In search of new touring pants

[Boissal]

I searched for a while but didn't find any recent info. My ski pants are starting to take on water just above the boot from a torn waterproof membrane and if this winter keeps at it I'm going to end up wet and cold a lot. I've been an Arcteryx fanboy for years but they don't seem to have a direct equivalent to what I'm skiing right now (Fury AR pants, see here: http://www.campsaver.com/fury-ar-pant-men-s#tabshere). New materials, new options, new brands, I need opinions!

Primary use would be touring in the Wasatch (no sitting on the lift getting cold). I can't stand the feel of hardshell with stiff and creaky fabric so I've been using sofshell forever, it's not like there's any moisture around to make a difference. I sweat like a pig and generate tons of heat (basically never wear anything under the pants unless it's below 0 or I'm in Canada) so light to no insulation works and thigh zippers are a must (preferably on the inside, I got really good at filling my pant legs with pow lately). Don't like suspenders, don't like spandex-like rando racing fit, don't like small zipped pockets, and don't like black pants which limit photoslutting potential (that last one is #non-critical).

Thoughts?

[plugboots]

My wife loves her Dynafit Mercuries, and they meet your criteria, but the vents are on the outside. http://www.dynafit.com/us/mercury-so...-pant-men.html

[gregL]

Logical replacement would be the Arc'teryx Procline FL pant.

[jaaker]

Logical replacement would be the Arc'teryx Procline FL pant.

I agree here. I have the Procline FL and love them for anything except super wet lift accessed storm days. (Wet ass is no bueno)
The Procline AR, however, seems to be the best equivalent to the fury in terms of materials, pockets, design etc. Softshell Windstopper, big pockets, vents and removable suspenders.

[XXX-er]

I I've been an Arcteryx fanboy for years but they don't seem to have a direct equivalent to what I'm skiing right now (Fury AR pants, see here: http://www.campsaver.com/fury-ar-pant-men-s#tabshere). New materials, new options, new brands, I need opinions!
s?

I loved the Fury !! The big hip pockets had horizontal opennings which left lots of room on the sides of the pant for the big vent opennings and my skiing girlfriends all commented on enjoying a little tasteful side thigh on the skin track also dug the big thigh pockets

Unfortunately the fabric delamed at the crotch so I took it in and Arcteryx gave me a full credit which i put towards the Procline AR

http://www.arcteryx.com/product.aspx...ocline-AR-Pant

Pockets are different on the procline, one is a zipperd thigh pocket with a beacon leash and one is a velcroed thigh pocket

only one hip pocket ...bummer

the waist closure is ingenious

the suspenders are the exact same as on the fury which I gota have or the pants fall off my skinny ass

the gators on the Procline are better than the Fury, I rock a pair of Vulcans which definatley need a good gator that will accommodate an open boot and they do, there are zips on the side of the bottom of the cuff which expand to fit the vulcan cuff and so I leave them open

The one hip pocket opens almost horizontally which leaves more room for the side vents which are a good size, not quite as big as the fury vents (fucking huge) but they are big enough (bigger/better than on my Patagonnia guide) and they have a cloth backing to keep out snow ...sorry girls no more side thigh

good ski guards on the inside of the cuffs

the down side of the Procline is they are fucking expensive, but thro on another hip pocket and IMO the pant would have been perfect

great workmanship no problems in a couple years or so of use,

[Boissal]

Yeah the gaiters area could have used some improvement on the Fury, that's where I'm starting to feel some moisture come in the pants. The zipper should help in that respect. I definitely use and love the big side pockets for everything that isn't the beacon and would like to keep both if possible, seems like I could get by with just a couple though.

Anyone skiing with Patagucci or BD? I have a Dynafit jacket which is awesome except for the main zipper which constantly catches on the fabric at neck level, it usually takes me a solid 5 minutes to close it and I end up with frozen fingers, makes me leery of their softgoods...

[zlatham]

Im trying out the BD Recon pant. I like the vents and beacon pocket. Gaters are a little funky in that the bottom of the cuff is sewn close to the bottom of the gater, thats why they make the side zip to access buckles/walk switch but im used to pulling up the cuff to buckle w/o dicking around with the gator. Seems like a longer inseam for the size. Can feel a stiff wind through the back of the knees but the mobility rocks. Zippers kinda sound like spurs but once im outta the house I forget about the jingle. Seems like a good option for winter through spring tours in cold dry climates (im in ID). This is FWIW as ive only toured a handful of times in them. All in all i like em.

[meter-man]

Lotsa chatter here too: http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...ng-pants/page6

[milestogo]

Rab Exodus. I have a version that is 3-4 years old and still going strong. Can't say enough positives about them.

[cdubski]

I tried on the arc stinger pant, but I'm holding out for some strafe Cham pants (can't get myself to pay full retail at the moment). Friends are big fans of the polartec neoshell or whatever it's called that the Cham uses. Stinger was too plastic feeling and crinkly. Haven't tried the procline.
I'm replacing some 15 ish yr old Mtn hardware 3 layer goretex bins that have treated me well, but I can't deal w the suspenders anymore.

[happytimefunbox]

Have you found yourself recently witnessing things that are so far outside the box you are forced to consider nothing but the box itself? Ponder if you will a seemingly impratical getup for your bc touring needs... a tutu, body suit, leggings and toe shoes with gasp! tech inserts?

I've actually seen it used quite effectively recently and this kit ticks some of your boxes (hell it ticked some of mine that I forgot I had). Light/no layers on legs, doesn't need to be super waterproof, ummm double to triple photoslutability (based on camera angle/choice in baselayer)... ahhhh was breathabilty one of your boxes? I mean uhhhh considerations? Box doesnt seem right all the sudden. Well Anywho where was I???... Might be some compromise on durability and negative points on euro cut. But isnt life really just a series of compromises?

I can almost guarantee you've given this kit some level of thought recently. I mean really who wouldnt? If you find a setup like this available for customer demo anytime, and I do.mean.any.fucken.time! Give me ring straight away.... I dont want to be too far back in the demo rotation!

#insidenotajoke
#youhadtobethere
#neverseenthattherebefore #wahsnatchtrailheadproblems

[XXX-er]

Have you found yourself recently witnessing things that are so far outside the box you are forced to consider nothing but the box itself? .s

the American election?

[Boissal]

Have you found yourself recently witnessing things that are so far outside the box you are forced to consider nothing but the box itself? Ponder if you will a seemingly impratical getup for your bc touring needs... a tutu, body suit, leggings and toe shoes with gasp! tech inserts?

I've actually seen it used quite effectively recently and this kit ticks some of your boxes (hell it ticked some of mine that I forgot I had). Light/no layers on legs, doesn't need to be super waterproof, ummm double to triple photoslutability (based on camera angle/choice in baselayer)... ahhhh was breathabilty one of your boxes? I mean uhhhh considerations? Box doesnt seem right all the sudden. Well Anywho where was I???... Might be some compromise on durability and negative points on euro cut. But isnt life really just a series of compromises?

I can almost guarantee you've given this kit some level of thought recently. I mean really who wouldnt? If you find a setup like this available for customer demo anytime, and I do.mean.any.fucken.time! Give me ring straight away.... I dont want to be too far back in the demo rotation!

#insidenotajoke
#youhadtobethere
#neverseenthattherebefore #wahsnatchtrailheadproblems

BAH!!
I guess the tutu solves the problem of leg vents in a very ingenious manner and the ballet slipper offer more ankle ROM than any skimo boot ever will.
+1 on looking super good on Instagram.
I need to rethink my outfit...

Good info in this thread and the other linked above, I'm on the fence between dead bird's Procline FL (mmmmmm, mustard color) and the Dynafit Chugach. I'm going to ponder this and get soaking wet for another few weeks then report back, thanks!

[XXX-er]

the procline feel a little more substantial than the fury did if that makes any sense, the fury kind of had a softer hand to the fabric while the procline is a little stiffer a little better made I think

[summit]

If interested, I have Westcomb Revenant Bibs in Med or Large



eVent ultra breathable very light shell
not insulated
super breathable soft shell bib (zips off for when you just want pants)
full length leg zips for venting
gaitors
reinforced cuffs

[media310]

Yeah the gaiters area could have used some improvement on the Fury, that's where I'm starting to feel some moisture come in the pants. The zipper should help in that respect. I definitely use and love the big side pockets for everything that isn't the beacon and would like to keep both if possible, seems like I could get by with just a couple though.

Anyone skiing with Patagucci or BD? I have a Dynafit jacket which is awesome except for the main zipper which constantly catches on the fabric at neck level, it usually takes me a solid 5 minutes to close it and I end up with frozen fingers, makes me leery of their softgoods...

Patagonia Snowshot Pant Review

[LeeLau]

Yeah the gaiters area could have used some improvement on the Fury, that's where I'm starting to feel some moisture come in the pants. The zipper should help in that respect. I definitely use and love the big side pockets for everything that isn't the beacon and would like to keep both if possible, seems like I could get by with just a couple though.

Anyone skiing with Patagucci or BD? I have a Dynafit jacket which is awesome except for the main zipper which constantly catches on the fabric at neck level, it usually takes me a solid 5 minutes to close it and I end up with frozen fingers, makes me leery of their softgoods...

In the other thread on touring pants I said OR's Trailbreaker for softshell. You asked about BD. Here's what I wrote about BDs Sharp End. Problem is that's it pricey but it's also high end and you pay for that. Note they are hard shell but with huge vent zips

......
The Sharp End pants have a set of features showing that the designers thought things through. They're fairly simple and have two pockets one of which has a plastic carabiner (for keys or a transceiver). The pockets are cargo style (big enough to carry things like a map or a VHF radio) yet located in a spot where wearing a harness doesn't interfere with access.

The Sharp End pants have 3/4 length zips allowing you to vent while breaking trail. An integrated belt is another nice feature. So are integrated gaiters, nice big cuffs that play well with touring boots and funky buckles. I haven't had them long enough to see wear points but there's nice big Keprotec patches on the inside of pant cuffs often cut by ski edges. Zipper pulls are beefy looking enough that they seem they will endure while being useable with gloves.

The Sharp End pants are substantial enough that I've used them inbounds in Wet Coast storm conditions without getting wet through. I suspect that's a combination of the Gore Pro laminate, the superior DWR and the features such as waterproof zippers, fabric curtains behind the zippers, and taped seams.

There's not a lot of room for improvement but I will try to pick nits. It's nice to have cuff zippers so you can avoid the bell bottom look when using these pants sans boots but then I suppose that would add complexity and failure points for vanity. It would also be nice to have some more reinforcement at the ass which is a high wear area. When new the zippers are stiff; I hit them with wax to loosen them up.

[FlimFlamvanHam]

to the OP, sorry if this is already known, but Arc will warranty those Fury's; allowing you, in all likelihood, access to a new pair of Proclines as replacement.

You have contacted Arc'teryx regarding the issue, yes?

[Boissal]

to the OP, sorry if this is already known, but Arc will warranty those Fury's; allowing you, in all likelihood, access to a new pair of Proclines as replacement.

You have contacted Arc'teryx regarding the issue, yes?

Thanks, I have contacted them and am waiting to hear back. Based on the recent warranty issues thread I'm a bit less optimistic than I used to be about getting the pants warrantied though, they do show some wear and tear (as in duct tape inside the gaiter to fix the spot that ripped open last year, should have sent them in at the time but didn't feel like it was critical at the time).
I also need a temporary replacement while my pants travel to Canadia and back. The whole process has taken over a month in the past and I need to be able to wear something in the meantime so I'm looking at other options.

Edit to add: the pants were already a full warranty replacement for a pair of hardshell I had which split open at the crotch on day 1 of a hut trip to Canada. I had all the venting I could want for 6 really cold days. I wonder if that will affect the outcome, seems a bit much to buy one pair of pants and have it replaced twice with brand new items...

[XXX-er]

yeah so I waited for summer to take in my touring pants

[Boissal]

Update: I ended up getting a pair of Dynafit Chugach. They're a windstopper softshell, non insulated.

First impression out of the box: holy shit they are paper thin, I'm obviously going to freeze my balls off and they'll tear in half as soon as I hit a branch. M is perfect for my build (5'11", 165 lbs) although they could be a tad shorter in the legs. Pockets are a bit small, wouldn't put my beacon in there. The fabric is soft and quiet. The yellow is, well, yellow, here's to looking like a skittle.

Correction after actually skiing them: best touring pants I've ever had.
Started the 1st day with thermals, turned out to be really warm, sweated like a pig and had to de-layer. The vents work wonderfully (definitely needed since the windstopper makes them less breathable than a regular softshell) and have a nice mesh liner to prevent snow from getting in (I'm the world foremost expert in dropping a full basket of pow down the vents of my pants), it also lets less cold hair than fully opened-vents. Skied all day and my legs were the only thing that stayed dry, everything else was beyond soaked then froze solid when the front moved in with solid winds. I stayed warm as long as I was moving. Gaiter is a bit fiddly but fits over the boot well and keeps snow out.
Day 2 had one of the meanest wind events I had to deal with in the Wasatch (not too cold but the windchill was pretty low) along with some deep trail-breaking. Stayed warm, stayed dry, didn't overheat! The fabric seems sturdy enough to handle a seriously brushy exit at high speed and the reinforced fabric inside the boot took a lot of edges without damage.

[/fashionupdate]