Hiking pants suggestions
December 3, 2023 8:33 PM Subscribe
I know nothing about hiking pants and could use some suggestions.
I’ve been trudging around in tall wet grass for photography purposes, and will soon be doing the same in snow (nothing too deep), and I’ve determined that waterproof pants would make a lot of sense, but I don’t now anything about them.
What they had at Dick’s was a nylon-y fabric that didn’t seem like it would be very warm. The Eddie Bauer near me is very small, and they only had one type (I can’t find the exact type on their website, unfortunately, but I think it was named after mountain), and but although they generally fit okay, they weren’t made for anyone with muscular thighs. Eddie Bauer has a bunch of stuff online, but if they’re all cut like the ones I tried on, I’d have to go up a waist size, and then they might not fit well otherwise. A Sierra just opened here, but they’re like TJ Maxx in that the racks are packed with stuff and not really well organized, so it’s hard to find anything specific.
I’m not going mountaineering, so I don’t need something super heavy-duty. I won't be going out in sub-zero temperatures, but they should be as warm as normal pants. Reinforced knees wouldn’t be a bad idea, but aren’t a must-have. If they looked like normal pants, that would be a plus.
So, I’d love suggestions for brands/websites/types that might fit my needs.
thanks!
I’ve been trudging around in tall wet grass for photography purposes, and will soon be doing the same in snow (nothing too deep), and I’ve determined that waterproof pants would make a lot of sense, but I don’t now anything about them.
What they had at Dick’s was a nylon-y fabric that didn’t seem like it would be very warm. The Eddie Bauer near me is very small, and they only had one type (I can’t find the exact type on their website, unfortunately, but I think it was named after mountain), and but although they generally fit okay, they weren’t made for anyone with muscular thighs. Eddie Bauer has a bunch of stuff online, but if they’re all cut like the ones I tried on, I’d have to go up a waist size, and then they might not fit well otherwise. A Sierra just opened here, but they’re like TJ Maxx in that the racks are packed with stuff and not really well organized, so it’s hard to find anything specific.
I’m not going mountaineering, so I don’t need something super heavy-duty. I won't be going out in sub-zero temperatures, but they should be as warm as normal pants. Reinforced knees wouldn’t be a bad idea, but aren’t a must-have. If they looked like normal pants, that would be a plus.
So, I’d love suggestions for brands/websites/types that might fit my needs.
thanks!
Most of the waterproof trousers that are used for hiking are not intended to be worn alone; they're intended to be a layer over a thin pair of trousers, and when it's really cold, leggings too.
The modern outdoor gear philosophy is all about multiple thin layers of clothing rather than one all-in-one garment. You get the warmth from the layers close to your skin, which stay dry, and you get the waterproofing from the thin outer shell, which will have a Gore-Tex or similar membrane to allow moisture to escape from inside whilst still keeping rain off. And when the weather changes, you can adjust which layers you wear and which you pack away.
You can get waterproof trousers that are also insulation-lined, but they're not common for hiking - they're more for skiing, snowboarding and things like that - where you're much more sensitive to wind chill, and not exerting yourself in the same way as walking for long periods.
Gaiters are also a really good idea. In wet conditions it's normal to wear them on top of waterproof trousers. They help protect the weak point in your waterproofing, between the bottom of your trousers and the top of your boot. But when you're just walking through low wet grass, you can take off the waterproofs and just keep the gaiters, to save a layer.
posted by automatronic at 9:04 PM on December 3, 2023 [8 favorites]
The modern outdoor gear philosophy is all about multiple thin layers of clothing rather than one all-in-one garment. You get the warmth from the layers close to your skin, which stay dry, and you get the waterproofing from the thin outer shell, which will have a Gore-Tex or similar membrane to allow moisture to escape from inside whilst still keeping rain off. And when the weather changes, you can adjust which layers you wear and which you pack away.
You can get waterproof trousers that are also insulation-lined, but they're not common for hiking - they're more for skiing, snowboarding and things like that - where you're much more sensitive to wind chill, and not exerting yourself in the same way as walking for long periods.
Gaiters are also a really good idea. In wet conditions it's normal to wear them on top of waterproof trousers. They help protect the weak point in your waterproofing, between the bottom of your trousers and the top of your boot. But when you're just walking through low wet grass, you can take off the waterproofs and just keep the gaiters, to save a layer.
posted by automatronic at 9:04 PM on December 3, 2023 [8 favorites]
Nthing the above. REI’s GTX rain pants are quite good for the price. You probably want something with full side zips so they can go on and off easily (hard shell waterproof pants aren’t something you usually want to wear when you don’t need to).
You might consider starting with good softshell pants that will be water resistant but not as waterproof as Goretex and see if that meets your needs. I like Outdoor Gear Lab for specific recommendations; my current go-to is Kuhl Renegade. Patagonia Quandary may also fit the bill for you.
A base layer will take care of any additional required warmth.
posted by supercres at 9:35 PM on December 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
You might consider starting with good softshell pants that will be water resistant but not as waterproof as Goretex and see if that meets your needs. I like Outdoor Gear Lab for specific recommendations; my current go-to is Kuhl Renegade. Patagonia Quandary may also fit the bill for you.
A base layer will take care of any additional required warmth.
posted by supercres at 9:35 PM on December 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
Waterproofing on pants comes in a few different flavors: mainly own-brand waterproofing, Gore-Tex WindStopper, Gore-Tex Infinium and Gore-Tex (there's also Gore-Tex Paclite - I don't have experience with that). If you want full stay-completely-dry-in-a-rainstorm waterproofing, Gore-Tex is the answer, Infinium is decent, WindStopper is just splashproof, and I don't think there's a scale for own-brand fabrics (Gore-Tex is of course the most expensive). Here's Gore-Tex hiking pants on Backcountry: other brands that do Gore-Tex pants off the top of my head - not on that Backcountry link - include The North Face, Patagonia, REI, Mont-bell. For whatever reason, it's pretty hard to find pants which are waterproof and fit well (many have technical details at the bottom of the legs so you can't alter the length either) so expect some trial and error - you'll likely need to order a bunch and see what sticks. Backcountry usually has pretty decent end of season/ post holiday sales, if you can hold out.
posted by 4th Matryoshka Doll at 12:10 AM on December 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by 4th Matryoshka Doll at 12:10 AM on December 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
If you get waterproof pants getting ones with zip-openable sides are useful - you can remove trou without removing boots. I always found breathable trou less important - partly as they get so beaten up - waterproofing goes first in the bum area, I just find something with a lining so it'll slide over my skin, and as tough a fabric as possible. I usually wear lightweight polypro under waterproofs and go down to tights & shorts if it's warmer, usually very buggy where I travel and I'm not into feeding the hordes.
Gaiters are really useful - saves tearing the base of your pants, keeps grit and seeds out of your boots - I've always used heavy canvas ones as they can be used under a camp stove at a push, also they tend to cup a bit when you place them on the ground so they're good for avoiding losing small things while doing repairs.
posted by unearthed at 12:59 AM on December 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
Gaiters are really useful - saves tearing the base of your pants, keeps grit and seeds out of your boots - I've always used heavy canvas ones as they can be used under a camp stove at a push, also they tend to cup a bit when you place them on the ground so they're good for avoiding losing small things while doing repairs.
posted by unearthed at 12:59 AM on December 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
If you aren't out in full on rain, I'd strongly consider a pair of softshell pants. Softshell has some thickness to it, and tends to be warmer. While it isn't fully waterproof, softshell is hydrophobic in some way where water rolls off and is repelled by it. The people who hang out it wet and snow (ice climbers, snow sports) seem to prefer softshell rather than gore-tex waterproof. For hiking in snow I'd turn to softshell first, only Gore in a downpour.
Seconding the suggestion for gaiters, too, although many winter-tech pants have an inner gaiter than you tuck into your boots, that serves the purpose of bridging the ankle gap.
posted by Dashy at 7:31 AM on December 4, 2023
Seconding the suggestion for gaiters, too, although many winter-tech pants have an inner gaiter than you tuck into your boots, that serves the purpose of bridging the ankle gap.
posted by Dashy at 7:31 AM on December 4, 2023
Unless your #1 primary and only criterion for these pants is "must not get wet (from the outside)", stay far, far away from true waterproof breathable pants (Gore-Tex or similar). You will be uncomfortable and sweaty in confusing ways, damp from sweat, overheating but also cold where you're venting them, and angry when they start catching and ripping on brush. if you're not in a downpour and relatively stationary, they're miserable.
What you really want are soft-shell pants, as recommended several times above. I can recommend Outdoor Research's Cirque II and Cirque Lite pants from personal experience - I wore the Cirque IIs (the heavier ones) basically all winter doing mountaineering training, in everything from mud to rain to thigh and waist deep snow, and they worked a treat. The Cirque Lites are, as the name implies, lighter, and probably right for your rain use case, but I'd probably go with the Cirque IIs for anything with snow. I find that OR gear is actually designed for people doing stuff in the outdoors, and their price points are competitive and usually under what you'll find for similar products from the bigger players. I think the fit would work for you, too.
I've tried a bunch of other pants - I typically wear OR Ferrosi in the summer, and I've had various pairs from Patagonia, Arcteryx, Mammut, etc. They're all fine in their own way, but I think the Patagonia Quandary pants (and the OR Ferrosi) would be too thin for your use case. As long as you go with a soft-shell that's marked as wind- and water-resistant, you should be in a pretty good place irrespective of which specific one you get.
Last, if you're going into snow, unless you're 100% walking on the snow, or you're wearing high boots, gaiters are a great idea (and even if those two conditions are true). The integrated gaiters in snow-focused pants are, in my experience, generally useless. A good pair of external gaiters will make sure no mud, rain, or snow gets in your shoes or boots and they also nicely restrain your pant legs to keep them from catching on brush and other debris. I have some of the OR Heliums linked above; I've also used Rab gaiters and really liked them (though they were a bit fragile).
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 10:27 AM on December 4, 2023 [2 favorites]
What you really want are soft-shell pants, as recommended several times above. I can recommend Outdoor Research's Cirque II and Cirque Lite pants from personal experience - I wore the Cirque IIs (the heavier ones) basically all winter doing mountaineering training, in everything from mud to rain to thigh and waist deep snow, and they worked a treat. The Cirque Lites are, as the name implies, lighter, and probably right for your rain use case, but I'd probably go with the Cirque IIs for anything with snow. I find that OR gear is actually designed for people doing stuff in the outdoors, and their price points are competitive and usually under what you'll find for similar products from the bigger players. I think the fit would work for you, too.
I've tried a bunch of other pants - I typically wear OR Ferrosi in the summer, and I've had various pairs from Patagonia, Arcteryx, Mammut, etc. They're all fine in their own way, but I think the Patagonia Quandary pants (and the OR Ferrosi) would be too thin for your use case. As long as you go with a soft-shell that's marked as wind- and water-resistant, you should be in a pretty good place irrespective of which specific one you get.
Last, if you're going into snow, unless you're 100% walking on the snow, or you're wearing high boots, gaiters are a great idea (and even if those two conditions are true). The integrated gaiters in snow-focused pants are, in my experience, generally useless. A good pair of external gaiters will make sure no mud, rain, or snow gets in your shoes or boots and they also nicely restrain your pant legs to keep them from catching on brush and other debris. I have some of the OR Heliums linked above; I've also used Rab gaiters and really liked them (though they were a bit fragile).
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 10:27 AM on December 4, 2023 [2 favorites]
I'd get synthetic, tightly woven pants, a nice base layer pant to go under that, and gaiters. Maybe snowshoes.
posted by theora55 at 1:51 PM on December 4, 2023
posted by theora55 at 1:51 PM on December 4, 2023
Response by poster: Thanks for the excellent answers everyone! This proves that I knew even less than I thought.
posted by jonathanhughes at 4:26 PM on December 4, 2023
posted by jonathanhughes at 4:26 PM on December 4, 2023
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posted by danceswithlight at 8:48 PM on December 3, 2023 [2 favorites]