One of the first books I read about lightweight backpacking was Ray Jardine's "Beyond Backpacking". As I slowly started evaluating my own pack contents, oddly enough I was mentally stuck on the fact that Jardine suggested a collared hiking shirt for the principal reason that it looked fairly responsible for trail towns. Having educated myself on the benefits of merino wool, I spent a good amount of time trying to find a collared shirt made of merino wool in a size big enough to fit me. By the time I did, the price alone was enough to scare me off and I still don't own one (I do take donations however).
Along the lines of clothing options and their relevance to both the trail and town, I thought I'd mention a pair of pants that are plenty fine for backpacking, possibly three and even four seasons depending on conditions and preferences, as well as around town. Last year I found a pair of Marmot Scree Pants (www.marmot.com/products/scree_pant) at an end-of-summer sale at a local camping retailer which meant I got it at a great deal. I do love those sales. It is a softshell pant which is both water repellent and breathable. It is a double weave of 90% nylon and 10% elastane. It comes in a variety of colors with several zipping pockets, ankle zippers, etc. They even come in nearly any imaginable size and even a "long" version which is great. With articulated knees coupled with the materials, they are just a great three to four season pant which oddly are hardly noticeable when wearing them.
This pant is very similar to other more expensive options and I'm learning that they really cover a wide variety of both weather conditions and also social conditions as they are a nice fitting, nice looking, and very comfortable pant that really fit in anywhere. They work quite well on the trail and look plenty fine in town and in social settings. Although the "MARMOT" name is a little obnoxious, like many manufacturers who like to use you and I as their personal billboard, I still think it's a great trail and "other" option.
I've seen them anywhere from $40-$90 which really isn't too bad for this kind of active pant and are advertised at 17oz which I presume is for a medium.
Along the lines of clothing options and their relevance to both the trail and town, I thought I'd mention a pair of pants that are plenty fine for backpacking, possibly three and even four seasons depending on conditions and preferences, as well as around town. Last year I found a pair of Marmot Scree Pants (www.marmot.com/products/scree_pant) at an end-of-summer sale at a local camping retailer which meant I got it at a great deal. I do love those sales. It is a softshell pant which is both water repellent and breathable. It is a double weave of 90% nylon and 10% elastane. It comes in a variety of colors with several zipping pockets, ankle zippers, etc. They even come in nearly any imaginable size and even a "long" version which is great. With articulated knees coupled with the materials, they are just a great three to four season pant which oddly are hardly noticeable when wearing them.
This pant is very similar to other more expensive options and I'm learning that they really cover a wide variety of both weather conditions and also social conditions as they are a nice fitting, nice looking, and very comfortable pant that really fit in anywhere. They work quite well on the trail and look plenty fine in town and in social settings. Although the "MARMOT" name is a little obnoxious, like many manufacturers who like to use you and I as their personal billboard, I still think it's a great trail and "other" option.
I've seen them anywhere from $40-$90 which really isn't too bad for this kind of active pant and are advertised at 17oz which I presume is for a medium.
8 comments:
What's the weight on these?
Thanks for another good tip!
17oz presumably for a medium. The picture doesn't really do the pants justice. They are much better looking.
I guess I am assuming, but if it isn't too much trouble, what does the long inseam actually measure out to?
17 oz seems like too much to carry. There are nylon pants that weigh less than half that. Even insulated down pants weigh less than half that. What does the extra weigh give you?
I proposing wearing them, not carrying them. Nylon pants are fine for summer or as a rain pant (or as a back-up pant if you need to carry something else). These are more appropriate for 3-4 season use. If you look for hiking pants of similar materials (i.e not nylon windpants) you'll find that they are all easily within the same weight range.
I read the long inseam is 36" as I haven't measured mine personally. That seems about right as that's what I wear. I believe I also read the regular's are 32".
The Marmot Scree pants are made of 90% nylon... so I think they can safely be called nylon pants. What does the extra 10 ounces of weight compared to other nylon pants get you? Stretch? Durability? Why are they more appropriate for winter use than other Nylon pants? I could wear expedition-weight thermal underwear and a pair of nylon pants over top, and still be at 17 ounces.
You make a good point. Personally, I think of typical "nylon pants" as those sold under the name of REI, Ex Officio and Columbia which are often convertables (shorts with a zipper to add legs). They are extremely thin and could tear quite easily. These types of pants are very popular with summer hiking for some people. The Scree pants is a softshell which is a completely different classification of gear even though they are both made of nylon. Most softshell fabrics are very similar however, so if you're familiar with softshells in general, you'll understand that simply calling these "nylon pants" would be inaccurate. Softshell materials are more dense, they stretch, they are thicker, and are meant to stand up to abrasive activity. Because of all this density, they would be more appropriate for cooler activities as otherwise they may be too hot. They are like a loose spandex/winter running pant. Basically, a "nylon pant" and "softshell pant" aren't in the same category so they aren't comparable. But yes, you could wear a pair of thermal underwear and a pair of "nylon pants" and achieve...."something" as I don't know what you'd be trying to achieve as you'd lack the durability, stretch, etc. That's not to say your option isn't fine, it just depends on what you're trying to do. If you want a slightly warmer performance pant with the benefit of a softshell, got with a product like these.
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