When I arrive at the Summit in the winter, I often take off my Gore jacket and swap it for a down jacket.
This is particularly important on days when the sun cannot be seen. Somehow I’ve become more sensitive to cold over the years.
Now I have the idea of getting a pair of down pants that have a full-length zipper on the side of the legs so that I can quickly put them on over the other pants on the summit. I don’t want to take off my shoes and I don’t have a black belt in yoga.
I would prefer down because these items of clothing pack so small… and weigh very little.
All I’ve seen so far are the cheap parts on Amazon. But they are too small…
Can any of you give me a hint where I could find something like this?
I use Paramo Cascada trousers with full length zip. They come out in the cold winter either as a single layer or on top of my walking trousers (such as yesterday where is was minus a few degrees in the uk) It’s the paramo system so insulating and keeps moisture away from skin. I can sent some pictures if you want. ( they are not down, but I’ve never got cold legs with them on )
Brilliant kit in snow/cold conditions or more relevant to uk ; cold driving rain. My main only complaint is if I leave them on for the descent I get too hot !
I cannot recall seeing down pants anywhere. I wear Paramo Cascada trousers which are waterproof, warm and have zipped side vents. No need to stop and put on waterproof trousers in wet weather and the amount of ventilation can easily adjusted if it is hot. I wear mine on every activation throughout the year.
73, Gerald
P.S. I sympathise with you feeling the cold more as you get older.
@G5OLD@G4OIG You saved me replying to Armin @DL6GCA… I also have two pairs of Paramo Glissade / Cascada trousers. One ripped and repaired over ten years old, but still wearable, and a pair that have only been worn a few times. Very good for warmth when sitting on cold damp ground and ploughing through boggy moorland. They are now almost twice the price they were when I got my first pair.
I am also a fan of the Paramo trousers, been using them for many years and still very serviceable. A bit expensive but like everything else in life - you get what you pay for!
In winter on the summit I wear light and thin waterproof ones - very cheap from Decathlon - they have zippers in down part, so I can wear them not taking off my shoes.
For me they are fine bcse they just create thermos effect.
Yes, that’s very true Victor. I was introduced to Paramo by Paul G4MD. Previously I had used a combination of walking trousers plus waterproof over-trousers, but I found these very bulky. I still own a pair of inexpensive waterproof trousers as a backup, but have never needed to use them since I got the Cascade trousers which were a revelation. I now own two pair (bought 2010 and 2017), which with Paramo gaiters (bought 2010) and a Paramo Aspira jacket (bought 2014) form the basis of my walking clothing throughout the year.
I’ve never felt the need to wear anything more than the Cascade trousers. However, wearing gaiters does provide an extra layer. I tend to wear gaiters regardless of ground conditions as they provide protection against heather, gorse and other rough vegetation. The Paramo ones are very well designed, even down to having the zip starting at the top so it doesn’t open up when walking.
Yes - i do like them on top of a pair of “Ron hills” sometimes for flexibility - bit old school I know, but means i can take off the paramo’s if i need to. Completely agree on the gaiters, I dug out a picture on GM/SS-017 a few years ago with exactly that setup…
I was searching for the same thing several years ago, but none of the down pants ticked all of the boxes for me. In the end I picked up a pair of Mountain Hardwear Compressor pants and except for having synthetic insulation, they had all I was looking for and some features that I didn’t even know that existed! They are amazing and one of my favorites pieces of gear now. They do live up to their name and pack down to a fairly small size.
Thank you for all the tips… especially to Atsu and Pat, who found exactly what I was looking for.
It’s a bit difficult because not all companies are represented in Germany or the pants were all sold out.
It’s “sale” here too… and I’m now trying the Mountain Hardwear Compressor Pant, which is cheap at the moment. I am excited!
What the Paramo pants offer covers my Mammut 3-layer Goretex pants with a full-length zipper. I’m taken care of there. I also wear them regularly when I’m out and about with snowshoes.
I love my Montura primaloft bermudas which I usually put on during winter activations. They have full-length zips on both sides, so easy to put on.
We need to organise a fashion show for all our garments
Beyond Clothing has some nice gear and has the L7 pant that is Primaloft. Packs down and weighs almost nothing. I met one of the founders of this company a couple years back while at an outdoor/overlanding show in Bend, Oregon. Think he had some input on the U.S. Military designs of the Gen III Level 7 cold WX gear. Company is out of Seattle, WA. Great gear! I just took a quick look at their webpages and they have the L7 on sale now for $55 USD. Only looks like color red is avail…??
The A7 pant is almost like what we had USMC -AKA The Happy Suit…
They are amazing and one of my favorites pieces of gear now. They do live up to their name and pack down to a fairly small size.
