In reply to ReeceBCooper:
You don't say what activities you are doing. My choice of legwear changes depending on what I am doing.
If I'm walking or scrambling, I usually wear softshell trousers. I carry a lightweight pair of waterproof trousers just in case. I generally find that when I'm putting in some effort, the softshell is enough unless it's really pouring. It's extremely rare that I get the waterproof trousers out, however there have been a couple of cases where having them has been invaluable. As I don't wear them much and they spend most of their time in my bag, I have prioritised low weight over toughness so that I don't have a good excuse not to take them!
If I'm rock climbing, I generally take the view that if it's pouring, I'm probably not going to be climbing, so I wear softshells. If I take any waterproof trousers at all, it's the lightweight ones again.
If I'm winter climbing or skiing, I like bibs so that I can sit in the snow (e.g., in a bucket seat) or fall over skiing and not get snow inside my clothes. Look for good tough crampon patches! I generally find these are too hot to do significant walking in. It's worth making sure that whatever you buy has a sensible ventilation system.
I tend to shop around and buy whatever fits me best rather than going for specific brands. Most of the obvious brands will be fine if they fit you, you have realistic expectations, and you look after them properly. Brands I'm using at the moment are Mountain Equipment (softshell), Montane (lightweight) and Patagonia (bibs).
For either approach, I prefer my outer layer (softshell or bibs) to be unlined, and slightly oversized. That allows me to be flexible with what layers I put on underneath depending on the temperature and how hard I expect to be working.
