Best Alpine Climbing Pants?

Looking for a pair of Alpine Rock Climbing Pants for use during the Spring/Summer/Fall Season that aren't so expensive that I have to break my little sisters piggy bank.

These from MEC

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_listing.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302699325&bmUID=1217905465546

These Tremor pants from Outdoor Research kick truckloads of ass. Very versatile and durable, I don't have a single complaint yet. I've used them for long alpine hikes, backcountry skiing, and alpine climbs.

Gotta say, I am still climbing alpine in a pair of Outdoor Research stretch pants I got 12 years ago. Very comfy, stay dry, etc... I recently blew a zipper at the calf, but that can be fixed. Save for that, they may last me to 50 years old, and I am HARD on my equipment.
Refer to pants in this picture.

The Cloudveil Inertia Peak pant is a nice light soft shell that's perfect for summer alpine use. I like mine a lot. But they're pretty lightweight. $100.

cloudveil.com/mens/pants/in…

The Switchback pant looks a little heavier.

cloudveil.com/mens/pants/sw…

Mountain hardware talus pack pants. love them.

anyone use arc teryx???

and when you are talking about alpine pants are we talking soft shell or bombproof??

Get yourself a pair of Patagouchi Simple Guides. I just put these through the ringer in the Bugs. After 12 days of heavy use they are still in near perfect shape. I thought i would blow through them in a week. Wrong! Very breathable, hella durable and relatively inexpensive.

beyondclothing.com/products…

I could not be more satisfied with my beyondfleece softshell pants. They are custom fitted for my stubby legs and didnt break the bank. One of my favorite things about these pants is that they can be order with as many or little features as you want. Personally, i dont need cargo pockets, anything extra so I ordered my cheap and simple. Kudos to Beyondfleece for their customer service too.

I always rock my gore tex thong in the mountains

Another vote for the Patagonia Guides. I have the Super Guides. They are not very warm, but they are right for when you'd be using them. Very durable. Four zippered pockets, good built-in gaiters. Reasonably light-weight. Not too expensive.

I also have a pair of Arc'teryx Gamma MX pants. While they are much warmer and more comfortable than the Super Guides, they are not nearly as durable. They may be too warm for summer use.

If you want the best, next year's Mammut Champ Pants will take the prize if you can wait. They are switching to Schoeller ColdBlack fabric treatment so they do not get hot in the sun. Cool.

The OR pants are a good value, though not as comfortable as Mammut (available in different inseams) or Patagonia.

I've been using a pair of Arcteryx Gamma MX pants for years and while they are too warm for anything outside of winter or fall season climbing they have proved to be durable, very water-resistant and good companions.

My next choice are the Mammut Champ pants. I have an older pair that have seen many days and nights in the mountains and have endured much abuse. They aren't as warm as the Gamma pants so I layer with them in winter and use them as is in the summer. The new material will improve the pants alot as will the new tailoring. Wait until they come out in October.

Jack

Another vote for the gore tex thong.

I have some Patagucci origianl Guide pants...probably 8 years old and barely a scratch or snag on them. Perfect for high alpine climbing in the summer, Lumpy Days in the spring/fall. Not so comfy in temps above 75 degrees, although they do breathe well.

Go to Goodwill, I typically shop there on sale days for climbing clothing(everything with an orange tag is %50 reduced). Look for a pair of Addidas nylon warm-up pants, specifically with a side zipper. Purchase those(or something similar) and call it good. I suppose you could coat them with a waterproof coating.

I own a pair of Mountain Hardware Epic pants, and, the waterproof coating is starting to delaminate after 2 years of use. The same thing happened to my Marmot jacket. Not only did water seep in through the seams, it penetrated the fabric itself(on both pieces of clothing).

Your pants will suffer the most abuse if used for climbing in the mountains. I have heard good things about the Black Diamond Alpine Pant, though I don't know if they are still being produced.

Dave-o wrote:Another vote for the gore tex thong.

I prefer a lycra thong. It shrinks and expands with your package depending on the weather.

YMMV.

Deaun Schovajsa wrote: I prefer a lycra thong. It shrinks and expands with your package depending on the weather.

Yeah, but it's easier to clean poo-poo stains off of gore-tex.

Danno wrote: Yeah, but it's easier to clean poo-poo stains off of gore-tex.

I'll give you that one. Been there, done that.

Mike McLaughlin wrote:The Cloudveil Inertia Peak pant is a nice light soft shell that's perfect for summer alpine use. I like mine a lot. But they're pretty lightweight. $100. cloudveil.com/mens/pants/in… The Switchback pant looks a little heavier. cloudveil.com/mens/pants/sw…

I like the Inertia pants alot,too. Used them quite abit in the Tetons this year, I've been pretty impressed with the durability. Dont know about winter/snow use though.