Winter hiking/snowshoeing Pants

[Likeapuma]

I would like to get out a bit more this winter, but my cold weather gear is better suited for snowmobiling/skiing, nothing as active as hiking.

Not sure if I should go for a "breathable" water/windproof pant, or just regular hiking pants layered with frogg toggs. What about insulated (thinking of taking a walk up Mt. Monadnock)?

The caveat, it needs to be xxxl & possibly "tall". Any insight?

[Malto]

I wear my normal hiking pants. REI Sahara.

[RedBeerd]

I find any sort of thermal pant is too hot even with zips. I too will wear just my Sahara pants and maybe micro weight wool bottoms underneath.

[Likeapuma]

Thanks. I have a pair of REI pants that I usually wear. I'll just make sure I'm layered for the expected temperature

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[RedBeerd]

Have fun. I'm due for a trip there. Monadnock is what sparked my interest in hiking. My gear consisted of skateboarding shoes and a Pepsi.

[Tipi Walter]

Cold---use shorts.
Really Cold---wear merino/capilene leggings under shorts.
Butt Cold---wear merino under rain pants/shell.
Severe Cold In Camp---wear leggings under a pair of down pants.

[Valley Girl]

Would Propper Men's Bdu Trouser work?

[Tipi Walter]

For years all I ever backpacked in were BDU's of various sorts---the heavy poly-cotton Army blend, the old tiger stripe jungle pants (all cotton), the heavyweight Army winter pants with the button in polyfill liner---even the old Army all wool pants. Bottom line---these things are for the most part TOO HEAVY AND TOO HOT when hiking. Shorts with merino leggings is all a person needs when backpacking---augmented with lightweight gtx rainpants when conditions turn south---cold, sleet and windy.

But I miss my old BDU's as they are rugged and serious looking---but I gave up on trying to look like Rambo back in the 1980's.

[Slo-go'en]

If its just a day hike, I wear my bluejeans. I wear gaiters to keep the cuffs free of snow, but otherwise, it's not like your hiking in the rain or spending days or weeks out there. If it's really cold out, single digits or less, I might put on a thin pair of long johns under them.

A lot of winter hikers wear medium weight long johns with shorts and gaiters. The biggest problem with winter hiking is learning not to overdress. If you overdress, you'll sweat way too much and then everything gets damp or wet and when you stop to rest, that will chill you down in a hurry. You do need a warm jacket or something to put on when you do rest.

[hikerboy57]

I wear marmot scree softshells..breathable quick drying.

[The Cleaner]

+1 on the Marmot Scree softshell pants. They breathe very well, block wind and don't overheat much till the temp is 60*. I never liked the shorts/base layer bottoms, looks dorky and if you have to wear gaiters well that's another problem....

[rocketsocks]

But I miss my old BDU's as they are rugged and serious looking---but I gave up on trying to look like Rambo back in the 1980's.
Ok, not being a Militry man maself...I had to look these up.

Battle Dress Uniform

[colorado_rob]

I swear by the softshell (aka Shoeller) REI Mistral pants, $99, amazing heat management, somehow both warm in the bitter cold and cool (very breathable) when not so cold. The can even be rolled up when it warms up. It's zero in Denver right now, I'm going on a 12-miler in a nearby state park today, those will be on my legs. In fact, these will be the pants I wear all winter and spring in Colorado. When new they shed water nicely, dry instantly when they get really wet, which take a true downpour. Perfect for traipsing though deep snow. Probably very similar to the Marmot Scree pant described below.

[colorado_rob]

I never liked the shorts/base layer bottoms, looks dorky and if you have to wear gaiters well that's another problem.... True this!

[Tipi Walter]

+1 on the Marmot Scree softshell pants. They breathe very well, block wind and don't overheat much till the temp is 60*. I never liked the shorts/base layer bottoms, looks dorky and if you have to wear gaiters well that's another problem....

I spend 50% of my winter backpacking in shorts/base layer bottoms. (The rest of the time I'm just in shorts). The only drawback (who's out in the woods to see, anyway?) is the tendency for brush and briars to tear holes in my nice Icebreaker leggings. And it must be good as alot of AT backpackers use this system.

[The Cleaner]

One thing about the Marmot Scree pants is that they also look nice. I wore them with a dress shirt to a swanky birthday party a few nights ago. With the pocket design, you can sleep in these pants and not use base layer bottoms till it gets really cold. I got from S&C a marmot Tempo softshell hoody which is same material as the pants. I've found that the hoody keeps your neck warmer. Great to wear while hiking in cooler temps and enough room for a puffy type layer underneath at camp. As Tipi says I would not want to wear my base layer bottoms through brushy areas because of snagging them on briars...

[colorado_rob]

[QUOTE=The Cleaner;1823159]One thing about the Marmot Scree pants is that they also look nice. I wore them with a dress shirt to a swanky birthday party a few nights ago. With the pocket design, you can sleep in these pants and not use base layer bottoms till it gets really cold. I got from S&C a marmot Tempo softshell hoody which is same material as the pants. QUOTE] Nice! They really do look great; Just looked them up, they even come in a Khaki color (as well as black & grey). I really do swear by this kind of soft shell material, can't be beat from November to March. REI used to sell a zip off variety of softshell pants, but I don't seen them on their site anymore. RAB and Arctyrex sell these though. I just roll mine up (they have zippers on the lower legs).

[Feral Bill]

Any light synthetic pants that shed snow work fine. I do not find waterproof-breathable helpful. My wife made me some years ago fron cheap nylon taffeta that work great. If you should ever find some, military nylon wind pants also work very well.

[JansportD2]

While hiking REI Sahara pants alone down to 25 F or so; below that polyester long johns under the pants. In camp I put on some microfleece pants between the long johns and the pants. If it's really cold or windy in camp, I pull some gore-tex rain pants over everything.

[colorado_rob]

One more thing I forgot to mention about Soft shells, then I'll shut up (these really are my all-time favorite hiking pants for non-warm conditions...) They are very, very durable. I get 5 or more years of heavy use out of a pair of these puppies. The zip pockets (5 of them) are really nice too. Nuff said by me....

[Toolshed]

Ditto to everyone who said Softshell pants. very water resistant, very breathable and a slight bit of insulation for those times you stop for 3-5 minutes to snack/shoot a pic.... If it is very very cold, I might wear a light pair of tights underneath and keep all the zips open. love them!!!!!

[Another Kevin]

REI Sahara or (I forget the name - EMS's counterpart) over synthetic baselayer. Gaiters if it's sloppy. If I really need more, I carry fleece lounge pants for wearing in camp and a Frogg Toggs rainsuit.

As often as not I leave the legs on the hiking pants. A lot of my clueless weekends are spent on sketchier trails than the A-T, and it's nice to have at least one layer of cloth between me and the scratchy vegetation.

[Mags]

re: BDUs

Still great for trail work though. Nylon hiking pants are too fragile (I find anyway) for trail work. Beat the crap out the cheap 65/35 BDUs and save the more expensive, lighter and fragile pants for hiking, backpacking, etc. Many come in khaki and gray so they look like normal hiking pants and not like you are about to invade the open space or local park. ;) (Dickies work pants are pretty much the same thing, too. Esp the ones with cargo pockets)

[Feral Bill]

Thanks to Hikerboy etc. My wife just got me a pair of the Scree pants for my birthday. Whiteblaze pays!

[Dogwood]

Another vote for the REI Mistral and REI Acme(if you can find them, I think they discontinued them) with stretchy breathable WR Schoeller Dryskin fabric for in the snow, when it's COLD, when it's slushy, and for their toughness above treeline when doing ridges in the COLD. Like them alot for winter. Great for snowshoeing. They are articulated. Like shortie gaiters made from Schoeller as well. I wore these through a COLD(25* day time highs, 0-5* at night) sometimes WET(chest deep in water) sometimes frozen ALWAYS muddy Buckskin Gulch/Paria River 3 day trip several yrs ago between Dec 31-Jan 2. After all that the REI Mistrals hardly had a smudge of mud on them, dried exceptional fast OR didn't absorb water/snow at all! Worth their weight for exceptional WR, durabilty, and breathability in the snow and COLD mud! The Paria River Shuttlers thought my hiking buddy and me were crazy going into Buckskin Gulch at that time of the yr. Schoeller Dryskin - DARN RIGHT!

I thinkArcteryx, Cloudveil, Mammut, and even Eddie Bauer First Ascent have Schoeller fabric pants(there are a couple of different versions of Schoeller from what I understand). The EB FA come closest in price to the REI Mistrals.

[nickgann]

Shorts/Heavyweight Polyester base layer...That's Allllllll season hiking there. Throw on some fleece pajama pants around camp or if I need to amp up I have some insulated ski pants from Columbia (The Bugaboo series)

[Likeapuma]

I appreciate everyone's responses! Unfortunately, none of these seem to come in my size (the tough life of a fat hiker!). I have a light pair of pants I found at Cabela's that might just do the trick, with a pair of Frogg Toggs to cut any wind.

Either that, or my trust REI shorts & silk weight leggings (& Frogg Toggs)

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[bamboo bob]

Snow shoes. After ten minutes, too hot. Always too hot. Just don't stop or you'll be too cold.

[Feral Bill]

Oops!.....

[Feral Bill]

[QUOTE=! Unfortunately, none of these seem to come in my size (the tough life of a fat hiker!).
Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]

If you do much snowshoeing, that problem will go away.

[Mags]

If you do much snowshoeing, that problem will go away.

Nothing like backcountry winter activities for calorie burn!

[Likeapuma]

If you do much snowshoeing, that problem will go away.

That's the hope!

[Feral Bill]

Update: I just got back from XC skiing in my new Marmot softshell pants. I'm very happy with their comfort and features. Marmots are, however, still rather nasty rodents.

[QiWiz]

I really like Railriders Winterpants.