Topic

RailRider Pants?


Forum Posting

A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!

Home Forums Gear Forums Gear (General) RailRider Pants?

  • This topic is empty.
Viewing 10 posts - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #1235569
    Mark Hurd
    BPL Member

    @markhurd

    Locale: Willamette Valley

    Can anyone comment on Rail Rider Eco Mesh Pants.

    http://www.railriders.com/men-eco-mesh-pant-with-insect-shield-p-837.html

    I've been looking for pants that I can wear in hot and humid conditions in Texas. (80 – 100 F) (26-38 C) with 80% to 95% relative humidity. Can't be shorts or zip-off legs due to the bugs, brush, sun and the fact that I just don't like shorts. I hear that the Thorofare pants are too sheer and don't breath all that well so they don't sound like they will work.

    Anyway, anyone with experience with the RailRiders or with other suggestions, I would appreciate your thoughts.

    Thanks,
    -Mark

    #1493831
    Nick Gatel
    BPL Member

    @ngatel

    Locale: Southern California

    Mark,

    I really like my Mt Hardwear Canyon pants. The only thing I cannot speak to is humidity.

    Regarding the Eco Mesh pants, they have side zippers to reveal the mesh material (similar to their shirts). I passed on them because the brush will eat them up. I do have the RailRiders Adventure shirt and it is awesome in hot weather.

    #1493833
    James Dubendorf
    Spectator

    @dubendorf

    Locale: CO, UT, MA, ME, NH, VT

    Mark,

    I'm with Nick on the RR Adventure Top- a great piece for warm and hot weather. I also have the RR Weatherpants which use the same "2ply 3oz Quick Drying Duralite Nylon" as the Eco Mesh Pants (only without the insect shield and the reinforced sections). The Weatherpants have "reinforced seat and knees of railtex nylon" which seem to provide an extra level of durability during rocky scrambling- overall these pants do what they are designed to do very well in my experience. I wish they had some stretch to them, and that they handled snow better, but then they would be different pants!

    I also agree with Nick that the mesh on the Eco Mesh Pants could be vulnerable to brush, but suppose that with some care one could zip and unzip the vents depending on trail conditions. In very hot weather, I have been hiking with convertible pants with the bottom attached but almost entirely unzipped- not a perfect solution, doesn't handle bugs, but when it is hot it sure is a relief. Makes the Eco Mesh Pants look interesting.

    James

    #1493836
    HC
    BPL Member

    @impulse04

    Mark,

    I've gone through three pairs or ecomesh pants over a course of three thousand miles. I have done a fair bit of off-trail travel through New Mexico scrub. The mesh has yet to fail in any substantial way.
    I really like these pants for protection from the sun, scratchy scrub and bugs. These pants aren't perfect though. Mosquitoes were able to bite through the pair of ecomesh pants I purchased in the summer of 2008. There are no ankle zips so you also need to take your shoes off to put these pants on.

    #1493865
    Andrew King
    Member

    @drewboy

    Locale: Arizona

    I wear them all the time in the summer season out here in AZ. I think they are great. Granted they are looking a little frayed after a season of hiking in the desert with all kinds of thorny things around, but I have never had them tear or fail in any significant way. For me an excellent alternative to stay cool, while getting good leg protection from the sun.

    #1493901
    Mark Hurd
    BPL Member

    @markhurd

    Locale: Willamette Valley

    Nick, James, Heesoo, and Andrew-

    Wow, thanks for the input. That is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. I will be doing on trail hiking mostly with occasional bushwacks off trail. I have a pair of very old and very frayed Cloudveil Peak pant that need to be retired before I get arrested for indecent exposure:-)

    I already have a RR Eco-Mesh shirt which I have found to be pretty good for the South Texas climate, so thanks for the info on the pants.

    -Happy Trails,

    -Mark

    #1493951
    Zack Karas
    BPL Member

    @iwillchopyouhotmail-com

    Locale: Lake Tahoe

    I used one pair of RR Eco mesh pants from northern CA to Canada on the PCT, then the Colorado Trail, then the CDT (same pair of pants for all of them). That is incredible.

    #1493974
    Chris Chastain
    Spectator

    @thangfish

    Locale: S. Central NC, USA

    Zack, That IS quite a testament!

    Edit:
    I just ordered a pair to try, based on that statement.

    #1493989
    Mark Hurd
    BPL Member

    @markhurd

    Locale: Willamette Valley

    Zack,

    I guess you must have liked them. Were they basically your only pants or did you switch pairs?

    -Mark

    #1497798
    Brian Strong
    Member

    @bmstrong

    I'm having a hard time deciding what model to purchase. I like the Versa Tak's but hate the cargo pant looks on them. I like the Eco Mesh look but hate mesh anything.

    Choices…

Viewing 10 posts - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Forum Posting

A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!

Get the Newsletter

Get our free Handbook and Receive our weekly newsletter to see what's new at Backpacking Light!

Gear Research & Discovery Tools


Loading...