UKH

What is more important in waterproof overtrousers for alpine climbing, articulated knees or full length side zips?

I need the long length version and I can only seem to find trousers with 3/4 length side zips and articulated knees or full length side zips and no articulated knees.

In reply to blackreaver:

Army surplus gore tex, sir. Have both for less than 20 sheets.

In reply to blackreaver:

The latter, since if you need overtrousers (assuming you're thinking of summer use), then you'll be wanting to get of the hill as quick as possible and not faff around with crampons. My ME ones have an adequately, but not too, baggy fit, so movement is unrestricted.

In reply to blackreaver:

Do you really need waterproof overtrousers? If it's raining/snowing in the alps you should generally be on your way down. They're quite bulky and heavy so not a great thing to carry "just in case".

GIn reply to blackreaver: berghaus paclite

In reply to HP:

Yes you do.

(get some new ones if yours are bulky or heavy.)

In reply to Mountain Llama:

+1 for the paclites. I have jacket and trousers - excellent for those 'just in case' scenarios.

In reply to blackreaver:

For Alpine climbing the most important thing for me when looking for waterproof trousers is the weight because 98% of the time they're just dead weight in the sack as you're climbing on a beau temps forecast. I've got Rab Kinetic pants weighing in at 180 grams - no side zips or articulated knees because it's extra weight and faff - save those features for your heavyweight Winter climbing salopettes. =o) I'm a huge fan of Pertex Shield+ so a long-legged pant in that fabric would be my recommendation.

In reply to MG:

I use good quality soft shell and never felt the need for over trousers but it's a personal choice. I would never say to anyone you do not need them but the problem with carrying things for just in case is that it becomes hard to know where to stop. Lightweight OT's may not weigh a lot in themselves but each little bit soon mounts up. "Light is right" is the best philosophy in the Alps and I can't see the point in paying extra for modern technical materials if you are not going to use them to advantage.

In reply to blackreaver:

How often are you in the alps? If you are mostly climbing in the UK then my GTX Pro Shells have taken everything from bumshuffling to storms. Full length zips mean they can go over my softshell in a moment and they have integrated gaiters so my ankles are protected. Any lightweight shell would have been shredded years ago, my Pro Shells still look almost brand new.

If wet moisture is really unlikely then as other people are saying something lighter will be much more useful. Still, ripped waterproofs are as pointless as heavy duty ones that don't get used. Depends what kind of climbing you do.

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

I've got some heavy Pro Shell Arc'teryx salopettes but they weigh about 650-700g so they're way overkill.

It would mainly be for routes AD-D+.

My friend has just come back from the alps and said it was raining/snowing almost every day and he wished he had some waterproof trousers.

I'm going to be wearing ME Ibex.

I'm considering something cheap like the Marmot Precip - I can find them for about £50. I've seen some nice Arc'teryx ones which tick every box, but I'm not shelling out £200 for some overtrousers I'll rarely use.

In reply to blackreaver:

Maybe just DWR the hell out of your Ibex?

In reply to blackreaver:

These:

http://www.theoutdoorgearshop.co.uk/acatalog/Mrmot_Precip_Full_Zip.html?gcl...

In reply to blackreaver:

I take full length Marmot Precips along. But as others have said, they really should stay in your pack. If it's raining in the mountains, you shouldn't be going out.

In reply to blackreaver:

I used my Marmot Precip trousers when I was over there the other week, they only left my pack once in 10 days though!

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

How does one go about that? ive been experimenting with Nikwax, soaking a pair of Decathlon hiking trousers and i seemed to getting good beading. Then I washed them and its back to square one!

In reply to neilus:
Glibly, you've answered your own question. ()

Less glibly, have you tried washing them in soap flakes, or washing them without any detergent in the machine?

I dare say you could wash them in a sink using just a tiny bit of soapflakes.