Haglofs Schist Q pants

"Hello Katharina

The Schist Pant will be back for this spring.
It is avalible in red, black and blue.

Take a contact to a retailer and they will place an order for you.

Best Regards
Haglöfs Scandinavia AB, Malin"

Great news. I highly recommend these, available for men and women and in different leg lengths.
For me these are a much better fit than the Patagonia alternative: the low-isch rise in the front is fine, but the higher back makes all the difference, unless you like to pull up the back every time you bend down.

While waiting for Haglofs to resume the Schist Q pant, I looked around for another softshell pant with a similar fit. I saw the Montane Terra pants that Tom K. was wearing at Point Reyes and looked for a used pair on Ebay. Found one, short leg version too :).
I have been wearing this pair for two days now and don't want to take them off. No adjusting, no pulling up the back, no hemming required. I worked in them yesterday in drizzle and then soft rain. The range of movement was great. If this is how most people feel in their clothes, I have been missing out. So after years of trying /wearing clothing that does not fit quite right, it seems that European fit suits me best as long as they offer the short leg version.
As far as performance in the field, I will have to wait and do more with these pants but regarding fit and comfort I am quite happy with these Montane pants. Love the articulated knees, the zippered pockets and the rise in front and back. So if you are a woman that has not yet found a good fit in a softshell pant maybe think about Haglofs and Montane . I hesitated with both since some reviewers said they were made for tall slim people and that's not exactly my people ;)

hmmmm………

how warm are those pants Kat? (and Tom….)

They looked heavy to me, but perhaps I was mistaken. I am ALWAYS looking for pants that fit well. VERY hard to do (and apparently I'm not the only one)

I am not sure on warmth Jennifer; Tom has had his pair for many years so he should give you that answer. There is no insulation, that I can tell you. They do look heavy but they are not. I just weighed mine and with the little belt, they are 11.4 ounces.

"how warm are those pants Kat? (and Tom….)"

I have the standard Terra's, which are made with a different fabric than the ridge, which is specifically for women. I just checked the fabric used in the Terra Ridge, and it is quite similar, except that it has 7.6% spandex, which might retard its drying time a little, but probably not much. The standard Terras dry extremely quickly, and weigh around 10 oz. They are the quintessential Sierra 3 season pants. Not sure what the Terra Ridges weigh. I would not depend on either for warmth, as they are constructed with lightweight materials. If I'm looking for shoulder season warmth, I wear my Terras over a pair of long johns, Under Armour Base 1.0 or 2.0 in my case, depending on how cold I expect the weather to be. As Kat said, the standard Terras are very durable, going on 10 years of pretty heavy use in my case, and the Ridges look to be at least as durable, if their specs are on the mark. The Rockies are known for regular afternoon thundershowers, and the Terras are extremely fast drying, so they should work very well there in that regard. For hiking during the day, if you end up trying the Terras, I would just count on getting wet and keep on hiking when it rains. when it stops, they will dry in no time, and cold shouldn't be a problem. That is what I do in the Sierra. YMMV, as always.

actually i was hoping they were NOT warm, as I really like thin, lightweight pants or shorts to hike in. I really don't like thick, heavy pants.

"actually i was hoping they were NOT warm, as I really like thin, lightweight pants"

Then you may find the Terras a good match. They also have side zip vents between the knee and upper thigh for venting, which is really great when hiking in hot weather. I love them for hot East Side Sierra approaches.