Tyvek pants

[Double Wide]

Hey, I was reading some trail journals a few weeks ago and someone (whose trail name I've forgotten) talked about using tyvek pants for rain gear. I'd never heard of such a thing and after a quick check around the internet I saw that they're very commonly used in factories and industrial type of jobs for chemical protection and whatnot. And fairly cheap, too.

Has anyone here used tyvek pants/pullover smocks as raingear on the trail? How long did it last? Clearly it's meant to be disposable, but I would hope it lasts longer that a day (or a couple of uses).

[Wise Old Owl]

We use them in Pest Control because we get into crawl spaces - they work, they don't last and a good UL temporary solution,,, good wasp solution to avoid crotch injurys....

[kayak karl]

at work they last to 5pm when you shred them off before you bake in them. on the trail i sweat too much. i have heard of tyvek kilts working out better.

[QiWiz]

I have made pants out of a light gauge tyvek hazmat suit. Weigh 2.5 oz in XXL, so they are LIGHT. Even though "breathable", I have found them hot unless I am inactive, like lounging around camp or sleeping. For these latter two purposes, they work OK. Would not use as rain gear. I don't think they would be very durable to walk in for trail hiking.

[Wise Old Owl]

Yea the durability is the issue. Do you really need rain pants on the AT? Poncho (Check) Pants? - I didn't need them in Canada. Rained all the time, I was warm enough with one tech pant the two weeks we were up there.

[Ktaadn]

Check out Frogg Toggs DriDucks. 20 bucks for a rain suit. I wouldn't walk through the bushes with them on but they have served me well so far.

[Wil]

Check out Frogg Toggs DriDucks. 20 bucks for a rain suit. I wouldn't walk through the bushes with them on but they have served me well so far.

I have used the hazmat pants/jackets for decades. They are certainly as hot as most other rain gear, but I found them no hotter. They are durable enough on trails, but they will not survive bushwhacking and you have to be careful going off for water, bathroom breaks, etc.

The company I used to buy from was acquired by a larger company and the suits are now only available, cheap, in large quantities, so I bought the DriDucks when my last set of pants ripped. Haven't actually used them yet but they look the same, just 3X as expensive.

[MuddyWaters]

they work, are about 2.5oz. Not any less durable really than driducks pants. You will need to sew leg seams in a few places probably, especially the crotch, and then seam seal the leg seams. Cut some slits at the waist and use a lightwt ribbon for a belt too.

These are the white cheap ones. The ones used for real chemical protection are higher quality, coated, waterproof and are bright yellow, and about $35 a pair compared to the $3 for the white ones.

[Sensei]

These super easy instructions for a DIY tyvek rainsuit were posted by Gossamer Gear on their blog several months ago. I use the jacket all the time as a windshirt (3.2 oz) but haven't used the pants yet. Anyway, as others have said, they aren't very durable. I bought the coveralls I used here. They are not coated, so they breathe a bit better, are a bit lighter, but are probably also a bit less durable. I think you can get the coated ones at Home Depot.

I think these are a great option for on-trail hiking, but they definitely won't hold up long in the bushes. The thing is, they're so dirt cheap to make that you'd have to go through four pairs before you spent as much as you would on a DriDucks rainsuit (also not durable).

[Wise Old Owl]

DriDucks® Ultra-Lite2™ Rain Suit Starting at: $19.95 Could not find the weight... someone else can look it up. I don't know how good it is.... its not offered at REI.

[sbhikes]

The Dri Ducks are thicker tyvek than the disposable hazmat suit I bought at the hardware store. Better zipper, too, and not a one-piece coverall. Not very durable. I was sitting next to some rocks and twigs and both of them poked holes through the material. But the jacket worked great in the rain and has a lot of life still in it. Didn't need the pants.

[Sensei]

My DriDucks suit in size medium weighs 10 ounces. Also, they are made from polypropylene, not tyvek. The DriDucks UL2 suit is 2-ply polypro and the Frogg Toggs suit is 3-ply polypro.

[hypnolobster]

The way to go for me is a rain kilt/skirt (its super silly either way, so who cares about the name).
Breathes perfectly, keeps the important bits dry.

Shoes get wet, but my shoes are always wet. I never wear waterproof boots or shoes because that just means non-drying to me. A little extra rain on the lower legs and feet is fine with me. I'm wearing shorts most of the time anyway.

My homemade rain skirt is made of polycro and it's 2oz on the nose. Couldn't be happier with it.

[Packeagle]

Rain skirt and house wrap gaiters for me. Keeps the clothing dry.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

[DaFireMedic]

I did quite a few miles on the JMT with the Dri-Ducks jacket on under my pack. Its plenty durable for hiking, as are the pants so long as you are careful when walking through narrow bushes etc. They are easily patched with duct tape if you do poke a hole. They are technically "breathable", although they are definitely hotter than normal fabric pants, nylon zip-offs, etc. I used the pants as both rain gear and as my back up pants when doing laundry, etc. I did sweat a little when hiking in the rain with them, but nothing compared to the previous day when I didn't wear them and my zip-offs got soaked in the rain. It got real cold, real fast. I decided that I'd much rather have legs that are mildly damp from sweat than soaked from cold rain. The Dri-Ducks performed beautifully, saving my hike that I would have had to bail from otherwise.

I've worn the Tyvek pants for hazmat stuff, they'd probably work fine as well.

[DaFireMedic]

Oh, forgot to post the weight. My Dri-Ducks UL2 set as pictured in Wise Old Owl's post in the Large size weighs 6.1 oz for the jacket, 5.5 oz for the pants on my scale.

[corrodedarcher]

I purchased a set of disposable coveralls for $10 (including shipping) and made a set of chaps and jacket. I like the chaps better than pants as my arse can breath. Of course, to keep said arse dry, I use a MYOG cuben poncho.

My chaps weigh 1.73 oz and the jacket 2.95 oz. I've only used the jacket twice and chaps once. Based on that, I estimate that I'll be able squeeze 30 overnight trips on this stuff. I'm careful with my gear. Others may get a couple overnighters...while some may get 60.

[corrodedarcher]

I purchased a set of disposable coveralls for $10 (including shipping) and made a set of chaps and jacket. I like the chaps better than pants as my arse can breath. Of course, to keep said arse dry, I use a MYOG cuben poncho.

My chaps weigh 1.73 oz and the jacket 2.95 oz. I've only used the jacket twice and chaps once. Based on that, I estimate that I'll be able squeeze 30 overnight trips on this stuff. I'm careful with my gear. Others may get a couple overnighters...while some may get 60.

No edit feature here? At any rate, I forgot to mention that this suit was Tyvek...the following, to be exact: http://www.amazon.com/DuPont-TY127S-.../dp/B0008F5HGY