Winter hiking pants

F

Fuori

Joined
Oct 13, 2014
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I'm going to be doing day hikes (possible a backpacking trip) this winter and need help finding a new pair of pants. Preferably lightweight, durable as possible to deal with branches such, minimal if any cotton content, and easy to layer with.

The only pants on my list so far are Duluth Dry On The Fly, LA Police Gear Operator Tactical Pants with Elastic Waistband, and 24-7 Xpedition PANTS.

The Xpedition pants are made from polyester cotton and I have no clue what that is. The Duluth pants are 100% nylon. The Operator pants are a 65% polyester/35% cotton blend.

Which of these would hold up the best? Which would work the best with layers underneath? Ideally, I'd like something I could use year round, so I wouldn't be purchasing something just to use in the winter. Does one of these stick out the most for my purposes?

Is there something else in that price range that would be better than all three of them?
 
Don't know about the others but Duluth is very good equipment with great customer service.Think LL Bean on steroids --KV
 
kvaughn said:
Don't know about the others but Duluth is very good equipment with great customer service.Think LL Bean on steroids --KV
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Those are the pants I'm leaning towards. The elastic in the waist turns me off a bit because in my experience that tends to dry out in clothes after a few years, but they do make nice clothing.
 
If the pants are worth it, elastic can be re-fitted without too much trouble. I love my Fjallravens. They have some cotton content, but the ability to wax them I think moderates that aspect. So far I've not really torture tested them/myself but I do like how they are thought out, though they are not like most pants, you gotta think like a swede. Asymmetrical pockets take getting used to.
 
gadgetgeek said:
If the pants are worth it, elastic can be re-fitted without too much trouble. I love my Fjallravens. They have some cotton content, but the ability to wax them I think moderates that aspect. So far I've not really torture tested them/myself but I do like how they are thought out, though they are not like most pants, you gotta think like a swede. Asymmetrical pockets take getting used to.
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I'm not worried about some cotton content. As long as it's low they should dry and not kill me if they get wet.
 
I have some Duluth pants that rock for winter hiking. But if I'm honest, I love wool. I do find the Filson and LLBean pants heavy for hiking. However, Lands'End makes a cargo wool pant ( I don't think it's 100% wool) that I find very wearable, light and tough. The look isn't 'dressy' . I find everything sticks to wool anyway. I hike the Adirondacks, so there's a bit of snow.

Healthvet
 
Duluth is a solid company. Out of the ones you mentioned, I would try them. However, I have to agree with gadgetgeek, my Fjallraven Keb Trousers are more than pants but a serious piece of Gear. They are expensive, but will last for years and are exactly what you are looking for. I got a pair on Massdrop for $99 last year. More of a 3 season pant (fall, winter, spring). The legs zip down the sides to vent out heat in warmer weather.



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healthvet said:
I have some Duluth pants that rock for winter hiking. But if I'm honest, I love wool. I do find the Filson and LLBean pants heavy for hiking. However, Lands'End makes a cargo wool pant ( I don't think it's 100% wool) that I find very wearable, light and tough. The look isn't 'dressy' . I find everything sticks to wool anyway. I hike the Adirondacks, so there's a bit of snow.

Healthvet
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Are you talking about the Whipcord pants fro LL Bean?
 
Fuori said:
Are you talking about the Whipcord pants fro LL Bean?
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No, I have the Maine guide pants. But, I'm probably much older than you. And smaller. What's heavy for me, that's probably a little (lot) different for you.

When I read the reviews of the whipcord pants, there were enough negatives that I didn't pull the trigger. It seemed that recent reviews make these pants compare unfavorably to previous models. I love the guide pants. Wear them winter rabbit hunting, or just out and about.
 
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healthvet said:
No, I have the Maine guide pants. But, I'm probably much older than you. And smaller. What's heavy for me, that's probably a little (lot) different for you.

When I read the reviews of the whipcord pants, there were enough negatives that I didn't pull the trigger. It seemed that recent reviews make these pants compare unfavorably to previous models. I love the guide pants. Wear them winter rabbit hunting, or just out and about.
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Unfortunately, the reviews on quite a few of their items have mentioned the quality going down.
 
I have a pair of lined fjallraven pants,very warm but the placement of the pockets takes a bit of getting used to.
 
Low_rez said:
Duluth is a solid company. Out of the ones you mentioned, I would try them. However, I have to agree with gadgetgeek, my Fjallraven Keb Trousers are more than pants but a serious piece of Gear. They are expensive, but will last for years and are exactly what you are looking for. I got a pair on Massdrop for $99 last year. More of a 3 season pant (fall, winter, spring). The legs zip down the sides to vent out heat in warmer weather.



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How is the sizing on the Fjallraven pants? You get what you pay for, but unless I can find them on Mass drop they are almost double the price of those Xpedition pants. In your opinion are they worth the price of two of them? Again, you get what you pay for, but just eyeballing it they seem to be a similar design.

https://www.truspec.com/24-7-series/pants/men-s-24-7-xpedition-pants/
 
I got mine in raw length, pretty sure I got the barents model, so I had them trimmed and heel tape added. fit wise they seem as advertised, somewhat high waisted compared to most hiking pants like columbia or craghoppers. They seem very high quality, good stitching. Not really sure on the value question since I basically waited until I was in europe to try some on and then buy them. I though they were worth it, but I'm comparing to aussie prices so everything is out of whack anyway.
 
Fuori said:
How is the sizing on the Fjallraven pants? You get what you pay for, but unless I can find them on Mass drop they are almost double the price of those Xpedition pants. In your opinion are they worth the price of two of them? Again, you get what you pay for, but just eyeballing it they seem to be a similar design.

https://www.truspec.com/24-7-series/pants/men-s-24-7-xpedition-pants/
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The sizing was spot on. However, after a month of owning it, a seam began to unravel. I contacted customer service and they said they would fix it no problem. But there was a store near where I work (NYC) so I decided to see if there would exchange it. When I got there they had a seamstress that works IN THE STORE and she said not only will she fix it on the spot but alter it if I would like in any way, for free! So their stuff if pricey, but you could get a custom fitted piece of clothing with great customer service.
 
"Those of us 'In the know' don't buy pants, we fashion together cow appendixes." -GG
 
Visit your nearest REI where you will find several brands and models of modern, military BDU like styles made from nylon. Nylon is unquestionably your most abrasion resistant modern hiking pant material. I wouldn't wear any cotton or cotton blends.

An example of a very durable mid-weight nylon model that ticks every box in your opening sentence is the Prana Stretch Zion. They are hands down some of the best lightweight durable pants I have ever owned. Basically, BDU's made from highly durable stretch nylon.

Use your favorite poly fleece or merino wool base-layer underneath and you are good to go.
 
TNF Paramount Peak are my year round pants. I also have the newer Paramount Peak II version but like the original best.
 
The REI brand and EMS brand poly/nylon pants are my go-to hiking pants. Both come with a great in store exchange if you bust them, and typically aren't overly expensive. Both brands sell directly competing products which are basically the same. They tend to be slightly stretchy which is really helpful if you're doing long scrambles.

There is also a pair of wrangler brand nylon hiking pants that Walmart sells which are surprisingly great for around $25 a pair. The only thing I'm not a fan of is the lack of a bent knee and the fit is a bit too baggy for me, but if you're on a budget they're a great deal.

If you're planning on goretex shell pants over the top I'd look into something with a somewhat close fit and as minimal "extra" seams as possible to avoid the chances of uncomfortable bunching around the knees and thighs when things get steep.
 
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