Who makes the perfect softshell ski pants??

Still have my Gamma SK's from like '11 and are still in great shape, I use them 95% of the time midwinter. Same weight double-weave material as the Gamma LT but with braces/suspenders and I love the ridiculously simple gaiter design that unfortunately has also been d/c'd.

For spring tours the TNF Summit L4 Lightweight pants have been fantastic w/ light touring boots (TLT6). Very simple, just a map pocket; no gaiter but, hey, spring, and they've got grommets for stirrup straps. Have thigh vents and have used them in really warm weather and they're just perfect w/o baselayer. Trim but not too trim. https://www.thenorthface.com/shop/me...pants-nf0a3sqi

Love soft shell pants. I try to use as often as possible unless it is wet or really cold. My most recent pair is the Marmot Pro-Tour. Pretty nice. Kind of a duel fabric thingy with a nylon in the thigh fronts with soft fabric everywhere else. These come with suspenders, which I ditched and most importantly belt loops. Zippered wallet pocket(got to have), two front hand pockets, and one thigh pocket(little small). Of course thigh vents. Most importantly is the fit. I am 6' and 220Lbs with skier legs. Got the 38 Regular. I despise the "euro-fit" or is that rando race fit of skinny lower legs. These fit over ski boots very well without having to un-zip the ankle zipper. Plenty of room. They are on close-out so deals are out there.

I still have a couple pair of Mammut Castor's which were the best and may never wear out. Sadly none of the recent Mammut offerings did it for me. I have a pair of Eddie Bauer pants, I think they were the Nail Drivers from a few years back that are nice. Awesome thigh pockets, no wallet pocket though.

This thread piqued my interest for considering replacements after 'spooging' sunscreen on my favorite OR Trailbreaker pants. I wear them at the area as well as for tours. It's a bummer to learn the the OR Trailbreaker IIs are too tight for ski boots. This seems like a stupid design downgrade and destroys the point of the pants. Is it really too tight or simply less than ideal?

The Euro fit comments prompted me to check the fit on my Salomon Outpeak Warm softshells relative to ski boots for spring touring or skiing. They fit fine, but do lack rear pockets & the thigh pocket is small for phones. I got these last fall for biking, XC skiing and hiking, etc. My Stoic softshell's cuffs are too big for chainrings, but the Salomon's work great. I ended up wearing them almost every day after the morning XC ski or bike ride due to their fit, comfort & versatility.

Attachment 411500

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I really like my Norrona Lyngen Flex1 pants for spring skiing.

They have no insulation and don't have any form of laminate material, which is definitely my preference for a soft shell. They also have some well designed vents on the side.

I'm 5'11'' and wear 34 inch pants and medium in these fit me well. If my waist was any larger I'd need to size up to a large, which would maybe be too long for me.

The only thing I'd change is that I'd prefer vents on the inside of the leg instead of the outside and I wish they had belt loops (I much prefer an elastic belt), but they do have a velcro system on the side of the hips for tightening them.

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Originally Posted by NWFlow

I have dawn patrols in a large and they work well for small boots, but i don't think i could pull them over an alpine boot

They're a great pant, i just wish they had a dedicated beacon pocket.

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I just did a five day hut trip with my new BD Dawn Patrols. Loved them other than my short stumpy legs are not long enough for the regular large pant. Light, breathable, stretchy, etc. I'm going to take them to a local shop that does great work with alterations.

I used the front pocket to hold my beacon with no issues. I just wrapped the beacon leash through one of my belt loops. When I take them in to get shortened I'm also going to have them sew a loop inside the front right pocket to clip my beacon to.

I had no real issues getting the pants to fit over my Tecnica Cochise boots. While skinning, I have to roll the inner powder cuff up over the top of the boot to keep a decent range of motion but the outer cuff was not issue. When it was ski time, I was able to get both inner and outer cuffs over the boot with no issues.

Well I bit the bullet after some "dry skiing" today left my 12 year old Patagonia softshells in tatters and went for a set of Dynafit Mercury's. I sized up to a large and have a bit more space. I didn't like giving up the wallet pocket and the pants are a tad tight on my boots but otherwise seem to meet my criteria. Hopefully I get another decade out of these ones too.

Not saying this because I have a pair for sale, but the OR hemispheres are sweet for being a hard shell. They have stretch goretex throughout so are pretty damn flexible, but still maintain all of the features of a “regular” ski pant and are significantly lighter than a lot of the soft shell offerings. Pretty impressed with them honestly.


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Skied Some older strafe Cham pant with recon stretch on a warm spring day. Breathability is great and features are easy and cutis looser. Win win


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Originally Posted by whyturn

Skied Some older strafe Cham pant with recon stretch on a warm spring day. Breathability is great and features are easy and cutis looser. Win win


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Just googled that up as I was unfamiliar with the company. Style points if you got them in the stealth camo colorway!

I have about 10 days touring and one rando race in these: https://shop.atomic.com/en/products/...ant-51062.html

I like them so far, fit is a little snug but not full on Euro. Pretty weather resistant for PNW wetness but breath well. Lighter weight and still hold up to brush just fine.

Adidas seems to be pretty good

Bump for any updates

Tried my Norrona Svalbard flex 1 last night in 23 degree early storm snowshoe. I like the long side vents and durable but breathable fabric. But fit is best as I am 6-1 with 36 waist but 34 inseam. Very stylish and good deals if you set up an account at their outlet.


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My dimensions:
6'3, 180lbs, 34" inseam, 31" waist, 34" circ at the glutes, previously had thighs big enough to put me in a women's climbing harness while cycling daily. My thighs are currently a bit slimmer now that I am not cycling and now 6" wide and 7.5" wide in profile or about 21.25" around. Thighs play a huge role in softshell fit. Both in stride, comfort, how the legs ride, and articulation.

I have owned first gen BD Dawn Patrol with likely 60 days before they stretched out and were wetting out too much. The waist fit was never acceptable for me (31" waist, 34" inseam). I had the Mediums and the snaps at the fly would pop on the first dynamic turn I would make. I gave these away to a friend. The stride was a little resistive but the pants stretched well. I liked them in general but having had the Proclines with a season of overlap, I wouldn't ever go back.

Currently I have about 60 days in the Arcteryx Proclines but with a 2018 model that has the free-sliding belt. 60 days in, the side seam is starting to split and I will have to send them in for repair (or drive them to Boulder!). This defect is around the hip bone where the seam must have the most dynamic movement. I will suggest that they add some reinforcement to the threading at these spots as the thread is certainly the greatest weakness of these pants. The material is very supple but laminated and not as light as some of the other softshell fabric I have used. I would place it at twice the thickness and weight of Polartech Neoshell. My suspender elastic is starting to fail despite not washing them and being a stickler for keeping them unloaded. I think the elastic in one edge of one shoulder has died or failed and it is starting to look curly. On the deepest/coldest days, I sometimes opt to go with Arc'teryx Sabre instead.

The Arcteryx are certainly a better fit and much more water and wind resistant. The thigh pocket is superior in design and has a thin sub-pocket that is perfect for a cell phone of modern proportions (iPhone13 Pro in an Apple leather case). I am a firm beacon-in-harness user, making the beacon pocket a non-starter for me.

Biggest problem with both pants is the boot fit. Arcteryx and OG Dawn Patrol were not great at going over 4-buckle style ski boots. They will fit, but they wont love it.

I also have some FlyLow pants that I would not recommend. I think that they are super prone to the crotch blowing out or turning into a convertible, whichever you prefer. All my friends have the dreaded duct tape groins on their touring FlyLows. That said, I will tour in mine while the Procline's get repaired.

Other brands to mention here include Ortovox. They make a number of softshell, hybrid, and wool/softshell material pants. Some are similar to the old Ibex merino softshell (climacool) but with fancy colors and asymmetrical paneling. I am keen to try an ensemble of them, but have not had a need to replace my gear in a couple seasons.

Update 1/23: close to day 80 now on these pants and the thread failure on the hip has not escalated at all. The suspenders are no worse than before. Pants still have not had a wet-out situation and are still going strong.

Just pulled the trigger on Dawn Patrols after reading the thread. FYI, a few places with sales on Dawn Patrol pants right now:

https://www.prfo.com/products/black-...n-patrol-pants (shipping was free to California, FWIW)
https://www.moosejaw.com/product/bla...=Black-Diamond (XLs for $150)

I just listed these in B/S/T if anyone's interested. Nice long inseam.

I'm a huge fan of the OR Cirque pants. Solid durable material, fits well over touring boots, decent pockets. Breathes the right amount and provides the right amount of warmth for midwinter touring (-20 to 40) with appropriate baselayers. When late spring comes around and it gets really warm, I switch to OR Ferrosi pants which I also use for hiking and backpacking in cooler temperatures in fall.

Prices for both are super reasonable too compated to some other brands.

Not sure if I have read this full thread with the suggestions and brands out there. But last year I was at a second hand store- believe it was one of the Salvation Army stores that in the past I got a used Marmot Precip Eco shell for $5... They had 2 pair of ski pants hanging on the rack. A ski buddy had mentioned his brother was looking to get out of skiing in jeans and wanted a pair of XL ski pants, which they had. They also had a pair of Large White Sierra brand ski pants (94% poly, 6% spandex) soft shell pants that are lined for cheap. "Think Outside" is also on the label tag. They are pretty much like regular pants with 2 front pockets (no zippers or anything and a back right rear pocket with a strip of velcro) to keep it closed if carrying something in the rear pocket like wallet, phone, etc.

No bottom cuff zippers or anything either.

But looks like they are maybe gone from the market though other than used at geartrade, etc. : https://www.facebook.com/WhiteSierra/

Stio makes some softshell touring pants now. Anyone tried them yet?
https://www.stio.com/products/mens-upslope-touring-pant

I don’t have any issues with my Dynafit Mercury Pro pants, they’re just wearing out, and have been discontinued. Bought some Dynafit Free Infinium Hybrid pants, hoping for something similar, but they’re significantly less warm, almost certainly less durable, more restrictive, and too short in the same size. Sold them unused. Tried the Patagonia Upstride pants on, which seemed like they’d work well but for the weird testicle crunching fit. I’m still trying to find a pair of Mercury Pros, or hoping that Arc’teryx come out with something in this space, but will settle on some OR Cirques if necessary, which though very basic, do fit well, and are very reasonably priced.

I had some Mercury 2 pants and despite going up a size I dealt with some serious chaffing issues on my one and only day of using them. The search continues.

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Originally Posted by Meadow Skipper

Stio makes some softshell touring pants now. Anyone tried them yet?
https://www.stio.com/products/mens-upslope-touring-pant

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I really dig them and they’re probably my favorite pant since the Procline FLs. No backing fabric so nice and breathable, thigh beacon pocket is positioned well to wear you don’t feel the beacon in the pocket.

Im still trying to find an equivalent replacement for my patagucci pants that had a fleece like lining. I don’t even know what model they were but I loved those pants. I don’t think Patagonia makes them anymore. If they do, Ive yet to find them

+1 for the flylow tannens.
great breathability, awesome leg zips for airing it out, super comfy.

i grab them every time for a tour unless its pissing rain/snow (then its flylow bakers)

I ended up with norrona lyngen soft shell pants and they have been great.

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Originally Posted by sweatypowderpig

+1 for the flylow tannens.
great breathability, awesome leg zips for airing it out, super comfy.

i grab them every time for a tour unless its pissing rain/snow (then its flylow bakers)

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Tannens aren’t a softshell, they’re a 3L ski pant with stretch. I have a pair but wouldn’t tour in them unless it’s nuking wet snow/rain or extremely cold/windy (like single digits), so I won’t sweat like crazy.

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Originally Posted by GoSlowGoFar

Tannens aren’t a softshell, they’re a 3L ski pant with stretch. I have a pair but wouldn’t tour in them unless it’s nuking wet snow/rain or extremely cold/windy (like single digits), so I won’t sweat like crazy.

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didn’t realize this was a “who’s the sweatiest”competition

They’re literally described as a 3L soft shell on the flylow website, but whatever makes you feel good

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Originally Posted by sweatypowderpig

didn’t realize this was a “who’s the sweatiest”competition

They’re literally described as a 3L soft shell on the flylow website, but whatever makes you feel good

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Sorry to offend you, didn’t realize you were so attached to these pants. Point is, a 3L fabric is not a softshell fabric. Softshell uses the weave of the fabric (typically double weave) and gets its water resistance from the weave of the fabric combined with a DWR treatment.

A 3L fabric uses a water proof membrane in the fabric, so by definition it’s not a softshell. It’s also not nearly as breathable as a softshell fabric.

There’s a difference so don’t get butthurt when someone corrects you for recommending a 3L pant on a thread asking about the best softshell pant.

Duplicate

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Originally Posted by GoSlowGoFar

Sorry to offend you, didn’t realize you were so attached to these pants. Point is, a 3L fabric is not a softshell fabric. Softshell uses the weave of the fabric (typically double weave) that gets its water resistance from the weave of the fabric combined with a DWR treatment.

A 3L fabric uses a water proof membrane in the fabric, so by definition it’s not a softshell. It’s also not nearly as breathable as a softshell fabric.

There’s a difference so don’t get butthurt when someone corrects you for recommending a 3L pant on a thread asking about the best softshell pant.

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This. 3L doesn't breathe.

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Originally Posted by GoSlowGoFar

Sorry to offend you, didn’t realize you were so attached to these pants. Point is, a 3L fabric is not a softshell fabric. Softshell uses the weave of the fabric (typically double weave) and gets its water resistance from the weave of the fabric combined with a DWR treatment.

A 3L fabric uses a water proof membrane in the fabric, so by definition it’s not a softshell. It’s also not nearly as breathable as a softshell fabric.

There’s a difference so don’t get butthurt when someone corrects you for recommending a 3L pant on a thread asking about the best softshell pant.

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Originally Posted by GoSlowGoFar

Sorry to offend you, didn’t realize you were so attached to these pants. Point is, a 3L fabric is not a softshell fabric. Softshell uses the weave of the fabric (typically double weave) that gets its water resistance from the weave of the fabric combined with a DWR treatment.

A 3L fabric uses a water proof membrane in the fabric, so by definition it’s not a softshell. It’s also not nearly as breathable as a softshell fabric.

There’s a difference so don’t get butthurt when someone corrects you for recommending a 3L pant on a thread asking about the best softshell pant.

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fair enough.
Guess my own ignorance of technical fabric definitions and thread rigidity is showing.

I’ll come back when/if my tannens with nice long zips ever get supplanted by a true double weave soft shell.
I do enjoy the spring time sunscreen smearing of the thighs

apologies, proceed with your soft shelling

Its good to have both. In the cold dry rockies i wore softshell 100% of the time. Humid warmer snow in revy i wore the hybrids(2l/3l stretch) most days. Brought the softshells out for the occasional cold snap or warm spring. Its on the list to get a light colored pair for spring.

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Originally Posted by sweatypowderpig

fair enough.
Guess my own ignorance of technical fabric definitions and thread rigidity is showing.

I’ll come back when/if my tannens with nice long zips ever get supplanted by a true double weave soft shell.
I do enjoy the spring time sunscreen smearing of the thighs

apologies, proceed with your soft shelling

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All good, it’s a common misconception and sorry to get snarky. I have some brand new Cirque II’s that I’ll sell you for cheap so you can try out a “real” softshell, lol.

Softshell or not, I've really enjoyed touring in Tannens and haven't found breathability to be a limitation in most conditions. Subjectively, they feel much more breathable than goretex or futurelight bibs I've owned over the past few years. But in the spring I'm wearing BD Dawn Patrol pants.

I’m pretty happy with Dawn Patrols too. Nothing remarkable but totally functional.


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Arc’teryx just released their new Rush Softshell pants. Other than the integrated belt (pet peeve) and absurd colour option (who the fuck buys white ski touring pants?) they seem to tick all the boxes. I’ll probably give them a try.

I have a pair of Dynafit Mercury XL Black (or dark Grey) that have never been worn, or maybe worn once.
Pm me for a sale.

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Originally Posted by GoSlowGoFar

I really dig them and they’re probably my favorite pant since the Procline FLs. No backing fabric so nice and breathable, thigh beacon pocket is positioned well to wear you don’t feel the beacon in the pocket.

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Cool, thanks.

Just got these, skied in them, and they’re my new pants for anything over 10°. Medium long fits me perfectly.
https://www.malojaclothing.com/khesa...-0560/product/Attachment 441872

Those look pretty nice. How does the leg opening work over boots (looks really slim).

Two things keep me from giving up my OR Trailbreaker pants: thigh zip vents and cuffs big enough to easily go over boots. I suppose I could try some of those cuffs that have an opening for the lever of my RS. Hmmm.