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tucker0104
11-02-2012, 16:49
Anyone out there ever owned a pair of down pants? Like the Montbell or Western Mountaineering Flight down pants. Do they do a good job of keeping you warm? Anyone have any for sale?

colorado_rob
11-02-2012, 17:03
Anyone out there ever owned a pair of down pants? Like the Montbell or Western Mountaineering Flight down pants. Do they do a good job of keeping you warm? Anyone have any for sale? Yes (the WM ones), yes very much so, and no. Not only no, but he|| no!

ChinMusic
11-02-2012, 17:13
I have the Montbell version. I have worn them down to 0°F in the backyard and my legs were not even chilled. That said, my legs do not get cold easily and I was wearing my down booties (Nunatak) at the time. I satified my curiosity in the backyard. I have used in the field down to the high teens without issue.

Hosaphone
11-02-2012, 17:15
Met Ryan Linn a few years ago after he thru hiked the PCT and he said they were one of his favorite pieces of gear: http://guthook.blogspot.com/2011/03/guthooks-gear-guide-montbell-down-inner.html


I had resisted getting down pants for the longest time, but I'm glad I did it. I'd recommend them if you plan on doing serious cold weather backpacking, or if you need to extend a three-season sleeping bag into the late part of autumn. For day hikes and warmer parts of the year they're probably overkill.

joshuasdad
11-02-2012, 17:16
I'm thinking that down pants would not be a good choice for a thru hike unless hiking in the winter, and you need them as part of a sleep system. Down soaked with sweat/rain/streams from hiking would not be very useful.

Good luck on your plans!

ChinMusic
11-02-2012, 17:33
Down soaked with sweat/rain/streams from hiking would not be very useful.



Down is ONLY for camp expect for extremely cold conditions, conditions not seen on a normal AT thruhike.

leaftye
11-02-2012, 17:41
No and no, but take a look at this company too.
https://goosefeetgear.com/products/5-down-pants

Deadeye
11-02-2012, 18:36
Great for sub-zero camp, I don't find I need anything more than long johns and wind pants when I'm moving, even in sub-zero temps.

tucker0104
11-02-2012, 20:25
WHen I am moving I am wearing shorts until the teens then just some light pants. The only time I worry about even getting cold is in camp. This is purely for laying around the camp site.

ParkRat09
11-02-2012, 20:45
I have the synthetic filled pants from Mont Bell which I have LOVED! Super warm and will still insulate to about 80-90% when wet!

tucker0104
11-02-2012, 21:10
Anybody want to sell theirs? I heard it was going to be a warm winter or one so cold that you don't even want to go hiking.

STICK
11-03-2012, 01:12
Sorry, don't have any for sale.

But, I did just recently get my first pair! I had been rolling them around in my head for about the past 2 years, but always found something else to spend my money on. But recently, I decided to get some...

I had been back and forth between the Montbell UL Down Inners and the WM Flash pants. But, I went with neither...instead, I got a custom pair from Ben over at GooseFeet Gear (https://goosefeetgear.com/).

I got these custom fit to my dimensions so I knew they would fit me and they were the same price as both the other mentioned down pants. But, the real kicker for me is that with the options I went with, my pair weighs less than what either Montbell or WM list there pants at, but with 1.5 x more down! Both WM and MB use 2 oz of fill whereas mine have 3.5 oz of fill! So, I highly recommend to check out the GooseFeet Gear down pants if you are considering them.

Also, here is a write up (with only 3 nights of use on them) that I put on my blog:

http://sticksblog.com/2012/10/28/goosefeet-gear-custom-down-pants/

(I will also be posting a write up on my down socks and overbooties from GooseFeet too sometime soon.)

(And no, I am not affiliated with GooseFeet...just been pleased with all of his items...)

RichardD
11-03-2012, 22:57
I have a pair of Montbell down pants and a Montbell down jacket, I dont hike in them but use them at camp and if its cold and wet I switch into them for rest or lunch breaks. It is very nice on a cold wet hike to put the tarp up, switch out of damp hiking gear and into down to enjoy a hot drink or lunch. ( thats how I got my trail name - Hot Drinks) I never had trouble keeping them dry, but I took care to make sure they stayed dry.
They weigh less than capilene and I believe they are much warmer. Nylon convertable pants were always warm enough for me while I was walking but sometimes not warm enough while resting.
They are not for sale - I like them too much.

magic_game03
11-03-2012, 23:11
down pants are awesome... to wear but the suck in trail applications. I sweat too much while wearing them. Not good for hiking or sitting around, I still sweat too much in them. I think they are only good for altitudes above 10,000 feet or so and they take up a lot of pack room for their limited usage.