Pants for TDP

I was there late January few years back and was really fortunate with the weather, did bring rain pants but only used them once, so didn’t absolutely need them. I’d bring them, you never know. I had the golite reed rain pants (4 oz?) so not much penalty.

If you don’t mind spending $15, you could get a set of driducks ultralite 2 and bring some duct tape for repairs. You’d get pants. Jacket worked really well as a wind jacket (which you’ll need because the wind can be brutal to hike through), great rain jacket and very useful in camp over down jacket. Not that pretty though. Size down. This combo will likely save you 1.5lbs. The pants are pretty crappy though, good for trekking but not for sitting around camp.

I sleep in my merino wool long underwear, and mostly hiked in my quicksilver board shorts. So in the mornings I’d just wear shorts over long underwear, then take them off before sweating.

So I’d say:

Marmot Precip full zip pants – 12 oz
NF runnin shorts
REI polartec long bottoms (are these long underwear/for sleeping?)

or use what you have, a pair of convertibles instead of shorts (nix the polartec if not long underwear) and wear your rainpants overtop when cold in camp.

I was very comfortable with my gear. Your UL down and houdini (likely best friend) are excellent choices. If you got the cash and are using trail runners (excellent choice), you may want to invest in a pair of goretex socks (Rocky Mountain around $65).

Have a great time. If you can, take the bus over and check out Los Glaciares in Argentina. Well worth it. i did a trip report, maybe it will help (think I have a picture of my gear at the bottom).

TDP “W” Trip Report Feb 2011

I had convertibles and rain pants, and actually found the rain pants to be indispensable. I usually don't wear them but brought them on a whim and I used them more than anything else. You spend a lot of time being wet, and the wind with the wet was miserable. It took two days before I realized I HAD the rainpants and ended up putting them on over my wet convertibles and let me tell you…blocking that wind against my wet pants was sheer bliss!!

As for shorts…I would strongly advise against much exposed skin. My hiking partner joked about how she'd never, ever had a sunburn, even during her 2 years in Africa. Well, she burned her hands and arms in the rain at 5p after an hour stroll in Punta Arenas. Bring STRONG sunscreen and apply, reapply, and reapply again. The temps were great for us, but that sun was powerful. Apparently there's a hole in the ozone right above Patagonia. So as hot as I got sometimes, I never unzipped the pants as planned, nor did I ever take off my long sleeved shirt.

Trip report at backpackerPT.com

Have fun!!

Thanks for the info, Jennifer and Scott. Yea, the REI pants are long underwear. I'm going to pm you about some other TDP stuff.

Seems like I'll do REI long underwear for camp, haven't decided what to hike in yet (shorts, converts), and my rain pants

Yeah, sorry for being so long winded.. hike in your convertibles, they'll be perfect. Think Seattle in late June.

Still trying to figure this out. This would be lighter

REI polartec long underwear
Running shorts
Wind pants (Montane featherlite or Montbell Dynamo)

I've never actually hiked in sustained rain but I"m questioning the need for rain pants, especially because what I own are full zip and weight 12oz. If hiking with wet pants isn't actually that bad, and blocking the wind is more important, even while wet, I can save 8 or 9oz by switching to wind pants from rain pants.

I could also then hike in running shorts when hot, and even if it's hot but I need the sun protection, through on my wind pants. I would also be saving about 9oz by switching from convertibles to the running shorts.

What do you think?