View Full Version : Pants for winter walking AND casual/work use
Looking for a winter pant that can be used for a few situations. I'm lucky enough to be close enough to my workplace to walk every day, so am looking for a pant that is appropriate for a casual office workplace but warm enough to handle a 15 minute walk in the winter with wind and snow. I have some great stretch fabric pants by marmot and ems that work well for 3 seasons, but the wind and cold are defeating them. Any suggestions?
Uncle Joe
11-30-2017, 09:28
Not exactly what you had in mind but I bought a pair of Goose Feet Gear down pants. They're not really for activity so much as like around camp. They're puffy and not something you'd want to work it but they pack down good so they would make good over-pants to walk to work in over your regular pants then just pack them until you return home.
nsherry61
11-30-2017, 10:43
. . .I have some great stretch fabric pants by marmot and ems that work well for 3 seasons, but the wind and cold are defeating them. Any suggestions?
Yeah. Wear long underwear.
My favorite summer light weight nylon pants are also my favorite winter hiking pants. I just add long underwear. I do this in mid-winter Illinois and Wisconsin weather as well as winter climbing in the White Mountains of NH. It isn't enough insulation to sit around camp at -10*F, but it's plenty while I'm moving.
PrAna Stretch Pants are excellent to hike in and are great for casual travel or job. The material is thicker and heavier than Columbia Silver Ridge, but still. breathes and dries quick. I believe they keep my legs slightly warmer than other hiking pants but my legs put out heat when hiking anyway. I agree with the above post that if combined with a Patagonia Silk weight base layer; you may find what you’re looking for. Also, check out Eddie Bauer Pants. They have fleece lined pants that are casual. To warm for me, but once again it depends on what temp your legs get cold at.
Slo-go'en
11-30-2017, 11:23
It depends on what you have to wear for work. Blue Jeans okay? I used to live north of Boston and took the train to North Station. I walked about a mile to get to the train station from home and often walked from North Station across the river to Cambridge where I worked. In some pretty harsh winter weather. Thankfully I could wear blue jeans at work.
Dickie work pants are good too. If you work in an office and have to look respectable, wear nylon rain/wind pants over your dress pants.
Mountain hardware AP Pants. They are made from stretchy material but unsure about Winter use.
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Alligator
11-30-2017, 12:24
If the pants are warm enough for the cold, you will be too hot in the office. Think of the temperature differential. For 15 minutes, the wind pants sound like a good idea or rain pants, long john's will work but you will want to take them off.
Another option is to consider a long coat, like a toggle coat or overcoat.
Feral Bill
11-30-2017, 12:45
Consider pants to fit over your work pants, effectively turning the work pants into long johns. In my last job (really, my last job ever:)) I spent a lot time both in the office and walking around in the cold, rain, and snow, and this worked well. I used rain pants with side zips.
peakbagger
11-30-2017, 13:51
LL Bean sells lined pants of various types. I need to wear casual office clothes to client sites on occasion and usually opt for long underwear. I carry a top and bottom in my overnight bag in case plans or weather change when I am on site.
I wear rain pants over my casual dress pants at work when I walk at lunch. Try something like Marmot precip full zips.
I really like Royal Robbins stretch travel pants. I suppose they are hot weather pants, but not finding them too cold in 40 degree weather. If I did I'd just wear long johns or rain pants, maybe. I think they are reasonably nice looking. They have a secret pocket that half the time gets me stopped by the TSA. I think they aren't sized very well. Normally wear a 30 waist, and had to get a 32. REI sometimes carries them, so that's handy. Wildly divergent pricing depends more on color than anything,
Traveler
11-30-2017, 15:20
How about a pair of nylon warm up pants pulled over work pants. Will stop wind, not much warmth added so perspiration would be less than with down.
Looking for a winter pant that can be used for a few situations. I'm lucky enough to be close enough to my workplace to walk every day, so am looking for a pant that is appropriate for a casual office workplace but warm enough to handle a 15 minute walk in the winter with wind and snow. I have some great stretch fabric pants by marmot and ems that work well for 3 seasons, but the wind and cold are defeating them. Any suggestions?REI Activator pants...
TX Aggie
12-01-2017, 10:06
I just picked up a pair of REI Taereen cargo pants. A bit thicker than normal hiking pants and should do well with winter walking. I think they come in a non cargo option as well.
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rocketsocks
12-01-2017, 10:48
I wear EMS lined pants, tricot ‘r sumthin like at.
Puddlefish
12-01-2017, 18:42
I have a nice pair of lined hiking pants from LL Bean. I only wear them outside, in the dead of winter, otherwise I bake. Highly recommended if your workplace is unheated.
squeezebox
12-02-2017, 09:42
Insulated coveralls ??
I used to walk to the office almost every day for years (3/4hr one way) and tried various solutions.
Started winter with long underwear, but as others pointed out, you have to take them off in the office, otherwise you'll be too warm.
Then, I just used the jeams I was wearing anyway and walked so fast that I got warm enough. This worked quite OK, but was a bit risky in really cold weather.
Later I got a pair of lightweight rainpants with sidezips which turned out to be a near-perfect solution: I could put them on during the walk when I started to become cold, or when it started raining.
Another positive sideffect was, that the jeans didn't get muddy when stepping in a puddle or get sprayed-on by a passing car.
Downside of the rainpants was that they made a small rustling noise at every step.
And then I started to carry a small backpack and I could store the pants away if needed. Also could carry a headlamp and a piece of reflective stuff for better security in winter evenings.
Wouldn't do any walk without a small backpack any more.
Change clothes when you get to work.
Game Warden
12-02-2017, 23:19
I have get in and out of a heated truck all day, sometimes walking long distances, sometimes just standing around, while wearing poly/nylon uniform pants. In winter, I wear my summer uniform pants over a silk or silk-weight long underwear pants. I've tried everything from wool GI long johns to poly underwear, but I find that light-weight trousers and light long underwear is best for dealing with different environments. I turned in all my "winter" trousers.
Of course, the Kevlar vest adds a lot of warmth, whether you want it or not.
fastfoxengineering
12-03-2017, 01:56
Railriders lined khakis
I wear em all the time. Sometimes they get warm at work. But that's cause I typically walk 5-8 miles at work every day. And my walking pace is faster than most people's jogging pace. But hey, someones gotta get the job done.
Check em out, high quality stuff.
I also own a few pairs of their tactical pants and have abused the hell out of them and they're holding up great. Running and gunning type stuff for work.
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