best waterproof hiking pants

2021/05/21

Light, heavy, big drops, small drops our expert testers rate ventilation, comfort, value, and several other key metrics. The field comparison of shell pants here demonstrates kneeling and rolling around in wet snow while teaching crevasse rescue techniques on Mt. If you liked this list, youll love the CleverHiker Gear Guide where we test and recommend tons of outdoor adventure gear from a variety of categories. The Bantamweight Pants are so feather-light, youll have to be a bit careful with them. This treatment is factory applied to the fabric's exterior and makes water bead and shed rain and snow. climbing The Marmot PreCip Full Zip received a multitude of high scores but was the most prone to coming un-velcroed while wearing a backpack. 3-layer pants are the most effective and they incorporate all of the above - they have a DWR-coated outer shell, a breathable and waterproof midlayer, and then a polyurethane lining for the innermost layer. He estimates that over the last two decades, he has donned rain gear over 2,000 days. As long as youre wearing synthetic clothing, its ok if it gets a little wet before you put rain pants over the top. hiking foray besthiking In the case of the Zeta SL, this is notable, particularly because that pair features 3/4 length side zippers. Packed volume is worth considering since your rain pants will live inside your pack more often than not. Among full-zip models, we liked the Mountain Hardwear Stretch Ozonic. In addition to using these pants on trips over several months, our review team also performed two side-by-side tests: a four minute in the shower test, and a five minute garden hose comparison to help fine tune the water-resistance metric. There are times when we put rain pants on before we hit the trail, such as dewy mornings when theres lots of wet vegetation and we dont expect to be going uphill right away. BOTTOM LINE: The Arcteryx Zeta SL (mens / womens) offer a great balance of low weight and solid durability. Many people appreciate having the ability to purchase a high-quality product that will be as light as possible. This was one of my favorite shots from the hike. Campaign Zero The fabric needs retreatment more frequently, Lightest, the most compact in the review (6.5 oz), Elastic waistband is comfortable and functional, Baggy cut makes it easy to wear over other layers, Low profile waistband doesn't pinch under a backpack, No front hand-pockets (just a single side pocket). PROS: Lightweight, durable, stylish fit, pack down small, cuff-to-thigh zippers for ventilation and easy on/off, high-quality waterproof zippers, CONS: Expensive, material is a bit stiff, no pockets. The durable outer fabric feels soft and is quieter than most rain pants. We also found that we could still pull these pants over most light-to-medium weight footwear. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison. These pants are designed to be as lightweight as possible, which sacrifices some durability. We've recently awarded the REI Co-op Essential our Best Bang for the Buck Award, as no other model can match its stormworthiness, weight, and packed volume for the price. If you found this guide helpful, please give it a share on social media! There are some great options that are designed with comfort, movement, and hip-belt compatibility in mind. On a super wet hike near snow line on Chile's Volcan Llaima, lead test editor Jed Porter took multiple opportunities to swap pants. While each manufacturer conducts a significant amount of testing to quantify exactly how waterproof each fabric is, it's important to understand that all of the pants in this review use waterproof fabric. All of the fabrics used in the pants we tested proved to be waterproof. Not only will they keep you dry when the skies open up, but theyll also cut the wind and hold in valuable body heat to keep you safe and warm in the backcountry. There are a vast number of hardshell jackets available Our testers live and breathe mountains - and guide them You shouldnt have to worry about your feet when the bad From the showers of spring and summer thunderstorms to the We spent hundreds of days testing 15 of the best Best Backpacking Backpacks for Women of 2022. When you click on links to buy products we may earn money to support, Put on Over Hiking or Mountaineering Boots. Link in bio, Crisp rushing water and distant snowy peaks in the Wind River Range. HIGH-QUALITY LIGHTWEIGHT RAIN PANTS FOR TECHNICAL USE. The Arcteryx Zeta SL Mens / Womens are high-qualtiy and lightweight for backcountry adventures. Plus, we find the waistband to be one of the most comfortable under a backpack hip belt. Due to this unavoidable problem, we weighted breathability significantly higher than a pant's ability to ventilate. This also means that you can easily put them on or them take off on the fly. Despite their light weight, they still manage to offer respectable storm worthiness. Act Blue - Bail Funds Rain pants that have full-length zippers allow the most airflow and are the easiest to put on and take off without removing your shoes. GearLab is reader-supported. Even more than the obvious bushwhacking and overgrown trailing hiking, many folks don't think about the times when you sit down on a log for a break, or when you kneel down to fill up your water bottle at a stream. The last model worth noting on the more price-pointed end of the spectrum is the Marmot PreCip Full Zip and regular 1/4 zip iterations. saveandshopcollections Lightweight backpacking video guides and reviews of the best ultralight tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, stoves, and more. Got feedback? The Zetas are a good choice for technical pursuits that may require crampons since theyre reinforced around the cuffs where theyre most susceptible to damage. Plus, they have convenient pockets for your hands, keys, or a wallet. Read review: Outdoor Research Foray Pants. The Outdoor Research Helium is the best option for folks who put a premium on every extra ounce and cubic inch of space in their pack. BOTTOM LINE: If youre on a budget and weight isnt your chief concern, the REI Rainier Full-Zip (mens / womens) are a great option for all-around use. Why? 2.5-layer pants are typically the lightest and are made with the same DWR-coated outer. While most people don't end up wearing their rain pants as frequently as their rain jacket, they are exposed to more threats. We also studied how well each model's features allowed for ventilation and moving moisture directly. This means they keep breathing even if once you have stopped working hard, something that products using Gore-Tex and other ePTFE fabrics can't do nearly as well. Dont put your rain pants on until you start to feel chilled (see When to Put Your Rain Pants on below). Because theyre heavier and bulkier than some, the Rainier Pants are best suited for times when weight doesnt matter as much. The Rainier Pants have great hand pockets, full-length zippers, and an adjustable draw cord at the waist to keep them from slipping down. PROS: Ultralight, pack down small in their own pocket, comfortable (stretchy), breathable, CONS: Expensive, thin lightweight materials are less durable, more difficult to put on/take off without removing shoes due to short zippers. Read review: Outdoor Research Helium Pants. The North Face Venture Half-Zip offers a nice balance of price and functionality. Our testers didn't particularly enjoy low pockets on pants (mid-thigh) because they generally felt less comfortable when storing heavier items. ZIPPERS - Zippers on rain pants have two functions: they add ventilation and help you thermoregulate, and they make it easier to put on and take off the pants. A built-in webbing waist belt meant that it rarely, if ever, slid down. At the very least, it's likely to have a little more solitude. A trade-off for a lightweight and simple design is a lack of features. Ian is based in the Pacific Northwest, where wet weather is a regular occurrence. We also performed a side-by-side spray down with a garden hose (for five minutes) to systematically compare their weather resistance and storm worthiness. PROS: Affordable, ultralight, pack into their own pocket, more durable than most UL pants, CONS: Limited ventilation and more difficult to put on/take off without removing shoes due to short zippers. When they aren't guiding, Jed and Ian spend most of their time pursuing their own outdoor objectives. Often times, you are (even unknowingly) grinding rocks, dirt, and pine needles into your pants, slowly wearing them out. Several pants either sported a Velcro flap or a piece of shock cord and toggle. COMFORT - In these modern times, you dont have to settle for uncomfortable waistbands, pants that restrict your movement, or materials that feel plasticky. MEASURED WEIGHT (MENS LARGE): 2.95 oz. These are the pants you choose for superior weather protection but will carry in your pack most of the time. Finally, we considered pockets in the features category. GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Some ultralight pants weigh less than the Ozonics, but we like them so much that we take them backpacking trips when theres significant rain in the forecast. The Helium pants are a great value for the price, which makes them a smart option for backpacking on a budget. All the pants we tested have the seams taped after sewing, offering as watertight of a package as possible. Ryan O'Connell getting prepared just as it starts to rain on the final (exposed to weather) pitches on Tangerine Trip. This review focuses on a broad range of rain pant designs and features. We found breathability to be a far more important attributed than ventilation for backpacking, hiking, mountaineering or most other outdoor sports. After exploring all the rainy places from Patagonia to the USA, and stops in between, we offer our award winners and recommendations, unbiased and designed to help you in your quest for the best rain pant. It is this head-to-head comparison that allows us to make authoritative conclusions. In the end, the most breathable pant in our review is the Mountain Hardwear Stretch Ozonic; the Ozonic is constructed with Dry.Q Elite fabric. Your rain pants will walk down overgrown trails, play near crampons, and crawl over logs. Brrrr. I caught this fellow hiker coming around a bend and boy does he make a great prop! Check out this quick list of our favorite rain pants if youre in a hurry, or continue scrolling to see our full list with in-depth reviews. Whether day hiking and encountering a fallen log that must be negotiated, hopping across rocks over a stream, or putting up a new route in Patagonia, there are a near infinite amount of reasons why having exceptional range of motion and mobility are important factors (when buying a pair to keep you dry on stormy days). There was a pretty big difference in breathability among models we tested. While differences in fabric have a big impact on breathability and longevity, the water resistance a given pant has more to do with its design than the actual fabric. We travel to industry trade shows to learn about upcoming product innovations. Our experts have spent 100+ hours testing the best models on the market in the rainy Pacific Northwest.

These pants only have ankle-length zippers, which means theyre a bit more limited on ventilation and are a little tougher to put on without removing your shoes. We do tests to find out. Though its fabric doesn't stretch, it offers incredible overall articulation and moves with us while hiking or climbing as well as any model something that was even more impressive considering its slimmer fit. Best rain pants overall for comfort & functionality: Mountain Hardwear Stretch Ozonic Mens / Womens, Best affordable ultralight rain pants: Outdoor Research Helium Mens / Womens, Durable rain pants at an affordable price: Patagonia Torrentshell 3L Mens / Womens, Best budget rain pants: REI Rainier Full-Zip Mens / Womens, Great quality for the price rain pants: REI XeroDry GTX Mens / Womens, Minimalist ultralight rain pants for hiking & backpacking: Montbell Versalite Mens / Womens, Lightest rain pants for hiking & backpacking: Zpacks Vertice Mens / Womens, Comfortable ultralight rain pants: Marmot Bantamweight Mens / Womens, High-quality lightweight rain pants for technical use: Arcteryx Zeta SL Mens / Womens, The comfy Mountain Hardwear Stretch Ozonic Pants are durable which makes them perfect for snowshoe hikes. Dump heat as you warm up by unzipping side zippers or releasing ankle cuff adjustments. We also compared the pockets on each model. If you feel wetness forming inside your pants, dont worry too much about it and keep truckin. We're Dave & Annie, the outdoor adventurers behind CleverHiker.

Most of the time, we prefer to hold off on putting them on until we start to feel chilled. The most robust pants we tested were the Marmot Minimalist, Outdoor Research Foray, and The North Face Venture Half Zip; these competitors exceeded our expectations for durability. A trusty pair of rain pants should be in every outdoor adventurer's gear arsenal.

2-, 2.5- & 3- LAYER PANTS - The number of layers rain pants have helps determine how waterproof and breathable they will be. Some of the best rain skirts & kilts we know of are: Rain pants can protect your bottom layers from wet snow. The cons are that they arent effective at trapping body heat, protecting the lower legs, or blocking wind like rain pants are. Wind river part three. Each competitor withstood at least one week-long mountaineering traverse, which involved a fair amount of bushwhacking. The inner layer of 2.5-layer pants is a thin polyurethane laminate or coating meant to keep sweat and dirt from clogging the breathable pores of the pants from the inside. The pros are that theyre easier to put on and take off, theyre often lighter, and they have great airflow. Full-length zippers are an obvious weight trade-off. No sponsored content.

Its lightweight construction is packable and comfortable to wear all day long. The Helium pant isn't super quick to pull on and only provides average breathability. New videos, trip reports, gear reviews, inspiring stories and more. We loved contenders that featured a waist cinch or belt of some kind as it would help keep our rain pants from creeping down. The primary limitation, as it pertains to function, is in durability. You never know, one of these pants might be perfect for you: Rab Kinetic 2.0 Mens / Womens - comfortable and stretchy waterproof softshell pants with a slim fit, Arcteryx Beta AR Mens / Womens - expensive, but very durable and well-designed pants that are tough enough for everyday wear or technical alpine ascents, Marmot PreCip Eco Full-Zip Mens / Womens - budget-friendly pants, like the REI Rainier Full-Zip (above), but a tad lighter weight and a few dollars more expensive, The Patagonia Torrentshell 3L pants (Mens / Womens) are durable enough for long distance hikes in wet climates.

All trademarks property of their respective owners The differences between the various materials are more noticeable when it comes to breathability and overall longevity. Itll likely evaporate with body heat as long as youre wearing appropriate wicking layers underneath. If weight isnt your chief concern, the thicker fabric used in these pants offers better protection from brush and heavy rain than ultralight pants. If we are exerting effort and the outside air temperature is cold, these fabrics could breathe equally as well as the Stretch Ozonic. Toss the Zeta into your pack as a just-in-case item on a longer multi-day trip, and you won't even know it's there. These models needed to have beefy Velcro or snap closure at the waist (near the top of the zipper along the waist area); if not robust enough, our pants would come undone and sometimes slide down.

This pant has no pockets and lacks abrasion resistance. MINIMALIST ULTRALIGHT RAIN PANTS FOR HIKING & BACKPACKING, CONS: Less durable than others, limited ventilation and more difficult to put on/take off without removing shoes due to lack of zippers, no pockets. This helped facilitate dawning the pants over lightweight footwear like trail-runners or lightweight hikers but any medium-to-high volume footwear like hiking or mountaineering boots would need to be removed in order to put the pants on. We live for outdoor adventure, and we take these guides very seriously. While the Helium lacks durability and features, it makes for an excellent "just in case" rain pant. We mean it when we say this fabric is stretchy; almost at a level like we haven't even seen before. PROS: Affordable, full-length zippers for ventilation and easy on/off, hand pockets, pack into their own pocket, CONS: Heavier/bulkier than some, not as comfortable against the skin as some. These types of features were particularly nice for snowy applications because they helped keep snow out of your boots while snowshoeing or hiking and made it less likely that you'd catch a crampon on them while climbing or mountaineering. Because shell pants are worn only occasionally and almost always over pants or shorts that have pockets of their own, we weighted pockets below other features. We tested the breathability of all of these pants on wet hiking, backpacking, and mountaineering trips, as well as in a handful of more systematic tests, such as during a 10-minute stair master test at the Seattle Vertical World. Even though nylon and polyester are both quite water repellant to begin with, if they aren't treated with a DWR (or once their DWR has worn off), they will absorb moisture. This is where our award winners and recommendations spawn from. We've hiked, skied, backpacked, and climbed in remote terrain with wind and rain pouring down on us. However, in a downpour, running water could potentially seep in through a pocket, leak in via a side pocket that is not completely closed, or work its way down to where the waistband meets your body. This review covers 13 top pairs, which we've put head to head in a series of tests. As far as keeping the user dry, ventilation makes less of a difference in real-world applications when compared to breathability. Another major advantage is that these weight just 9.5 ounces, which is less than many of its price-pointed competition. These sidezips can facilitate some ventilation, but their primary design is to allow the wearer to quickly pull the pant on or off without removing footwear. The Ozonics are super comfy and are hands down some of the best rain pants weve ever worn. To test water resistance, we stood in a standard indoor shower for four minutes, determining which contenders could withstand the test. Keep up with our latest tutorials and gear reviews on YouTube. Our expert panel consists of gear testers Jediah Porter and Ian Nicholson; both international certified IFMGA/American Mountain Guides. The Arc'teryx Zeta SL earns high marks for its excellent weather protection and breathability in a form that packs smaller than most. The Outdoor Research Helium Mens / Womens only have ankle-zips, but they still breathe pretty well since theyre made with lightweight materials. Hood, Oregon. Theyre well-designed and have all the adjustments one could want. The REI Co-op Essential Rain Pant is simply the best rain pant you can buy for the price. Some models with beefy Velcro or snap-style closures would pinch under a pack's waist belt if it was heavily loaded. Packable and fully functional don't usually go together in rain pants, and other full-protection and readily breathable products are typically much heavier. We treat our recommendations as if they were for our family and friends.

Being able to dump a little heat especially once it has stopped raining, between storms, or is if it is only misting is certainly an additional benefit. The super-stretchy Mountain Hardwear Stretch Ozonic had the best overall mobility and was a cut above the rest. The DWR used on the Marmot PreCip Full Zip, Marmot Minimalist, and Arc'teryx Zeta SL stood out above the rest. Sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on our latest posts then visit our Facebook page and Instagram to join the community conversation. Best value rain pants: Mountain Hardwear Stretch Ozonic Mens / Womens & REI XeroDry GTX Mens / Womens, Best budget rain pants: Outdoor Research Helium Mens / Womens, Patagonia Torrentshell 3L Mens / Womens & REI Rainier Full-Zip Mens / Womens, Best high-end rain pants: Marmot Bantamweight Mens / Womens & Arcteryx Zeta SL Mens / Womens, The REI Rainier Full-Zip Pants are an affordable 2.5-layer rain pant.