know of short inseam softshell pants??…let me know!

Despite being 5'11 I have a 30" inseam and a lot of brands don't make pants in a short length anymore. As long as they don't have an ankle zipper, I just take a regular 32" or 34" inseam pair to the local tailor and have them altered for less than $5. That way you can actually get the pants you want.

Andrew

yeh,

unfortunately its a necessity to have zips. I need them as a technical alpine pant.
its a total shame. i could use a 30" inseam, but it gets so annoying.
I heard Wild Things Gear can do some custom work…i dont know the truth behind that though.

Consider trying women's petite sizes. Petite inseams are usually 28" or 29". A 30" waist would be about a size 10 or 12.

And before you scoff at the idea, lots of outerwear are pretty unisex these days in terms of color and style. I have a pair of REI Taku softshell pants and also a pair of REI Mistrals (both petite lengths) that are black and gray, respectively. You'd be hard-pressed to identify either as being a "women's" pant without looking at the tag.

I'd echo the comments about trying women's gear. The cut's not that different with current fashion of lower waistlines. Should work just fine. Except for the hot pink lining. (kidding)

But any competent seamstress can shorten pants with a zipper at the hem. Not maintain waterproofness…most don't have a clue about seam taping. But that's not much of an issue at the hem anyway. Though it should cost a lot more than $5. Conservatively, I'd expect $10-$15 without a zipper and at least $20 with one. It's a skill, after all, and we should pay our support team well. ;-)

dead bird though it will cost ya ….

http://www.beyondclothing.com

These guys have been around for awhile and seem to have a good reputation: they do lots of custom work. They offer a few different weights of softshell pants, make sure to look under the "classic" tab. (not affiliated in any way, nor have I purchased from them…)

Chad

Hey Siggy, Marmot makes their softshells in 3 different lengths, including short

http://marmot.com/products/scree_pant

I love my Scree's. G' luck!

Hi Siggy,
I have a pair of Patagonia French Roast pants, which I believe are 30 waist and a tad short so I never end up wearing them. I can measure the inseam if you're interested. Otherwise, I've heard good things about Beyond Fleece getting sizing right.

I have size small dead bird gamma LT's.

Not optimal, but not too bad either. The extra length is not a problem for me – they bunch just enough at my shoes/boots to not come over the heel and get stepped on.

I'm a ~27/28 and they work for me.

Hi guys,

youse have been fantastic and your comments were heaps appreciated.

Basically in the end i went with a pair of Beyond Clothing pants. Geez, i had no idea just how customizable they were. I ended up getting ankle zips and gaiters and suspenders put on them.

Now…the 5 week wait until they dispatch the pants.

Cheerio,

Siggy