winter pants suggestions?

If REI still makes them, look for the Acme in the Schoeller fabric. It's a 4-way stretch, nano-texture soft-shell at around 16oz, with zippered cuffs and stirrup grommets. And they were one of only few that have the 30" inseam option. ~$160-200

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I don't know if these fit what you're looking for, but these are my favorite winter pants.

Outaware – Made in Montana. I wear the "Original Madison Pants" all the way at the bottom of the page. Love their stuff. My SO also has a pair and he wears his all the time, including just lounging around the house. They are incredibly comfortable. In addition to be very warm, they have some nice features. A built in belt, zip pockets, and draw string at ankles.

http://outaware.com/Soft%20Shell%20Fleece%20Clothing.htm

Love marmot scree pants.

Marmot scree pants

+1

Agreed that more information is needed about conditions and intended use.

I like my Gamma LT pants. They are light enough to wear alone in mild weather and then just add a base layer during winter. Very comfortable, great articulation, good DWR, and I've found they dry surprisingly fast when on the move if they do wet out.

i've worn a lot of diffrent softshell pants and my favorites for most conditions (other than hot summer days and the coldest days of winter) are the acme pants. i found mine on ebay and they show up with some regularity in the $25 to $60 range. there have been times where i've pretty-much spent a week in them without taking them off.

Not entirely sure what the OP is asking for, but I have a few options for PNW winter-

Lightweight REI polartec baselayer under REI Sahara nylon pants for mild temp/wet

Above baselayer under Stoic Mid Softshell pants for colder temps/snow

Add Sierra Designs Hurricane "Rain" pants to the above for continuous deep snow.

Just checked and realized they no longer make the Stoic pants, but they are just Polartec Powershield, which I find really useful in cold/wet

I'm a huge fan of the marmot scree as well. Its a great balance of warmth, breathability/wind resistance, and stretch. Most of my winter activity is now on skis, so I got some nice thin dynafit softshells that fit over my AT boots. In general, a 15-20 oz softshell with merino long underwear (or ninja suit! ) seems to do pretty well for me in winter as long as its not too high exertion.

Not sure why, but this post has me thinking that a nano-air pant with reinforced zip ankles would be a killer frigid weather pant. They'd also potentially look like teched out versions of the sweatpants I wore so much as a kid (a definite plus).

Marmot Scree here, too, but I agree that it depends on what you mean by winter pants.
Mine might be used with a variety of baselayers, and sometimes with a "hardshell" rainpant over them depending on the conditions.
Wasn't as cool as I'd hoped-upper 20s at the lowest, but I'm leaving CO this morning, and used them 4 of the last 7 days(other 3 were rainpants over baselayers).

My faves, almost wear nothing else all winter for hiking, ranch work and travel. They last like iron. I will cry when they stop making them.

these are a Schoeller (or Schoeller like) material- strechy, very nice DWR, block wind nicely, but breathe very well- warmer winter days, just over merino boxers, cooler- over a base layer

I've also had luck under higher exertion endeavors w/ R1 bottoms and then wind pants over if needed

I've had a pair of these for years and they are my go to cold weather pants. REI also makes the Mistral pants which is a little thinner material. I have a couple pair of theses I bought years ago, also using the Schoeller material. Last time I was at REI it looked like they switched to a different material… no longer Schoeller but a blend of nylon, polyester, and spandex. Felt the same, but don't know if it is different or REI is not using the Schoeller branded material.

I agree with the marmot scree pants. I did some mountaineering in them in Colorado last spring at 12,000 ft in some horrible winter conditions and I stayed warm and dry in them with mid-weight wool thermals underneath. They are pricey but they'll last a long time.

Thrift store poly-wool or wool-poly blend "dress pants" work pretty well and hard to beat the cost.

Sometimes i will spray the outside of the lower legs with some DWR to give them a bit more water resistance.

Edit to add: more carefully reading your post, well the above would not be the best if you shredded 100% nylon pants so easily and quickly.. I don't know how thick or thin those Kuhl pants are…but nylon is tough material–you must be doing some hard core stuff!

Poly–wool pants will most likely go even quicker. However, at around 3 to 7 dollars, not as much of an issue compared to most of the brands being recommended to you.

any decent light stretch woven softshell …

durable light breathable quick drying

if it gets cold simply wear a thicker long john under

;)

Like the others have said, the REI Acme pants are probably some of the best pants around. But while the patterning is good the real magic is in the fabric, Schoeller Dryskin Extreme, which is the best of the softshells.

It sheds wind and water well, dries quickly, breathes just right and stretches like your favorite pajamas. And it's more durable than any lightweight stretch-woven has the right to be.

However, they are discontinued from last year and long gone. Mine have seen so much action that I feel they don't owe me anything. The Mistral pants are OK but not the best substitute. They last far less long on rock to abrasion and are a bit less breathable. I would look for new pants that have the Schoeller tag (Black Diamond???) or other brands with a strong reputation for durability, like the Patagonia Alpine Guide pants or Arcteryx Gamma SL Hybrid perhaps?

Is anyone using Neoshell or Paramo pants for winter activities? I'm thinking specifically <20F hiking, snowshoeing, ski touring? Maybe my winter activities are different than yours, but the lack of 3/4 to full side zips on pants mentioned here gets in the way of some of the things I have strapped to my feet at that time of year. Precipitation is usually white and fluffy, so GTX Pro Shell and eVent don't appeal, and Paclite is too fragile.

del

I couldn't resist a pair of NeoShell pants on sale when I stopped at the main LLBEAN store in Freeport. I'm really impressed with Polartec's 3-layer fabric lined with PowerDry HE. Really, really nice stuff.

Alas, I got both the jacket and the pants since last winter, so I haven't tested them much in cold weather. The jacket did seem to breath a bit when I wore it a bit in the spring.

Having said that, I doubt that I'll wear the pants or a NeoShell jacket for hiking or snowshoeing. I just fine that stuff like that is too hot when I'm on the move. I think they are more like the best winter stuff for shovelling snow at that nasty snow freezing rain transition. I think they would also be great for downhill skiing. Anything cold and wet. Probably awesome for ice climbing or anything that involves standing around in the cold snow or rain.

We'll see. I just haven't had much problem with wet legs on winter hiking/snowshoeing. The DWR on regular softshell hiking pants (like Marmot Scree) has been enough.

The NeoShell pants might replace the combo of Scree Pants and Cap 4 baselayer pants, but it has to be seriously cold for that.