I have been using Ibex Guidelite Pants (about 15 ounces in size Large) and I'm amazed by their temperature range (about 25F to 60F), breathabilty and overall comfort. My favorite 3 season cool to cold pants. For colder weather, I need to layer a warm layer underneath, such as Ibex merino wool lightweight Woolies or their slightly heavier merino Long Johns (can you tell how much I love wool for baselayers?); but for very cold weather this is not warm enough due to the breathabilty and very light merino insulation of the Guidelight Pants.
For example, a week and a half ago I was skiing and snowshoeing in the Adirondaks in -5F to 10F, and with strong winds the windchill was -25F to -5F. The Guidelite Pants with my Ibex merino Long Johns underneath were not warm enough even while active. My top layers were fine, just legs cold. My wife who was dressed the same way felt the same. I would have needed a baselayer twice the thickness of the Long Johns I had, like a thick powerstretch tight, but even then, I think the wind would have been a problem.
I have a pair of Ibex Golite Propel Pants (which I happily picked up new on Craiglist a few weeks ago for $50) which are powershield in front and powerstretch in back which I also use for cross country skiing and winter running (and plan to use for hiking and roller skiing) in cold but not very cold conditions (I've usd them in 20F comfortably at a very high activity level). The powershield material is so windproof (yet still breathable), that I wondered if pants made entirely of powershield, which is supposed to block 98% of the wind, would be warmer and more effective in dealing with cold and high winds. I found one pair of pants made of powershield from Arcteryx, the Gamme MX Pant.
1) Can anyone comment on the warmth, wind blocking, temperature range, fit and comfort of the Gamma MX pant and compare with other breathable softshell pants like the Ibex Guidelite pants?
2) Can anyone comment on Ibex's heavier Backcountry pants (now called the Solitude Pant) which is made of a blend of cordura and merino wool that is heavier than the blend in the Guidelite pants.
Thanks,
EJ
