Posted by Steve Sieren on October 15, 2010 at 12:00 PM
I've been using an old pair of snowboarding pants and the weight is a little too much, anyone know of any good light weight pants for use in the winter???
Have a look at these
I've been reasonably comfortable in them sitting idle on the snow for a couple of hours in -20 to -25c (about -10 F). Fairly lightweight and packs small. Material around the knee and on the back are pretty rugged. Fairly water resistant, insulates when wet and dries fast.
If weight is a real issue and you dont mind something not as warm, see this
They are both protection from cold alone, to keep out extreme weather/sharp objects a shell might be needed.
Posted by Jim DeWitt on October 15, 2010 at 3:17 PM
How cold will it be / how warm do you need them to be. In Alaska, the absolute best snow pants are made by Apocalypse Design. Expensive but nearly indestructible, and warm at the coldest kind of temps.
Posted by Steve Sieren on October 15, 2010 at 5:14 PM
Thank you guys I sure appreciate the hlep!
Hey Steve, do you know how much they weigh? Under 2 lbs.
Arnand, That makes a tough choice between the two.
Jim, I'm California so the coldest it could be would be in the Sierra. Doesn't drop much below zero
Posted by Jim DeWitt on October 15, 2010 at 7:41 PM
Apocalypse Design would be overkill in California, unless you are climbing Whitney in the winter or something.
Posted by Sarah Marino on October 16, 2010 at 12:29 AM
REI's Taku pants are great. Reasonably priced, lightweight, and warm. They are also very comfortable and durable. Highly recommended for winter hiking and snowshoeing, but probably are not enough for winter camping in the backcountry (at least for me - I get cold easily).
Posted by John W. Wall on October 18, 2010 at 3:17 PM
REI is running a sale on Marmot Pre-Cip jackets and pants. Mine just came in the mail, and I haven't tried 'em out yet. They are very light rip-stop, waterproof shells that I plan to use for walking to work and being out shooting in the rain, but I'd consider the pants for winter work as a shell over longjohns and fleece pants.
Posted by Gene Lugo on October 19, 2010 at 12:29 AM
As a ski instructor who is accustomed to spending 7+ hours in the cold, on snow - I can tell you that layering with goretex or equivalent high-tech breathable, windproof membrane somewhere in the mix is the way to go. Three layer goretex will breathe and stop water and wind from getting through, and a lightweight pair of shell pants or bibs (preferable) will only weigh in at about 1.5 lbs. These are preferable to the insulated kinds because you can layer as required. Base layer is polypropylene and can be light, medium or expedition weight, then you have a choice of polartec 100, 200 or 300 to add warmth - or windblocking fleece for those especially bitter days. With an expedition wt base layer and a polartec 300 and a triple goretex shell you will be too warm at anything above -5F. The keywords to look for is knee and seat articulation, gusseted crotch, full-length zippers on the outside of the leg, a bib made of stretchable fabric, waterproof, breathable, windproof material, water-resistant zippers, seam sealed construction. Each manufacturer bases their designs and fit on different body types, but they are very price competitive with one another. Soft-shells are quieter and more flexible at the expense of rain-proofing. Vendors to look at are Patagonia, Arc-Teryx, Mountain Hardware, Northface, Marmot, Mamut, Helly Hansen, Outdoor Research, REI, Cloudveil - all make a decent selection of high quality lightweight technical clothing for every budget - the range being from $150 or so to around $500. Sierra Trading Post is a good place to get a bargain, and there are a number of online stores that carry most of these. Try to stay away from using rain clothing for this - too noisy, and not suitable for extreme cold - maybe a little to fragile. Personally I have used products from Northface, Marmot and Helly Hansen - I use a Marmot Oracle rain jacket (one step up from the Pre-Cip) and I love it, but would not consider it for really cold weather. For that I use my Helly Helly Tech Equipe shell pant and jacket. More protection, excellent climate control (lots of zippered venting) and extremely durable - coupled with a lifetime warranty. Hard to beat. I have replaced two jackets and one pair of pants at no charge other than shipping. Hope you find this info helpful.
Posted by Carl Donohue on October 22, 2010 at 2:22 AM
Hey Steve
Depends on too many things to name one or 2 items. What are you doing in your snow pants? XC skiing? snowshoeing? Downhilling? Walking around in slight snowstorms? Standing around waiting for the light? Backpacking? Etc, etc, etc. Also, what kinda temps/conditions are you talking about?
For the most part, I agree with Gene's comments above, though I like the soft-shell stuff more. But, it's pretty cold here, and I'm not too worried about a need for 'waterproof', as it's cold enough that this isn't too big an issue.
For a cheaper option, REI's "Alpine Lakes" pants are nice. Patagonia's Guide series are great, as are Arcteryx' Gamma models (esp. the MX pants) .. but it all depends on the usage .. particularly with soft-shell stuff, even more so than the hard shells (goretex, etc). Lastly, for waterproof breathable, there's simply no comparison; eVent is a country mile more breathable than goretex, though I hear goretex have some major announcement of a newer version coming next year that's supposed to step it up a bit. But they do that every other year anyway, it seems. We'll see what they say.
Discussion
8 repliesAny suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
I've been reasonably comfortable in them sitting idle on the snow for a couple of hours in -20 to -25c (about -10 F). Fairly lightweight and packs small. Material around the knee and on the back are pretty rugged. Fairly water resistant, insulates when wet and dries fast.
If weight is a real issue and you dont mind something not as warm, see this
They are both protection from cold alone, to keep out extreme weather/sharp objects a shell might be needed.
Hey Steve, do you know how much they weigh? Under 2 lbs.
Arnand, That makes a tough choice between the two.
Jim, I'm California so the coldest it could be would be in the Sierra. Doesn't drop much below zero
Depends on too many things to name one or 2 items. What are you doing in your snow pants? XC skiing? snowshoeing? Downhilling? Walking around in slight snowstorms? Standing around waiting for the light? Backpacking? Etc, etc, etc. Also, what kinda temps/conditions are you talking about?
For the most part, I agree with Gene's comments above, though I like the soft-shell stuff more. But, it's pretty cold here, and I'm not too worried about a need for 'waterproof', as it's cold enough that this isn't too big an issue.
For a cheaper option, REI's "Alpine Lakes" pants are nice. Patagonia's Guide series are great, as are Arcteryx' Gamma models (esp. the MX pants) .. but it all depends on the usage .. particularly with soft-shell stuff, even more so than the hard shells (goretex, etc). Lastly, for waterproof breathable, there's simply no comparison; eVent is a country mile more breathable than goretex, though I hear goretex have some major announcement of a newer version coming next year that's supposed to step it up a bit. But they do that every other year anyway, it seems. We'll see what they say.
Cheers
Carl