Real Men Wear........Tights?

With colder weather approaching across the globe, I wanted to share a little secret for lightweight leg warmth which I quite honestly haven’t seen discussed before.

 

When the weather turns cold, many people like myself warm their legs with a variety of clothing options such as SmartWool or Capilene long underwear and for very cold temperatures down or synthetic insulating pants.  The beauty of each option is that you can get different grades of both SmartWool and Capilene and even warmer synthetic or down insulation options.  For the sake of mentioning it, some also wear nylon stockings (which can be found for men), but they are quite breezy, very fragile, and their insulative properties aren’t too impressive…but they are very lightweight.

 

One very effective option rarely discussed are tights.  I’m referring to the same tights runners use in colder temperatures.  Compared to standard long-johns style underwear like SmartWool and Capilene options, tights are often lighter or comparable in weight, plenty warmer, more durable, and can be worn as an external or internal garment without scaring fashion conscious hikers.  They are an excellent in-between option when SmartWool and Capilene isn’t warm enough, but avoiding full blown insulated pants is desirable.  Tights are also a great wicker of moisture and retain some warmth when damp.

 

My favorable tights are the Mountain Hardwear Power Stretch Tights.  They are made of PolarTec material which means they are fleece-like on the inside and slick on the outside.  They feel puffy in the sense that they feel substantial yet very lightweight.  Seams are also flat which makes them extremely comfortable.  The manufacturer claims these tights can be worn as a base or mid layer if worn one way or inside out.  I haven’t seen anyone wearing them inside out with the tag and steams on display to the world however.  These range from $30 to $70 and there are quite a number of good sales right now as well as warmer or lighter pairs and some that are shorts or ¾ length.

 

For comparison purposes, below are examples from my own gear closet noting that each are in a size XL which may vary considerably in weight if you are a smaller size:

 

 

What you should take away from this is that SmartWool is just plain heavy and ounce for ounce isn’t necessarily a good choice for a lightweight insulator.  Granted, if I’m near a fire or out for several days where stink is an issue, it might be the only choice.  Consequently the MH Power Stretch Tights are lighter too, only an ounce heavier than the Capilene 3 and yet considerably warmer.  The tights lack the bulk of the BPL Cocoon Insulated Pants and are almost half the weight.  Again, tights excel in wicking and warmth when damp.

 

Bottom line, for a decent price and a lot of insulation for the weight, give tights a shot.

ACU Adventure Tech Soft Shell Pants

In the cooler months, I have a love affair with soft shell pants.  I have a couple pairs, but the one thing I don’t like is the fact that all the pockets are zippered.  Now this is great for someone who doesn't want to lose anything, but for me I just want to be able to stick my hands in my pockets without fumbling with a zipper or have it scratch me as I take my hand in and out.

Oddly enough, trying to find a pair of soft shell paints without zippered pockets wasn’t easy.  I’m not sure if this issue was because I was looking for big sizes, but I honestly had trouble finding options.  I ended up coming across the Adventure Tech (APCU Level V) softshell pants from ACU (www.acu.com).  This is essentially part of a cold weather system used by the military, although it is no thicker or warmer than any other soft shell pants I own.  Nowadays, the U.S. military gets some pretty good stuff based on quite a bit of solid science (although I don’t want to paint too broadly because many servicemen simply don’t get equipment adequate to perform under the conditions their leaders put them in).

Aside from the fact that pockets in these pants are accessible, the pants themselves are based on NanoSphere “self-cleaning” fabric promoted by Schoeller Dynamic.  For those readers familiar with Schoeller Dynamic, you are likely aware that this brand of fabric represents the top end of industry performance and is usually only available in the most expensive options. Search Arcteryx and you’ll get an idea of how much pants and jackets with this fabric cost.  NanoSphere technology is based on the principal of plants and the fact that plants never seem to be dirty.  This is relevant if you consider the fact that plants are outside 24/7 and never seem muddy or soiled.  The reason is because of their slick surface.  

Fortunately, these pants were only $95 which I consider to be right in the middle between an inexpensive and expensive option.  They aren’t the world’s greatest pants, as they are a little boxy, hand pockets aren’t very deep, and a couple extra belt loops would be nice, but they are a solid option especially for bigger folks.

For those of you who need clothing of a particular size that you're having a tough time finding, consider having your clothing custom constructed by Beyond Clothing (http://www.beyondclothing.com/).  They offer some truly wonderful options for people that can’t find clothing off the shelf in sizes they need.

Inexpensive Convertible Pants

For some odd reason, many people have polarized opinions about wearing convertible pants while backpacking. To some, they are the ideal pant because they can be easily "converted" to shorts. To others, they simply look dorky and have (at least) two major fatal flaws - the pant leg zippers. I would imagine these opinions vary greatly depending on whether they come from a weekend backpacker where long term use of leg zippers and other features doesn't need to be terribly reliable versus a thru-hiker who must count on his/her gear for the long haul.

Historically, when not using shorts, I've used two pairs of pants when hiking. My first option is an old pair of GoLite Synergy pants which I've worn more than any piece of gear I have and they've stood up to the challenge admirably. I regret that GoLite has a tendency to stop production on great products (i.e. Reed Pants). In the winter, I wear a pair of Rab Bergen eVENT pants, although I'm not thrilled with them because I still sweat in them which causes an unenjoyable icing situation despite the breatheability of eVENT.

For one reason or another, I've been interested in a convertible pant option both for backpacking and backyard activities. Over the course of the last year or so, I've probably tried options from 10 different manufacturers and was left unimpressed by most. Some are better made than others, some have better material, some are absurdly expensive for little gain, some have more pockets than anyone could every need, etc. However, one common trait was that I absolutely hated the cut. Manufacturers seem to take the measurements at the thigh area and run them straight down so the cuff size is the same as the thigh area. I assume this is done to make it easier to slide the pant leg over a shoe or boot, but ultimately it creates a lot of extra material which I've found does little more than swish around, get muddy, catch more ticks and burs, and otherwise look all the more stupid. Although I'm sure there are others, but REI's Sahara pant (a decent pant for the most part) took it a step further and added a vertical zipper to each leg to allow the user the ability to take the pant leg off completely without needing to pull it over a shoe. Yet, they still didn't lessen the giant cuff size and the two additional zippers add weight and potential problems.

Just as I was about to give up on these kinds of pants completely, I found a pair I actually like...and wonderfully...they were the cheapest. Campmor (www.campmor.com) sells a convertible option they call "travel pants" for (sale price) $24.99. Considering I paid up to nearly $100 for pretty much the same thing, I'm plenty happy with the price.

They come in three colors - brown, tan, and black. Like other similar options, Campmor's travel pants are 100% nylon and offer UPF 50+ sun protection to protect from UVA and UVB rays which I'm slowly appreciating the importance as I get older and watch my skin morph from the youthful features I had as a child. Pants features that I like include a design that is cut like a regular pair of pants, meaning the pant leg gets smaller in diameter as it approaches the foot so it can more easily pass as a normal pair of pants to someone who doesn't focus on the zipper seam just above the knee. Taking the pant leg off requires the user to take off his/her shoe which is otherwise fine by me to avoid all the extra fuss and material. I love the fact that they use a button at the waist and enjoy the flexibility of elastic instead of a fixed size. Snaps are uber annoying to me because they can't readily be repaired in the field and they also make garmets heavier and clanky. I like the fact that it doesn't come with a belt as I've never been a fan of lightweight nylon belts which seem to only be functional and fashionable for people of a thinner persuasion. I like the fact that I can get into the pockets without unsnapping something and they use Velcro instead of something fancier. Pockets to me need to be utilitarian, meaning I need to be able to get in and out of them and I shouldn't be able to put something of such size that it would rub against my leg or swing as I walk. I also only want a few pockets and not so many that I could store everything from my pack in my pants. These pants are inexpensive, quick drying, and remotely fashionable with a good design, so good enough in my book.

To be fair, I think the material used is likely a little less robust than others and some of the comments on the Campmor website indicate that some batches have colors that fade in time. These things don't terribly concern me.

Lightweight Backpacking Pants

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.