Ducks rain pants which have the virtue of being cheap and relatively light (4.1 ounces) but are fragile, not aesthetically pleasing to wear (to me), and definitely feel less than "breathable" when worn in rainy conditions above 60 degrees or so. I have found that wearing these pants during any activity results in moisture build up from the inside out.

In short, I am looking for a better option for the Colorado Trail. Something that is lightweight, can be worn while hiking relatively comfortably, and perhaps most importantly, something I would be willing to actually use around camp (over long underwear) on colder nights and in town while doing laundry.

I understand that wind pants are not "waterproof" but can shed light precipitation and are often used to add warmth in camp. I've been looking at the MontBell Dynamo Wind Pants online which seem to meet my criteria in terms of weight (2.8 ounces). However, this seems pretty light and I'm concerned about durability. Also, I am a bit worried that I wouldn't have "real" rain pants on the trail, although as noted above, I'm not sure what the utility of rain pants are if I just wet out from the sweat from inside out while hiking.

In terms of my upper body, I have the Outdoor Research Helium II which should serve me well both as a wind jacket and rainwear once I restore its DWR.

Any thoughts on the use cases for wind pants vs. rain pants and whether the Dynamos might meet my needs would be appreciated. Thanks.

[nastynate]

No personal experience but I saw this the other day.

http://hikelighter.com/2014/05/05/mo...-usage-review/

[Coffee]

Very helpful, thanks. I read his prior review but not the latest long term review.

[ChinMusic]

For me I think these types of pants are more for hiking out west than the AT. I can see the need for light coverage over my melanin-challenged legs. I think those Montbell pants would stick to the legs too much on the humid AT.

I've been thinking about something like those Montbells for the JMT/PCT instead of my zip offs for the AT.

Thanks ka for the thread.

[Coffee]

I've also been thinking about not taking my zip offs to Colorado and having the wind pants as my only long pants. Would plan to wear shorts the rest of the time. That would save a bit of weight. I normally hike in zip offs. One thing I need to look into for the Colorado Trail is whether ticks are an issue. One of the main reasons I hike in zip offs (with the bottom part on) along the AT is my fear of ticks.

[Kerosene]

I'd probably go with the Montbell wind pants. I have a predecessor that weighs in at 2 ounces that I just love. I've used them for many years to cut wind and add a bit of warmth in a downpour, as well as secondary use for bicycling.

You might take a look at the various lightweight pant offerings at ProLite Gear, including the Montbell wind pats.

[Abela]

Something that is lightweight, can be worn while hiking relatively comfortably, and perhaps most importantly, something I would be willing to actually use around camp (over long underwear) on colder nights and in town while doing laundry... durability... rain pants are if I just wet out from the sweat from inside out while hiking.

Any thoughts on the use cases for wind pants vs. rain pants and whether the Dynamos might meet my needs would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hey Coffee,

I think the montbell dynamo wind pants are going to *somewhat* meet your needs.

Kind of hard to have any pair of pants that meet all of the criteria you put forth.

Durability can be ok if you treat them with care and don't sit on hard rocks, fallen trees and such.

Sweating out from the inside could be an issue - they are nylon pants after all - going to happen with any nylon pants regardless of which brand and how heavy/light they are.

I wear mine in camp a lot - over my thermal pants, which helps keep my thermals clean/dry. On cold days I will get to camp, pull them off, slip on a pair of PatCap3 bottoms, and pull the wind pants back on. Usually enough to keep me warm until I crawl into my bag at night.

As rain pants... well, no... just not going to happen.

[daddytwosticks]

Years ago, I got a pair of lightweight (about 7 ounces?) pair of Starter Brand sweatpants made of single-layer nylon from Walmart. I've never hiked in them. They are used as camp pants and pajamas. Very lightweight and cheap. They also cut the wind.

[The Cleaner]

Go-Lite has their Tumalo full zip rain pants back in stock. Only about 6ozs and $59.I got a pair a while back and use them for wind pants on cool or windy breaks. With the full zip they vent very well....

[Coffee]

Most of the rain pants I've looked into weigh around three times the Dynamo wind pants but obviously provide more water protection... from the outside at least. I guess one thing I'm struggling with is to determine use cases where I would benefit from rain pants while hiking. Unless the temperature is pretty low (say 40 or below) and I'm either hiking very slowly or downhill, I'm going to generate sweat and rain pants will likely result in perspiration wetting out everything from the inside. This certainly does happen when hiking with my rain jacket. What my rain jacket does provide, even when wet on the inside, is more warmth. If both rain and wind pants can be expected to provide more warmth, and I'm going to be wet inside regardless, I'm not sure how to justify the extra weight and cost of rain pants vs wind pants.

Now I can definitely see the merits of rain pants if sedentary, like hanging out in camp, but in a rain storm I'm likely to be in my tent while in camp, not hanging around outside.

I have most of my gear pretty well dialed in but rainwear is kind of a riddle I have yet to solve.

[RockChucker30]

I got a pair of ripstop warmup pants from a dance supply shop recently and think they will make very nice wind pants. 4 oz and $16.

http://www.discountdance.com/mobile/...tyle&style=701


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[colorado_rob]

... and definitely feel less than "breathable" when worn in rainy conditions above 60 degrees or so. I have found that wearing these pants during any activity results in moisture build up from the inside out.

The thing is, it's always cold when raining in CO at any significant altitude, no where near 60 probably 95% of the time. Chances are when an afternoon storm rolls in, the sunny 60's you've been hiking in will drop into the 40's very quickly (or less if you're really high up).

IMHO, having hiked in CO for 35 years now, you would be well served to have actual rain pants. My rain pant of choice is still my good old Dri Ducks (yes, clown pants), but I won't argue for these. Just get yourself some sort of lightweight warterproof rain pant, not just wind pants. And if you do this, no need for separate "wind pants" which would just add weight, no matter how little. Occasionally even in summer weather when very high up, like climbing a 14er, I'll pull on the dri ducks for a brief time to cut the wind, if it's chilly like it usually is that high.

My summer CO kit is simply zip-off pants (almost always zipped off when hiking) and Dri Ducks for warmth at night around camp and for the brief, but very chilly afternoon rain storms (or wind up high as mentioned).

BTW: Funny, kind of an opposite but supporting argument: I found hiking the AT (your neck of the woods) last spring and now this spring that Dri Ducks are definitely less than optimal there, because precisely of your arguments about sweating in the 60+ degree air temps when raining. I switched to a hiking skirt for leg rain protection on the AT. I haven't yet used the skirt in CO; I might try it a bit this summer out here. Probably not warm enough though.

[Coffee]

Thanks for that insight on temps in Colorado during rain storms. I may be projecting my negative experience on my recent AT section where the Dri Ducks were not that useful. I already have the Dri Ducks which is a plus. I have looked into the zpacks rain pants which are really lightweight but expensive and would probably look even more ridiculous as "town" pants vs the Dri Ducks!. Looks like I have some more thinking to do on this subject.

[ChinMusic]

Colorado sounds like a rain pants kinda place. I only bring rain pants on the AT in winter.

[q-tip]

I have been using the Mont Bell's for two seasons. They now have lots of pinholes but they have limited use for me, camp worn over silk leggings, in town, sometimes in the rain, but in cold three season conditions I bring my Go Lite 7 oz. Rain Pants. I was hoping to do the JMT this summer but had a major relapse with an undiagnosed illness. I love these wind pants but they do have their limits.....

[Coffee]

Does anyone have experience with the ArcTeryx Beta SL Rain Pants?

http://arcteryx.com/product.aspx?lan...l=Beta-SL-Pant

At 9.2 ounces, they are more than double the weight of my Dri Ducks pants. I can find them on sale for around $150. That is only slightly cheaper than the zPacks rain pants which go for $160 and are 2.9 ounces.

[colorado_rob]

Does anyone have experience with the ArcTeryx Beta SL Rain Pants?

http://arcteryx.com/product.aspx?lan...l=Beta-SL-Pant

At 9.2 ounces, they are more than double the weight of my Dri Ducks pants. I can find them on sale for around $150. That is only slightly cheaper than the zPacks rain pants which go for $160 and are 2.9 ounces.

My wife and I own the Arcteryx SL Beta SL (her) and Alpha SL (me) jackets, not pants though, but are completely satisfied by this line of product, at least. Some time ago Goretex Paclite was touted as one of the most breathable or the waterproof fabrics out there. The downside to these pants as you know is the weight. Very bomber rain pants though, would serve you well for a long time. I own a pair just like these but in a different brand (old EMS), but only use them for non-summer climbing use in CO (late fall, winter, early spring) or very high peaks in summer.

[Pendragon]

Warm sweat vs cold rain......take your pick.

[Kerosene]

True wind pants should be sufficiently breathable that you shouldn't sweat in all but the steepest climbs on the most humid of days. In those situations the wind pants will either wet through after a while, sticking to your thighs as you climb; or if the rain isn't too cold you can forego the pants altogether.

I'm a big proponent of carrying rain gear after enduring an all-day deluge (the remnants of a hurricane in central Vermont in July 1979) and almost freezing to death as I did not bring chaps to fit under my poncho that trip. Rain can be very, very cold after falling from a hundred thousand feet up (okay, maybe it's only 40-70K feet, but it's pretty darn cold up there).