Winter pants

[Papa Bear]

I've had a pair of Gortex pants for 10 years and they have been great. I bought them for running but they work very well as an outer layer for winter hiking.

However ... in the last year I have done serious damage to them. First glissading on icy snow on Mount Adams (Washington state), then ripping the lower cuffs with crampons and finally last Sunday, ripping a little hole in the side from a branch. Ducktape works OK, but the time has come for a replacement.

So .. any suggestions for pants that not only keep the weather away but are tougher than average? I don't expect any fabric to resist a crampon tear (would tough gaiters help?) but something tough enough for glissading or bushwhacking would be great.

All ideas welcome.

Pb

 

[Peakbagr]

Marmot has a pair of Goretex pants that I use and like. Full side zippers so they're easy to get on and off, including over snowshoes or crampons, tighteners at the ankles, and double velcro adjusters at the waist.
With double zippers on each side, they can also be adjusted so that yoy can ventilate your legs if the temps dictate.
Its been in the teens the last couple of times I used them, rising to the 30's and 40's during the afternoon. I've been wearing knee-length hiking shorts under them with perfect comfort. My hiking partner also has the Marmots, and he wears the same light nylon full length hiking pants under them.
When winter arrives, light, med, or heavyweight long johns underneath provide lots of options.

 

[sp1936]

I've given up on Gore-Tex and other w/b fabrics for pants, esp. in winter. I now use these with clip-on suspenders. Rugged, cheap, effective.

Steve

 

[Neil]

I love these:
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_...551&PRODUCT<>prd_id=17161&bmUID=1100718707827

 

[carole]

but something tough enough for glissading or bushwhacking would be great.Pb

I'm hoping they make something with Tevak (sp?) for the rear

 

[shadowcat]

Check this out

I found these on Cabela's site. They don't make them for women but if they did I would have loved them. (it's a long link but it goes to Cabela's XPG Thinsulate Union Suit On sale! Item: OE-922152 -- just copy & paste the web address)

hhttp://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jhtml?id=0022630922152a&type=product&cmCat=search&returnString=No=20&hasJS=true&Nty=1&Ntx=matchall&Ntt=union+suit&N=4887&QueryText=union+suit&noImage=0&_D%3AhasJS=+&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jhtml.22&Ntk=Products&returnPage=search-results1.jhtml

also: here's a bunch from sierra to look at:
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/xq/asp/dept_id.L2~380/qx/prod_list_display.htm

a pretty good price range depending on how much you want to spend. if you can get some features like reinforcement on the butt, knees & crampon patches that helps as well as the obvious like waterproof & some insulation doesn't hurt either!

 

[Blue]

How would I pee in the winter in a union suit!!???

 

[sierra]

Marmot 3 layer alpinist for me. I have gone to the Marmot Pre-cip material for the summer as Gore-Tex is overkill in the warm weather.

 

[KZKlimber]

Dryskin the way to go

I just got a pair of ArcTeryx Schoeller dryskin bibs for 1/2 price.

Light, tight, tough, and warm.

Can't wait to try 'em.

Blue - ever heard of a Lady-J???

 

[dundare]

***
How would I pee in the winter in a union suit!!???
***

Quickly!!!! Thats probably why there is no women's version.

 

[shadowcat]

union suit

blue: How would I pee in the winter in a union suit!!???
ya i know guys have it made huh? but i loved the features on this thing. clean cut but all the features you need. i thought it would be great for ice climbing. but of course no womens - they probably would have made the zipper go all around & up the back.......

 

[spencer]

I just got a pair of ArcTeryx Schoeller dryskin bibs for 1/2 price.

care to share where?

thanks...

spencer

 

[Warren]

I've switched to dryskin for winter pants. It's hard to find them at an affordable price, aside from sales (I've seen some incredible deals in the racks in campmor). MEC seems to have the best deal in dryskin with the ferrata pants. Dryskin temperature/condition range is pretty wide, more so than other fabrics and I've found them tough. Not waterproof, but so far that's been fine for me in the winter. I use precip pants for a wind blocker in the winter.

While I originally got the tights because they were cheap, I did eventually get a much pricier heavy duty pair from Mammut. I found this a much better choice for deeper winter and the seat, knees, and gaiter-like cuffs are all reenforced.

Blue-
My union suit has a zipper that goes down the crotch and up the rear for winter visits. It's a good idea, but every layer will need a matching zipper, I've had problems finding other layers with zips (MEC ferrata pants do have this option). Wild Roses had made a series of layer pieces that had crotch zips a few years back, I don't know if they still make them.

 

[John H Swanson]

When my winter goretex pants died, I switched to Schoeler pants for my outer layer and, let me tell you, I'm awefully glad I did. In goretex, I would have to hike with the side zips open to vent nearly all of the time to keep from overheating. When I was bashing brush or just following the snow tunnel trails on the high ridges, I'd get snow inside. Falling in a spruce trap with your side zips open is not a good time. Close the zips for protection - overheat. The Schoeller fabric give unbelievable performance. Awesome breathability. I use Mammut champ pants. They make (or at least did make) a women's version too. When bashing, Ive seen them glistening with melting snow and I was dry inside. Unfortunately, above treeline in windy conditions or in the rain, they do not block as well as goretex. For those conditions, I add a thin pair of Marmot precip pants over the top. Really lightweight and easy to carry. No side zips, but the mammut pants are stretchy so they are easy to put on and take off. They also make a pair with side zips but they are much heavier and more costly.

 

[summit1]

Ladies, with this device you can wear a union suit and pee...simply amazing http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?memberId=12500226&productId=13827

Who the heck comes up with this stuff anyways?!?!

 

[alpinista]

I have some Arc'Teryx half bibs that have zips the full length of the pantlegs. They're just light enough that I can also use them in summer when it's super rainy, but heavy enough to be durable during winter. But the best feature, IMO, is they make me look thin!

 

[dave.m]

How would I pee in the winter in a union suit!!???

Generally, I try to pee in the snow, not in my union suit but whatever...

 

[Wild]

If you want something cheap and tough, then military surplus wool pants are the way to go. If you tear them up with your crampons, you can sew them back together pretty easily. When they are beyond help, just buy a new pair.

 

[Blue]

Generally, I try to pee in the snow, not in my union suit but whatever...

Har har... men don't understand... no.. in fact they just STAND.
Women squat down, and 9 times out of 10 get snow on themselves in the process, which proves to be rather uncomfortable .

I have something like a Ladyj, but I haven't used it yet.

 

[Mr. X]

Bad: Being a girl and having to go #1 while in a union suit

Worse: Getting snow on you while you are taking a #1

Even Worse: Droppin a deuce on your snow shoe and not knowing you've done so.

Remember, take those snow shoes off, it's worth the extra time it takes.