Winter soft shell pants material

[W I S N E R !]

Hello all,
Just posing some fabric questions here…
Looking to sew some soft shell pants for winter use- snow camping, mountaineering/climbing, etc. They would ideally be somewhat abrasion resistant and hydrophobic.
This wouldn't be my primary layer- I would wear them with gaiters, tights underneath and a hardshell on top for nastier weather.
I want to sew light cordura patches on the knees and butt for abrasion.

I'm looking at Schoeller Slalom stretch twill (10 oz.) or similar material- Rockywoods outdoor fabric is out of Schoeller and I'm having trouble finding it elsewhere. I know many store-bought brands are using Schoeller.

OWF has 6.5 oz. Spandura- is this similar but lighter? I'm not familiar with its properties.

Any fabric suggestions?

Thanks- my apologies if this has been covered, but I couldn't find much with the search feature.

[Jon Rhoderick]

polartec powershield is on seattle fabrics i think, its pricey, but from the little I've worn of it, and the whole lot you'll here about it, people love it. Wildthings and arcteryx make softshell pants out of them

[W I S N E R !]

Ouch!!!
Yeah, powershield at $27.95/yard is pretty painful.

[nanook ofthenorth]

I'd just got the patagonia Mixmaster pants, they have them on sale for about 100 – and their perfect. A little heavy, but they do the job of 2-3 layers and are in the ballpark of other winter softshell pants.

Only changes I would make would be to sew on goretex patches on the knees and butt, as even with the double fabric they are the first to wet through.
Easy enough to add a second pocket if needed and no need for extra gaiters with them!

[Huzefa @ Blue Bolt Gear]

Questoutfitters have Schoeller-dryskin for $39.95/yd… I can hear a big ouch.

[W I S N E R !]

The mixmasters look like a killer deal at $100 but I'm concerned that because they're already insulated with R1 they'll be a bit too warm and heavy(I need something I can leave the snow and rock climb in as well). I'm looking for the exact same thing without the insulation- lighter weight and more temp. options by bringing necessary layers.
Thanks for the tip- tempted to buy them as an exclusive winter pant.

[Paul Tree]

I have a couple ps shirts, which I do love. 10 oz so not really light at all. This particular ps is pretty warm, maybe too much so! If I had ps pants, they'd need big vents and be worn full time next-to-skin, probably skipping the longies, it's so warm here. "PowerShield onesie" is a phrase that resonates…

Or, how about save some yardage with a 1/2 leg, and attach to the tops of your gaiters?

Seen the Stephenson's Warmlite Converta Pants?

Sounds like you are looking for stretch nylon, but right after the powershield, the $9.25 micro suede polyester sounds good, but little info.

I use super-breathable microfiber windpants when no precip is expected. The thin cloth rolls up well as shorts, makes a nice shell for tights. If they had an awesome DWR, it would be safer to risk some weather.

[W I S N E R !]

Thanks Huzefa-
Yes, big ouch….
At $40 a yard I think I'd probably be better off buying a commercial Schoeller pant for a bit more.

[nanook ofthenorth]

I'm not sure what you mean by rock climbing in them?

The mixmasers are great for winter mixed – but above -5C I'd maybe go with a summer weight pant and fleece. You wont find one pant that does winter and summer well.
They are about as warm as a pair of R1 tights, but a little cooler then R1 tights and a pair of plain nylon pants overtop.

If your looking for winter soft shells then get a winter pair. I would not mess around with anything less then powershield though. But dont use them in summer, IMO even the stuff used in the Gamma MX's would be much too warm for most spring-fall use.
As for unlined softshell's? IME they are alot like expensive nylon pants, and nylon pants are cheaper and more windproof when it counts. I like to use them with silkweight or R1 tights all summer, and with the R1's all winter.

Last summer I did use a pair of the expensive Arc'Teryx Tweve pants climbing in the Canadian Rockies and I have to say that light nylon is my faverate for spring to fall use.
They are windproof (softshells tend to only cut the wind), they are amazingly quick to dry, cut the wind very well, and they have kept me far warmer and drier then the Arc'Teryx pants have. I think that's because the Gamma AR pants are much more porus. I do like to nikiwax my nylon pants though, and use gaiters with them when on the glacier. Provided their well cut you should not need any stretch for climbing in them.

The mixmasters ARE better for the winter then nylon pants with fleece tights (and better too then the thinner unlined softshells and fleece, IMO) but it's a close thing.

I should add that I use winter softshells from about -3, -5 C on down and fleece tights with the Gamma AR's down to about -7C.

[Rod Lawlor]

Craig,

Patagonia currently have some of their MARS Guide pants for $95.

The fabric mix and weight look a lot like Schoeller Dryskin Extreme. These look pretty good, with a good colour for sunny days. You might want to add some patches at the knees.

I like Schoeller better than a laminated fabric, esp if you're planning on carrying a pair of hardshell pants as well.

You might find you can drop the gaiters by using an under boot cord.

Rod

[Author]

Posts