I am in the process of refining my gear for an upcoming thru hike of the Colorado Trail. In the past I have carried Dry Ducks rain pants which have the virtue of being cheap and relatively light (4.1 ounces) but are fragile, not aesthetically pleasing to wear (to me), and definitely feel less than "breathable" when worn in rainy conditions above 60 degrees or so. I have found that wearing these pants during any activity results in moisture build up from the inside out.
In short, I am looking for a better option for the Colorado Trail. Something that is lightweight, can be worn while hiking relatively comfortably, and perhaps most importantly, something I would be willing to actually use around camp (over long underwear) on colder nights and in town while doing laundry.
I understand that wind pants are not "waterproof" but can shed light precipitation and are often used to add warmth in camp. I've been looking at the MontBell Dynamo Wind Pants online which seem to meet my criteria in terms of weight (2.8 ounces). However, this seems pretty light and I'm concerned about durability. Also, I am a bit worried that I wouldn't have "real" rain pants on the trail, although as noted above, I'm not sure what the utility of rain pants are if I just wet out from the sweat from inside out while hiking.
In terms of my upper body, I have the Outdoor Research Helium II which should serve me well both as a wind jacket and rainwear once I restore its DWR.
Any thoughts on the use cases for wind pants vs. rain pants and whether the Dynamos might meet my needs would be appreciated. Thanks.