View Full Version : WM Flash Pants
tjkenney67
11-28-2012, 12:01
Can anyone provide a personal review of the Western Mountaineering Flash Pants if you own a pair?
I am starting my thru the first week in Feburary and contemplating buying a pair for around camp. I do not want to be confined to my shelter and sleeping bag early in the evening just for warmth. Any thoughts are appreciated.
Also, do you know of a website to purchase a pair. For the life of me I cannot find a place that carries them besides the manufacturer. Sales to dealers only.
Thanks!!!
colorado_rob
11-28-2012, 12:35
Can anyone provide a personal review of the Western Mountaineering Flash Pants if you own a pair?
I am starting my thru the first week in Feburary and contemplating buying a pair for around camp. I do not want to be confined to my shelter and sleeping bag early in the evening just for warmth. Any thoughts are appreciated.
Also, do you know of a website to purchase a pair. For the life of me I cannot find a place that carries them besides the manufacturer. Sales to dealers only.
Thanks!!! The "bent gate" shop in Golden CO carries them, it's where I bought mine. I bought them for high, cold mountain climbs (like Denali), but I suppose your application makes sense. Of course, they have an incredible warmth to weight ratio. I'm 6'1" and 180 pounds and normally wear a "medium" pant, but I actually bought a "small" in this pant because it was large enough to be comfortable and provided plenty of leg coverage. I can get you an actual weight if you want that. My wife has a pair of ultralight MontBell down pants that are perhaps even a bit better because they have full zip sides, yeah a tad of extra weight, but can be put on/removed w/o removing boots, which is very handy at times.
Tipi Walter
11-28-2012, 12:54
One of the best decisions I ever made for winter backpacking has been upgrading to down pants, down booties and an overkill FF down parka. I prefer the WM Flight pants instead of the Flash as they are beefier, tougher and warmer but still very light.
http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2012/7-Days-in-a-Halloween/i-S6Pb822/0/L/TRIP%20139%20012-L.jpg (http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2012/7-Days-in-a-Halloween/i-S6Pb822/0/L/TRIP%20139%20012-L.jpg)
Here I am in my WM Flight pants during that Halloween snowstorm we had last month.
Have you considered a custom pair of down pants?
http://sticksblog.com/2012/10/28/goosefeet-gear-custom-down-pants/
It costs about the same or less than WM Flash pants, has a lot more down, weighs less, and is custom tailored.
Tipi Walter
11-28-2012, 13:15
Have you considered a custom pair of down pants?
http://sticksblog.com/2012/10/28/goosefeet-gear-custom-down-pants/
It costs about the same or less than WM Flash pants, has a lot more down, weighs less, and is custom tailored.
This may be a future possibility but as yet are not available. Plus, to get the options of the Flight pants on a pair of goosefeet you'd jack the price up to $225 vs the $210 for the Flights. What are the options the Flight already has? Full leg zippers. Baffled. Some fabric choices. I like the Goosefeet option of 10 denier fabric upgrade. The Flight pair come with 4 oz of down and the Goosefeet go from 2.5 oz to 8.5 oz which is a good option but costs $50 more.
tjkenney67
11-28-2012, 13:37
Tipi,
I noticed on the WM website, it appears that on the Flight pants there is some type reienforced material on the backside (a##). I did not see this on the flash pants. What is it made of? Thanks!
And great picture!
This may be a future possibility but as yet are not available. Plus, to get the options of the Flight pants on a pair of goosefeet you'd jack the price up to $225 vs the $210 for the Flights. What are the options the Flight already has? Full leg zippers. Baffled. Some fabric choices. I like the Goosefeet option of 10 denier fabric upgrade. The Flight pair come with 4 oz of down and the Goosefeet go from 2.5 oz to 8.5 oz which is a good option but costs $50 more.
Goosefeet has been making down pants for years.
The OP isn't asking about Flight pants, but it's a curious comparison nonetheless.
The Goosefeet pants are baffled. The baffle option has to be for box baffles. Are the baffles in the Flight pants boxed or sewn through? Seeing as how the $240 FF Helios pants with 4.9 oz of 850fp down has sewn through baffles, I bet the Flight pants do too. The Goosefeet pants cost $25 and $55 less than the WM and FF pants, respectively. There's more to heavily insulated down pants than the amount of fill, but we should leave that to another thread unless tjkenney67 wants to discuss it here.
Tipi Walter
11-28-2012, 14:03
Goosefeet has been making down pants for years.
The OP isn't asking about Flight pants, but it's a curious comparison nonetheless.
The Goosefeet pants are baffled. The baffle option has to be for box baffles. Are the baffles in the Flight pants boxed or sewn through? Seeing as how the $240 FF Helios pants with 4.9 oz of 850fp down has sewn through baffles, I bet the Flight pants do too. The Goosefeet pants cost $25 and $55 less than the WM and FF pants, respectively. There's more to heavily insulated down pants than the amount of fill, but we should leave that to another thread unless tjkenney67 wants to discuss it here.
According to their website they are "Coming Soon". I'd say the Flight/Flash comparison is more than just curious as they are nearly identical pants and as I said are a more beefy version. Yes my Flight pants have sewn thru baffles. And they also have full length leg zippers which is optional on the Goosefeet for added cost. Here's how I ran down the numbers--
FLIGHT
4 oz down
full zippers
microfiber shell (400 threadcount)
Gore Windstopper on knees and butt
Sewn thru baffles
$210
Goosefeet
$150 basic
Add $40 for baffles
$5 for 4 oz down
$30 for side zippers
These options $220 with the upgrade of baffles. Not sure what fabric they use on their standard pants. Microfiber?
According to their website they are "Coming Soon".
What's on a website means nothing for a cottage business that only makes custom gear. Goosefeet has also done cuben fiber down pants and balaclavas, but neither have ever been listed on that site.
Goosefeet
$150 basic
Add $40 for baffles
$5 for 4 oz down
$30 for side zippers
These options $220 with the upgrade of baffles. Not sure what fabric they use on their standard pants. Microfiber?
As I said before, the sewn through baffles cost $0. You can't possibly build down pants without at least having some type of sewn through baffles.
When you add the $40 for boxed baffles, you're suddenly building pants that Western Mountaineering doesn't have a competitor for no matter how much down is in it.
I suggest you read the review I linked to. It'd answer your question and should allow you to see where you're mistaken.
MuddyWaters
11-28-2012, 22:30
BPL has a review on down pants comparing RAB, WM, and montbell.
Id have Ben at Goosefeet make a custom pair. He can ship a pair of pants made out of material to try on first.
WM is cut a bit strangely, and expensive.
tjkenney67
11-29-2012, 06:40
Thanks for all the info. It was a tough choice. WM and GF are both quality products and are comparable. But based on my needs I went with the Western Mountaineering Flash pants. I based my decision on the frequency I will winter backpack (at this point in Feb for my thru), weight, price,quality and the past history of WM consistantly delivering quality products. I ordered a pair along with the WM Flash down booties from Bent Gate in Co. They will be here Monday!! Thanks again.
KenneyI have the flash jacket and pants, they are my camp clothing and part of my sleep system
If I were doing a lot more winter camping I too would get the Flight version however the Flash work very well for me .
The shell fabric is very thin and you will lose a feather or two every time you use them but there are tens of thousands in there so don't worry about it.
The seat of is re-inforced fabric (some nylon) so the pictures on the WM web site are not of the current version.
You can sit down without worrying too much about abrasion, however the knees are not re-inforced so be VERY careful when and where you kneel down on them.
My M size are about 200g
Often I wear them (both jacket and pants) under my rain clothing.
just in case... no i never use them walking, just at camp and in bed...
konradchen
01-08-2013, 16:36
Although, I see you've already chosen the WM pants (which are great) I'd just wanted to put in my 2cents about the goosefeet pants in case other people were interested. My girlfriend and I both have custom goosefeet pants and love them. Ours turned out lighter than the WM equivalent with more down fill. Fit is spot on given that we submitted multiple measurements to Ben at GooseFeet. I really can't say enough about the pants, and I find them the perfect solution for a no-frills, lightweight but heavily insulating warm pant to be used to supplement your sleep system in the winter.