Finally got tired of street wear and bought a pair of Marmot Rockstars at EMS where I could try them on before buying. They are called a ‘soft shell’ pant, and while not waterproof, resist wetting out, yet ventilate and stretch. Despite their light weight, they are also very rugged and resistant to abrasion.
Got caught in an early spring backpack, with post holing in snow up a mountain trail on the second day, and freezing rain coating everything during the night; and had brought no traction to descend. Made it down with the trekking pole, but coming off the steep, it was waterworld, with every rivulet becoming a roaring stream that had to be slogged across. Was never chilled or uncomfortable, although my feet were soaked. Cut the trek short, and took a beeline trail around the mountain all day to where the car was parked at the end of a forest road. The pants had dried out before reaching the main road. Will never try anything else.
While I also carry some old Patagonia baggies for hot weather, seldom have the need for them, the Rockstars are so comfortable and well ventilated, and are protective in rough terrain or boiling sun. Great for traversing a massive boulder fall that had slid down a major arm of Mount Richthofen in Colorado’s Never Summer Wilderness.
