[letsgobobby]

i am in need of a real, durable, light weight pair of men's rain pants. 3-3.5 seasons. mine are twenty years old and really not waterproof at all. price is basically not a concern. i only buy pants like this thrice in a lifetime. 😀

[Ski]

link to a mess of other links to discussions about rain pants I went with the Fjallraven "KEB" trousers. Weight: ONE POUND (after applying a good coat of the wax on them.) Nothing quite like owning the finest.

[letsgobobby]

thank you how do you apply the wax? could you apply wax to any rainpant or even any trouser? i'm actually kind of enamored with the kilt idea for my 3-3.5 season hiking and fair weather backpacking.

[Ski]

various methods. there are several videos showing how to apply it. I believe I watched a video on fjallraven's site. the wax is a 50-50 mix of paraffin and beeswax, applied to that portion of the pants made of the "G-1000" cloth. (The pants are constructed of panels of two different types of fabric.) the wax comes in a cake - like a bar of soap - and you just rub it on and then melt it into the fabric with a hair dryer. took me maybe 20-30 minutes to apply a pretty heavy coat last time I did it. customer service lady told me the wax would come off when I put the pants in the washing machine. I'd prefer to not gum up my washer with wax, so I just don't wash them, other than maybe taking a garden hose to them after a muddy trip. not making any fashion statements or picking up chicas out in the boonies, so who cares? as to whether the product could be used on other fabrics/garments: on cotton, yes. I almost bought a pair of waxed cotton pants at a place up on the Hoh Road decades ago, made by a company called "Mountain Sewn" out of White Salmon - they're no longer around. The pants were constructed of a mid-weight woven cotton - a bit heavier than sailcloth, but not as heavy as the cotton canvas of a tennis shoe. The fjallraven approach is old-school technology applied to a modern-day synthetic fabric. Filson Company "tin cloth" uses Filson's own "Oil Finish Wax", a product which (if I'm not mistaken) contains some sort of petroleum product and is essentially applied using the same method, although the product comes in a can like shoe polish - be prepared for messy hands. An Extra-Large Tin Cruiser can suck up an entire can if applied heavy enough and melted in well enough. The heavy weight of Filson's "tin cloth" combined with the wax brings the jacket up to a few pounds and it's stiff as a board and difficult to get into when cold, but after it warms up (about 15-20 minutes of moving) it will loosen up and allow me to swing my arms. Again, old-school technology, heavy weight, but bulletproof and it sheds water like a duck's a.... But... unless you're cutting trees down all day, I'd go with the fjallraven or something along that line. I believe there is also a German company which makes a similar line of product.

[nomadthekidyoga]

Have you checked out brands like Arc'teryx or Patagonia? Both Arc'teryx and Patagonia are top-notch when it comes to quality, but they've got their own vibes. Arc'teryx generally has a more "techy" feel, focusing on lightweight and high-performance materials. If you're someone who's all about the specs and wants the latest in fabric technology, then Arc'teryx is your jam. They're often the go-to for more extreme outdoor enthusiasts. Patagonia, on the other hand, nails the balance between performance and sustainability. They offer durable and reliable rain pants that are also eco-friendly. If being green is part of your scene, Patagonia's a solid pick.

[letsgobobby]

so I'm going to give the kilt a try for day hikes for overnighters, is the basic premise that you're going to get wet no matter what so might as well have footwear etc that dries fast? IIRC that was the 'ray way from back in the day'. But water makes me cold and once i got hypothermia on the continental divide with the wrong gear so I'm not sure that method is such a good one. in other words i could go kilt/shorts/light foot wear for day hikes and be willing to exchange wet for weight on a day hike where I know I'm getting dry that night. But choose something more protective for overnighters?

[Ski]

^ I have no idea what the "magic formula" is in that respect. If I can maintain my core temperature (upper body) and keep my FEET from freezing, I'll be okay. So I've pulled stuff off in shorts where long pants might have been more appropriate, but they probably would have been soaking wet from wading through wet morning brush (Dry Creek Pass Point was one.) If you avoid the bulk of wool, you can jam 4 or 5 layers of clothing (and your lunch) into a little day pack. If my feet are going to get wet, they're going to get wet, and most likely stay that way all day, either in Tevas, or those NB "minimus" trail shoes, or Converse High-Tops. Otherwise it's a boot, and my feet do not get wet in MY boots. YMMV

[letsgobobby]

makes sense do you do waterproof gaiters on top of your boots?

[Chief Joseph]

I bought some years ago from Cabella's, lightweight yet pretty durable, I imagine that they still sell something similar. I wore them today up the Marten creek trail off the MLH as I knew we would be brush bashing in wet. Worked pretty well but still became wet from the inside out due to exertion, even on a cool day, but then I perspire quite a lot.

[Cyclopath]

[Ski]

[letsgobobby]

yes that's my plan for day hikes. but what about multi-day where you might want to avoid the permawet cycle? I'm in need of new backpacking boots and trying to decide if staying dry is a realistic goal.

[Ski]

^ I'm not the right guy to answer that question. My multi-day trips on rivers are usually spent with wet feet all day, every day. I've been doing that my entire life. Multi-day trips where you need to keep your feet dry is a completely different can of worms that my "normal" riverine practices. ==== I do not own any garment made of or with "Gore-Tex". I wear leather boots and dope them up with Obenauf's LP leather treatment. My feet stay dry. Others here will be able to offer better tips on keeping feet dry on multi-day backtrip trips where dry feet are requisite. What I can offer is that a properly fitted boot, doped up good and proper with Obenauf's, and topped with a properly-fitting gaiter, should keep your feet dry even in a downpour out at Ozette. (My brand-new Filson Cruiser soaked through - the Galibiers did not. The trip was to "road test" the new jacket - that was the reason I came home and put an entire can of that "Oil-Wax" product on it I mentioned in the post above.)

[PowderPawn]

Patagonia fan here when it comes to rain pants... whatever they are making these days. I have not had to buy a new pair yet in my lifetime and trust their quality.