A cold hiking trail demands hiking wear that protects you from rain, snow and slush and strong gusts of wind. A seasoned trekker will advise you against layering on such a trail as it restricts your movement and poses higher threats of chaffing and overheating. So, what can you do?
Related: Best Hot Weather Hiking Pants
Winter hiking pants are designed to give you optimized warmth and maximized performance in sub-zero temperatures. The variety of these pants sport windbreakers, enhanced insulation, an SPF over 30 and articulation to support movement and exertion.
Quick Winter Hiking Pants Recommendations:
- Best Overall: Arc’teryx Gamma AR Softshell Pant
- Best Versatile Option: Marmot Men’s Scree Pant
- Best For Snow Hiking: FREE SOLDIER Outdoor Softshell Cargo Pants
- Best Value For The Money: Columbia Bugaboo IV Pant
However, choosing the best one is another question altogether. This article will help you choose the best winter hiking pants suitable to your hiking needs.
Features to Look for in Winter Hiking Pants
As much as your gear choice depends on your hiking trail, so does your hiking wear. You should consider the following features before choosing winter hiking pants.
Insulation and Warmth
Hiking pants for a winter hike retain your body heat and provide insulation against the bitter cold. The fabric used for such pants comes with stretchability, comfort and insulation features. However, some of them offer more features than others.
Cotton
While cotton is the most comfortable fabric and provides excellent anti-microbial benefits, it’s not a very good choice for winter hiking pants. It has no anti-wrinkling features, which creates knots within the fibre. The breathability of the cloth is greatly reduced if it gets wet and takes a long time to dry.
Wool
Wool is the most commonly used fabric used for insulation, preferably Merino Wool. On a cold and wet trail, the mesh of a wool fabric will retain heat and conserve it even if it gets wet.
It is highly breathable and wicks moisture away in case of sweat caused by overheating. It has remarkable ventilation qualities that prove to be anti-bacterial.
Down
The feather fabric taken from animals has great insulation capabilities. On a snow-capped trail, down will trap your body heat in its feather fabric and provide a cocoon of warmth.
However, it will clump together once wet, weigh you down, and dry out for a long time.
Synthetic Fibre
Fibers like fleece are made of polyester. These are synthesized with plastic and possess a great insulation quotient. They are lightweight and have anti-wrinkle properties, allowing them to dry quickly.
However, since it is plastic, it lacks ventilation, resulting in microbial growth. It is often statically charged and would cause discomfort once you take it off.
Water-resistance and Breathability
A winter trail’s moisture content doesn’t always come from rain. If you are hiking in snow, slush, or sleet, the water content will seep into your hiking gear.
One of the essential features of winter hiking pants is their water resistance. However, you should keep the breathability in mind before buying a water-repellent material.
DWR
Durably, Water Repellent is a polymer that is coated onto functional clothing, making them hydrophobic.
Even though it’s a thin layer, water just rolls off the cloth. However, DWR increases the drying-out time since the water molecules take time to escape the DWR.
Gore-Tex
The most porous surfaces of any waterproof fabric, Gore-Tex provides you protection against water and even wind.
The 9 billion pores per square inch promise increased breathability and ventilation, wicking away moisture and keeping you dry under wet atmospheric conditions.
Fit and Comfort
Winter Hiking pants often come with multiple features to offer comfort. Articulation in the knees and the crotch area increases the range of mobility without cutting off the circulation.
Most pants come with gussets in the inseam, evenly distributing the pressure exerted on an uphill journey and reducing the risks of tears.
The built-in elastane waistbands and belts allow additional fitting and adjustability, which the regular pants lack.
Layering Compatibility
The adjustability features of hiking pants are conducive to layering. On a very rough terrain with temperatures falling below zero, you will need a base and middle layer of woolen thermals.
However, hiking pants can be of soft shells, which will block wind and bar heat escape. Such hiking pants come with the added feature of built-in belts, which can tighten around the waist to seal the layering.
There are cinch- and draw-string features in the cuffs that seal the socks within your layering to give you a continuous protection system.
Additional Features
Hiking pants are indented with pockets to keep your essentials at hand. Some of these pants sport mesh liners for your pockets, providing added safety.
Some pants come with enhanced knee and/or seat so you can achieve the level of mobility your trail desires.
Best Cold Weather Hiking Pants Reviews
1. Arc’teryx Gamma AR Softshell Pant
These soft shells are made of 94% nylon and support excellent mobility. These pants will cater to a trail prone to damp weather as they have a DWR. Softshell provides water-resistant and wind-blocking features that keep you warm and dry when your trail tests your limits.
These pants allow a non-restrictive range of motion that doesn’t limit your performance. These straight-leg pants have varied articulation, keeping your movement smooth and synchronized.
To add to its comfort, their softshell fabric provides great stretch so you can layer it without any worry. This pair withstands great pressure through its gusseted crotch, so you can achieve a longer stride.
The best feature of this pair is its adjustability. The elastane waistband is adjustable and comes with laminated drawstrings to completely seal the cuffs and retain warmth.
2. Marmot Men’s Scree Pant
Marmot is known to provide durable hiking gear that meets every hike’s need. Like others, The Men’s scree pant is designed with 90 % nylon but carries a double weave fabric.
The double weave increases the breathability of these pants so your body temperature is regulated and microbial growth is reduced.
Sprayed with DWR, they are the best choice for the alpines, where not only the durability of the double weave is required, but water and wind resistance are needed every hour.
Along with the M3 softshell, the articulated knees provide a range of movement. The fabric provides great stretch and withstands the journey uphill.
The adjustability of this pair is also designed to be conducive to heat retention. The elastic hem cinch seals the waist, containing the heat within. The distinguishing quality of these pants is their UPF of over 50, which protects you on a snowy trail where the UV rays are reflected and refracted.
3. FREE SOLDIER Outdoor Softshell Cargo Pants
Unlike other pants in this list, Free soldiers have 6% spandex to their 94% nylon. Spandex’s range of stretchability is unmatched as it retains its shape even after excessive pressure is put on it. Your best option for a cold, rocky trail with acute inclination angles is Free Soldier Outdoor Softshell Cargo Pants.
The thermal properties of this pair also surpass many, as its inner layer is made of fleece. The pair also supports a water-repellent surface layer, so you are warm and dry under damp conditions.
The pair has loops around an elastic waistband, so it doesn’t fit snugly around you and can be adjusted with a removable belt.
Like other cargo pants, this a functional piece of clothing that allows your essentials to be handy and within reach. The pants have two side pockets with waterproof zippers so you can keep your effects safe and protected.
4. Columbia Bugaboo IV Pant
This is your go-to pair for severe winter hiking that requires insulation against cold, rain, snow, and wind. Columbia Men’s Bugaboo IV pants flaunt OMNI Tech and OMNI heat, making them weather-resistant.
The OMNI heat feature carries a heat reflective material of metallic dot pattern, which traps the heat and provides you with increased temperature.
On the contrary, OMNI tech allows selective permeability, keeping water and wind out. The sealed inseams and these technologies provide you with unmatched thermal insulation.
The added physical feature of this pair is its gaiter, which snaps over your shoe to provide a sea against snow and slush. Of course, this pair supports articulated knees, but it also has Velcro-based exterior flaps, which provide great adjustability.
5. Fjallraven Keb Trousers
These trousers provide you with a stylish option to enjoy a medium to light cold weather hike. An amalgam of elastane and polyester, this pair provides you with the added benefit of ventilation zippers that run from your hips to your knees.
Unlike the other options on this list, these slacks can help you on a hike that requires little to no weather resistance.
The hooks and loops at the cuffs help protect you against debris and snow seepage, but they hardly provide the insulation you require in extreme cold conditions.
6. TBMPOY Snow Ski Hiking Pants
TBMPOY Snow Ski hiking pants are another pair that gives you the warmth of polyester and spandex stretch. As the name suggests, these pants are designed to keep you sequestered against snow. A fleece inner lining and a softshell surface layer provide excellent insulation against extreme cold weather.
The fleece is designed to absorb your body heat and refract it to keep you warm. While the surface softshell acts as a breaker for wind and water content. Together, they produce a weather-resistant protective system.
In terms of adjustability, the pair has enhanced articulation in the knees and comes with a stretchable removable belt that allows great comfort.
Like cargo pants, these come with zippered pockets, keeping your items safe and handy on hikes. The only drawback to the adjustability of these pants is that it doesn’t contain a cinch cuff.
Summary
Good winter hiking pants will be your most reliable companion if you are ready to tear through a snow-capped mountain. Winter hiking pants optimize your performance by keeping you warm and dry since you conserve energy that would be lost in regulating body temperatures in your usual slacks.
For a very cold, difficult trek, invest in Columbia Men’s Bugaboo IV Pant, which will provide you with extreme heat retention and a great fit. However, Fjallraven Keb Trousers will give you enough support should you trek a mildly cold trek that needs enhanced ventilation.
FAQs
Should I wear snow pants for winter hiking?
Snow pants are a good idea if the trail you have chosen has snow, sleet or slush. They keep you warm and provide protection against wind and water so you keep dry. Most snow pants can provide added stretch, which is good for mobility against increased traction.
Do you need waterproof pants for snow hiking?
Yes, waterproof pants are necessary on snow-covered hikes. The water-resistant coat of these pants keeps snow and slush from entering your gear and posing threats such as gangrene and frostbite. Such pants regulate your body temperature as they are conducive to heat desorption.
Do hiking pants keep you warm?
Most hiking pants are made of nylon or fleece, which absorbs and regulates your body heat by letting it go slowly. For winter hikes, some hiking pants sport OMNI Heat technology or a dual-layered fabric system to keep you dry and warm.
Are softshell pants windproof?
Since its fabric is tightly woven, softshell material is often wind resistant. The weave becomes a protective barrier against wind and water, allowing little to no permeability. Thus, softshell pants are often worse as a surface layer to keep inner layers protected.
Are softshell pants warm?
Softshell is a woven material that retains warmth and provides great stretch and mobility. The fabric’s weave keeps wind and water at bay and traps the body heat within its fiber, keeping you warm and comfortable.
Are jeans good for winter hiking?
Since jeans are made of cotton, they aren’t a very good choice for winter hiking. Cotton is highly breathable so it doesn’t retain heat. While it doesn’t support an anti-wrinkle technology, it takes a long time to dry off and loses its shape once it dries off.
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