OT: hiking legwear

[wallymann]

not keen on "hard" stuff made of nylon/cordura or anything like that.

i'm noodling on a vision of something lightweight and fleecy, but trim-fitting, that would also be good for casual "apres" hiking use -- no idea if it exists!

[MattTuck]

not keen on "hard" stuff made of nylon/cordura or anything like that.

i'm noodling on a vision of something lightweight and fleecy, but trim-fitting, that would also be good for casual "apres" hiking use -- no idea if it exists!

Sounds like you're describing yoga pants....

best hiking pants I've ever had were Mountain hardware pants. They don't make that particular model anymore, and this was about 10 years ago. But it was a great material. Semi lined on the inside with a soft material chamois in the groin and around the hips. I still use them.

[wallymann]

noodling some more.

i want my legs to be warm at the start of a cold hike, but easily lose them w/o having to mess with footwear -- so i'm just using full-zip cycling legwarmers!

and i'll bring along some fleecy pants for apres-hike duty.

no need for leg protection on this particular journey.

[benb]

I've had microfiber/nylon stuff which was pretty soft & pliable, very comfortable, and has the zip off legs. Not hard to find at any of the outdoor gear stores.

I've never really seen anything that approached the stiffness of Cordura, I'd agree that's not desirable. I've had plenty of Cordura motorcycle clothes so I know exactly what that feels like.

I need to find something.. we've been rock climbing lately and shorts don't cover my knees at all, my left knee has a huge scar on it which cuts very easily on rock compared to non scarred skin. My cycling leg warmers or tights would do it but look weird and probably be too warm. And I love cycling clothes while cycling but always want to get them off ASAP as soon as I get off the bike.

My main issue with all these materials even if they are soft and comfortable is the way they leave you feeling sticky and/or smellier with a day of moderate activity. Cotton, etc.. might perform very badly under heavy exertion or in bad weather but these synthetics all leave me feeling sticky. If I am doing something technical/demanding enough like a long bike ride or hike where weather could come into play I can totally deal with the sticky feeling, etc.. but for more casual stuff it's annoying.

[Ozz]

Sounds like you're describing yoga pants....

....

I have a couple pairs of Lululemon pants that are great...

Favorites were a pair of the old Pearl Izumi Tokyo Tights from the early '90's...go to pants for hiking and wearing under Gore-Tex ski pants..

[Mark McM]

not keen on "hard" stuff made of nylon/cordura or anything like that.

i'm noodling on a vision of something lightweight and fleecy, but trim-fitting, that would also be good for casual "apres" hiking use -- no idea if it exists!

That sounds like it describes the pants often worn for Nordic skiing. Have you looked at Nordic skiing brands like Swix, Salomon, and Bjorn Daehlie? (And to keep within the cycling motif, Salomon is owned by the same company that owns Mavic and Enve, and Swix used to own Pedro's).

[buddybikes]

Sporthill pants, pick your weight needs is incredible stuff. Patagonia guide pants, don't know the current name, is great stuff, also Rab.

Now I just wear my duofold tights, dirt cheap, I don't care what I look like anymore

[verticaldoug]

not keen on "hard" stuff made of nylon/cordura or anything like that.

i'm noodling on a vision of something lightweight and fleecy, but trim-fitting, that would also be good for casual "apres" hiking use -- no idea if it exists!


Generally fleecy = no wind resistance so

I'd buy a pants you like which are non-cotton, Prana, Arcteryx, Patagonia all the brands have something in this category. When you need a little warmth, just layer yoga tights, running tights, long underwear underneath. You get a lot more versatility out of this combination than buying something fleecy and look a little sharper

[Mark McM]

Sporthill pants, pick your weight needs is incredible stuff.

Ah, thanks for reminding me of Sporthill! Check out their 3SP (a polyproplylene stretch fabric), which they use for several different models of pants. While soft and stretchy, they are also reasonably windproof, and wick moisture incredibly well. And they have a very wide temperature range - I've used them as a single layer while cross-country skiing in temperatures from the teens to the forties.