Outdoor pants

[Skrapmetal]

Duluth trading co has some great stuff.

I am enjoying the hell out of the firehose flex stuff. Wearing it for work.

Has a water resistant coating, and is available with fleece insulation.

Never worn pants like these that could hold up to work wear and tear but don't really restrict my movement.

 

[mtwarden]

My best all around woods pants are my Filson Whipcords, I can wear them comfortably from -10 to about 50 degrees. Warmer temps I just wear merino boxers with them, whipcord doesn't itch. Cooler temps I wear them with a thin merino bottom layer, cold temps a medium weight merino bottom. The fabric is a very dense weave that sheds wind, snow and light rain but still breathes! The tight weave is also tough- rocks, heavy brush, etc have little effect on them. The pair I'm wearing are about 12 years old, and see no reason why they won't last another 12.

 

[Fuori]

I couldn't find the Filson Whipcords on their site. They sound like nice pants.

 

[mtwarden]

sadly they've been discontinued (after a 75 year stint ), but their outlets (WA and MN) have some- I just picked up two pairs after learning they were discontinued at the MN outlet- $65 a pop (vs $200-ish)

another place to look is ebay- they typically have a 6-12 pairs for sale in various sizes at any given time

I talked to Filson on Friday, they said they were getting a lot of feedback to bring the whipcords back, so it's possible they could re-enter their lineup in the future

 

[b yond]

I know it's way over the price range you're looking at, but the Sitka Timberline pants are the best outdoor pants I've ever owned, and the best fitting pants I've ever worn. It's like wearing armored pajamas. They run $150-200 though.

 

[pitdog]

When it's just cold I wear some Mountain Equipment base camp fleece bottoms but if it's also really wet I'll wear my Buffalo Teclite bottoms.

http://www.buffalosystems.co.uk/products/teclite-trousers/

 

[EricV]

Depends what you're doing outdoors and where you are.

EMS Trailhead pants are probably my favorites right now. They dry really fast, have been pretty wear resistant, light weight, and weren't too pricey on sale. Layer up really easily too since they're a bit stretchy. Really anything synthetic or wool, personally I hate zip offs as the zippers are rough on base layers, get funked up and break fairly easily.

I've also got some Swedish wool pants that I rarely wear as they're just too warm and don't layer well, too thick. I usually only put them on if I'm not going to be moving around much and its darn cold.

Done the cotton blend mix and base layer business too, but after getting stuck out in a surprise storm in the Whites I've ditched that concept for anything but shoveling snow. Personally I'd rather not have my clothes help kill me.

I usually pack my Beta LT pants, or will just wear them from the trail head if its nasty, super pants but you really have to dig around for a deal. Outdoor Research also makes some great bad weather pants too that you don't have to hunt for deals to find.

 

[Joe_N]

Something that will work short term is to spray your jeans with Scotchgard. It won't take the place of a good pair of pants, and it will wash out, but in a pinch the Scotchgard will keep you dry. I worked with a young man that had a chance to go skiing but he didn't have anything but jeans. He sprayed everything down with Scotchgard and spent 3 or 4 days in the snow and said he never got wet.

There is another thread on here about wool pants that I saw recently and a link was given to an Army surplus store that had a variety of wool pants. Some were Swedish army pants and some were made in the USA or Canada. They had prices that ranged from the upper $20s to near $100. You might look for that thread t see if there is anything there that would work for you.

 

[flipe8]

I gave Kuhl pants a try, and have a hard time wearing anything else since. They have both tech materials for outdoors and good ole' cotton for everyday wear.

While I like some of the styles Kuhl offers, I`ve found the stitching along several areas of the pants to chafe quite considerably when used for anything more than casual wear. I`ve had to remove all the tags stitched inside the waistband areas and have to wear long cut synthetic undies to keep the nylon stitching from digging away at my thighs. It`s a company I`d hesitate to recommend as result.

 

[jfk1110]

Kitanica asp' s kinda pricey but comfy n versatile. Lots of pockets.

 

[Mikel_24]

Depends what you're doing outdoors and where you are.

Exactly.

What does OUTDOORS mean for you? What do you plan on doing? For me outdoors means hiking, climbing, backpaking above treeline and I almost never deal with wood fires of any kind (stoves only, either canister or liquid fuel). Sweat is a problem (I sweat like a pig) and summer winter needs vary greatly.

I always go with long syntetic pants. In summer is a light stretchy fabric. In winter is a somewhat thicker (fleece-like inner side, water/snow repelent) stretchy fabric. I dislike cargo pockets because they snag on stuff. If possible, I go with Schoeller fabrics... they are about the best out there! Not cheap, but truly worth it. My previous winter pants lasted something like 16 years of use! Focus on the fabric, not the brand of the pants. Most of the big name brands of climbing gear have garments made with propietary fabrics AND then the well known brands (like Shcoeller, Cordura, etc.).

I rarely wear anything underneath... if only when ice climbing in very cold temps (lower than -5ºC) because we stay waaaay too much time waiting in the belays. In these situations I wear medium weight fleece thights. I have been alpine climbing in the Alps in May without them... as I said, just for standing still in the cold.

The rare ocassions I know I am going to be arround fire, I ditch those garments completly and I wear BDUs (50/50 I think). I know they will not get ruined if a stray spark lands on them. Problem is that if you get them wet, they take a looong time to dry.

Mikel

 

[Grease]

Most people don't think of Duluth Trading co for hiking& packing clothes, but their Dry on the Fly Nylon Cargo Pants are my favorite pants I've ever owned. Similar to the LAPG Operator pants in design, but the pockets are a bit better (side zips for seated access is the best idea EVER.) and made from 100% nylon for quick dry times.

 

[LostViking]

Well, I just ordered a Kilt from 511, decided to try something different for this summer. I'll report back when I have some miles on,

 

[oguruma]

I wear Propper BDUs in the woods 90% of the time. They are available in different levels of Cotton/Poly blends.
Mine are 100% cotton (I know, I'm going to die).

Lol. I love how uppity people get about cotton in their clothing. How many soldiers have deployed to Afghanistan wearing cotton blends, again? The reality is that for most outdoor activities, cotton isn't the death sentence it is made out to be.

That said, I am a fan of Duluth Dry on the Fly pants, so far. They are in excess of $50, but you might be able to get a discount when they do their periodic sales.

 

[leghog]

Cotton kills. Wear nylon or synthetics. I have 511, REI, Columbia, Prana, and others. Shop around. Buy them on sale/clearance.

In winter I wear pants styled after the old M1951 Artic pants with, and without, nylon synthetic filled liner.

 

[Grease]

Lol. I love how uppity people get about cotton in their clothing. How many soldiers have deployed to Afghanistan wearing cotton blends, again? The reality is that for most outdoor activities, cotton isn't the death sentence it is made out to be.

It depends on the temperature.

Cotton doesn't dry easily. If you sweat a lot, this means you'll be wet a lot. If it's in the 70s-80s, that doesn't matter. If it's in the 100s, it feels gross. If it's in the 20s or below, it means your clothing freezes and becomes a layer of ice stuck to your skin.

Compare that to something like Under Armor Heat Gear shirts or North Face hiking pants. Both can practically be worn straight out of the washing machine due to how little water they retain. It's understandable that people try to argue against a poor clothing option when so many alternatives exist.

 

[leghog]

Lol. I love how uppity people get about cotton in their clothing. How many soldiers have deployed to Afghanistan wearing cotton blends, again? The reality is that for most outdoor activities, cotton isn't the death sentence it is made out to be.

That said, I am a fan of Duluth Dry on the Fly pants, so far. They are in excess of $50, but you might be able to get a discount when they do their periodic sales.

Those troops have a bit of a different support structure than does one man or two men in the backcountry for recreation. Cotton is a killer cloth which is precisely why there are alternatives in outdoor clothing, especially in cooler climates/seasons.

 

[oguruma]

It depends on the temperature.

Cotton doesn't dry easily. If you sweat a lot, this means you'll be wet a lot. If it's in the 70s-80s, that doesn't matter. If it's in the 100s, it feels gross. If it's in the 20s or below, it means your clothing freezes and becomes a layer of ice stuck to your skin.

Compare that to something like Under Armor Heat Gear shirts or North Face hiking pants. Both can practically be worn straight out of the washing machine due to how little water they retain. It's understandable that people try to argue against a poor clothing option when so many alternatives exist.

Everything you said is true, but my point is that cotton is not akin to terminal cancer. I went to basic training in January at Fort Leonard Wood and was issued ACUs which are a cotton blend. I didn't die (neither did anybody else in the battalion), despite the near constant sub zero temperatures, the constant sweat, and the huge portion of the time spent outside.

 

[leghog]

Everything you said is true, but my point is that cotton is not akin to terminal cancer. I went to basic training in January at Fort Leonard Wood and was issued ACUs which are a cotton blend. I didn't die (neither did anybody else in the battalion), despite the near constant sub zero temperatures, the constant sweat, and the huge portion of the time spent outside.

Wet cotton dries VERY SLOWLY. Wet cotton provides no insulation. Wet cotton in the cold in the back country is asking for trouble. Big trouble. Sure, you might get away with it. But you might not which is why I'll never recommend cotton for the backcountry.

 

[Mikel_24]

...was issued ACUs which are a cotton blend...

My understanding is that behind the composition of the clothing issued to soldiers there is MUCH MORE than just providing confort. There are other concerns such as durability, fire resistance, price, etc. Cotton and cotton blends fulfill those other requirements better than syntethic clothing. If you catch a spark or are hit by a flame of some short wearing syntethic... you are in deep trouble. There is a reason why welding clothes are leather or heavy cotton blends.

The Everest was first climbed wearing clothing and footwear that is no longer used due to better choices available out there. I think the same goes with other outdoor recreational activities. Why do we need to cope with the drawbacks of certain fabrics if there is a better choice!

Like I said, for general woodsbumming, making fires, short hikes in non extreme conditions, etc.... BDUs could be perfect.