Thru-Hike Pant System

Since you anticipate rainy conditions, I would propose that you take the convertible pants (mostly wearing them as shorts). If it's windy, I think zipping on the pant legs would provide enough wind protection, without the need for wind pants.

I don't think you need the MB wind pants at all, in fact… but you do need something for rain (maybe the rain kilt).

I wonder if a combo with the running shorts and windpants would be more appropriate?

It would save weight even with the kilt added.

What do you think?

I haven't thru-hiked any long trails, so take this with a grain of salt.

Obviously, the best system will be right for the trail and weather conditions you are hiking. Are you hiking the PCT or AT? There are a lot of factors (heat, bugs, going off-trail, etc.) that could sway the decision making here.

Anyway, I'd do either one of two "systems" for your lower body:

1. OR Convertible pants, Cap 3 or Grid Fleece (whichever will fit better under the convertibles) and the rain kilt.

2. Running shorts, Cap 3 or Grid Fleece, Montbell Dynamos, Rain Kilt.

Either system layers well together if you need to wear everything to keep warm for a day or so. Both give you (a) shorts, (b) nylon pants, (c) mid-layer tights and (d) a light rain layer.

I was on a short trip last weekend in Northern CA; it was dry fall weather and we were on-trail. I wore running shorts and carried Dynamos, power-stretch tights and also had a rain kilt. I slept in the tights and I wore the tights + Dynamos in camp at night down into the low 40s and slept in the tights. While I was getting ready one morning, I had the Dynamos over the shorts, but took the wind pants off before hiking.

Good luck!

I agree with Steven — it depends where you're going…

I've only "thru-hiked" a 250 mile section — which is a "mini" version, by anyone's definition. But it's still enough to understand what works over a longer trip.

A lot will depend where/when you're going. Personally, I find wind pants too hot to wear 90% of the time during the summer (even at altitude). For whatever reason, my legs don't feel the cold; whereas my core needs to be protected (wind shirt) most of the time. On my hike, I only wore my wind pants once, for about 15 minutes, at which point I felt uncomfortably hot, and took them off. They were the first item I sent home.

But if you're going in shoulder season, you may really need wind pants.

If you don't mind using your tights as double-duty items, you could skip the pants, wear the tights under running shorts when it's cold/windy, and add the rain kilt when necessary. I prefer keeping my tights for camp/sleeping only (keeping them clean), but others do differently.

Most people get chaffing issues on both the PCT or AT with hiking pants and a separate set of compression shorts or whatever from all the heat and sweat. I find short running shorts with a liner work great down to about 40 degrees with no wind or 50ish with wind. Add rain pants for warmth and keep your core warm with a fleece and your legs will be fine down to freezing or so. Below freezing and I start really needing something for the legs and feet, especially when not moving.

If it's warm and raining I don't bother with the rain pants, they're just for cold.

I'm not sure what you are thru hiking, but I've always been a fan of layering when varied conditions will be encountered. I spend most of my time in convertibles. I only take rain pants if I will be above treeline or in a very wet place. I prefer a rain skirt for most conditions. Capilene longjohns have saved me a few times when I got soaked and had to put on dry clothes after making camp.

Depends on your Trail and preference

I like to use lightweight running shorts with the liner cut out and using ExOfficio boxer briefs. Worked well for me on the AT, LT , PCT and many other hikes ! I also like Railriders pants, and rain pants when the weather calls for it.

Where is your hike ? When is your hike ? How fast / slow is your hike, and how early / late into the day do you hike ? Do you run warm or cold compared to others ?

These factors could influence your choices — lots of gear lists from thru-hikers on hear and many good opinions from experienced non-thru hikers as well.

Good luck with fine-tuning your system !

I agree that it depends on the trail, preference, as well as other variables.

I've only done a 500 mile hike and with fairly consistent weather. However, if i was doing another, and longer hike, especially with more varied conditions between cold to hot, wet and dry, i would probably go with a system like so.

Myog 30D non calendared, highly breathable, lightish colored nylon kilt and longish silnylon one as well (total weight around 4 oz).

The lightest pair of regular, fairly breathable fairly durable nylon hiking pants i could find. (i don't know exactly how much these would weigh–i would guess between 6 to 7 oz). Alternatively instead, i'd might take a pair of nylon hiking shorts and sew some EPIC fabric on for the legs (which i've done).

Cap 4, polygiene treated baselayer bottoms. (5.4 oz)

This would do you good in a pretty wide range of conditions, from rather hot to rather cool, to rather wet to rather dry, all for a fairly low weight.

If very cold conditions are expected, then also a pair of lightweight down pants for camp and sleep.

I found on the PCT this summer that chaffing was mostly an issue in SoCal. In this part of the hike it's often really hot so you're sweating like crazy, but you don't notice the sheer volume you're sweating because it's so dry it evaporates quickly. The chaffing occurs primarily from salt build up from all the sweating, rather than from being moist. It's usually not bad the first day after a shower, but 2 days of salt build up is bad news. A baby wipe in key areas every night works wonders. Beyond SoCal it's much less of an issue

The point here is that pants vs shorts isn't really a difference maker in this regard. Either way you'll be sweating a lot and either way it'll evaporate pretty darn quickly so you won't be that wet but you will be super salty. Some people might chaff from being moist, but for me and most of the people I talked to this summer it was from salt build up. You gotta know your own body though. If you don't, you'll figure it out quick enough.

I wore pants virtually the entire PCT. I had 2oz MYOG shorts that I wore maybe 3 days on the trail plus in town, swimming etc. I preferred pants to reduce sun exposure in SoCal. You can switch to shorts after SoCal (or wear them during SoCal if you want to slather on sunscreen a lot) but soon the bugs come out so pants are nice. By the time the bugs are gone it's pretty much Washington and you're just so used to your rhythm that changing it up isn't a priority.

I use my ground cloth as a rain skirt/kilt.

If I was doing the AT, I'd probably bring a light/thin base layer, convertible hiking pants and wind pants. I'd also use my ground cloth as a rain skirt in heavy soaking rain.

The wind pants have many uses, primarily to add warmth and shed most rain and snow, but also as something to wear when your doing laundry in town or as a backup if your pants fail.

Wind pants add a lot of warmth for their weight, more than heavier layers in some cases.
I will throw them over my hiking pants in camp or on breaks when it's cold out.

I would NOT use rain pants. I find the skirt and wind pants combination more flexible.

Rain pants are a one trick pony. They are heavier and don't breath as well as wind pants.

For the past several years I've been using the combo of running shorts, wind pants and sleeping tights (weight of the tights varies with the low temps of where I'm going). I also have a cuben fiber kilt that I use as both a ground sheet and rain protection for my legs when needed.

I can layer in all kinds of ways: shorts, shorts + wind pants, tights + wind pants, tights, shorts + tights, shorts + tights + wind pants + kilt…

My longest trail is only the JMT + a week, but this has been my go-to system for 3 seasons in all kinds of weather, in all kinds of places (including patagonia, Big Bend, the Sierra, the Winds, the White Mountains, etc).

But, as others have said, you really have to know your body and what is comfortable to you. I found the dynamo wind pants to be just about the most perfect garment ever made – at night, when the temps cool down, I put on my grid fleece tights and layer the wind pants over that….then in the am I keep the wind pants on over my shorts until the sun comes out. But then again, I really, really don't like hiking in pants if I can avoid it.

I mostly only wear the shorts when hiking.
The expedition weight base layer tights are for camp and sleeping when it's cold.
The rain pants are for cold rain, and cold wind.