Winter pants

Alan Gage said:

I own an auto repair shop and and I'm constantly in and out of doors, getting in cold vehicles down to -20 degrees, and looking at things in the parking lot. Mid-weight thermals keep me from freezing to death outside and don't overheat me inside. I literally wear them all day every day from November to March.

Alan

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This sounds like Carhartt thermal coverall territory.


On a semi-related note, I've been looking at reviews of wool mesh baselayers. Not so much for winter, but for shoulder season. Like so:


I think they'd work in winter too, so long as they're paired with a windproof outer layer.

clemency said:

This sounds like Carhartt thermal coverall territory.

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I think I'd roast wearing something like that all day and I think it would be too bulky and restrict movement. The shop and office are both well heated and that's where most of my time is spent. I'm in short sleeves or a light jacket when inside. I have no complaints about my daily wear, it's perfect.

I did pick up a pair of insulated coveralls that I'll be trying out in colder weather on my walks.

Alan

Alan Gage said:

I think I'd roast wearing something like that all day and I think it would be too bulky and restrict movement. The shop and office are both well heated and that's where most of my time is spent. I'm in short sleeves or a light jacket when inside. I have no complaints about my daily wear, it's perfect.

I did pick up a pair of insulated coveralls that I'll be trying out in colder weather on my walks.

Alan

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I did pipeline construction one winter in Wyoming many years ago, and the coveralls were all the rage. Definitely an outdoor activity though.

A local farm store was having an after Christmas sale so I picked up a pair of insulated canvas coveralls. I tried them out on our walk tonight. It was about 10 degrees (-12c) with a steady breeze gusting to around 10mph. I was directly exposed to the wind during the walk. I wore them over my regular day clothes (work pants and medium weight thermals).

Initial impressions were that they weren't very comfortable to wear or walk in, but not intolerable.

Second impression was that they were very warm! About a mile into the walk I started feeling uncomfortably warm so I unzipped the legs to above the knee and unzipped the layers under my anorak to try and shed some heat. This cooled me down and kept me comfortable for the rest of the walk.

I think these will mostly be relegated to more sedentary outdoor activities but I'll try them out for walks when it gets colder.

It felt like more work to walk in these than anything else I've been wearing and that seemed to be backed up by my heart rate, which was about 15 bpm higher than usual during the walk.

Alan

Working on boats on the waterfront in winter is no fun. I wore a pair of the insulated coveralls most of the winter. Not the Carhart they were too warm not sure what the brand was I wore and worked them till they were tattered, definitely got my money’s worth. I still have a pair but I don’t need them much anymore, but they do live in my car during the winter in case I have an emergency that I am otherwise unprepared for.
Jim

Alan Gage said:

I think these will mostly be relegated to more sedentary outdoor activities but I'll try them out for walks when it gets colder.

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I have a couple pairs and likewise they only come out when it's REALLY cold or for sedentary activities (spectating winter sports, outdoor social gatherings). I did use them working under the porch once as well - active but laying on cold ground to work.

carpenter said:

I echo the recommendations for wool pants. My 30 year old pair of Codet pants have been through Northern Ontario bush, Baffin Island dog-sledding, hikes and hunting expeditions and lately Lanark County chores. Rarely washed, always on a normal cycle with regular soap.
I have Canadian military wind pants when it gets colder/windier - similar vintage, extra pockets, covered access to layers below, cotton-nylon, durable, wind resistant and snow resistant.
View attachment 144776More active layering is achieved with an appropriate long john, a fleece pant/tight and a ripstop polyester windpant shell from MEC, 20 years ago. Never really understood the appeal of waterproof/breathable, does not breathe enough for me, no need for water resistance at cold temps. Have not been able to find a similar pair of wind pant, double zips on legs, abrasion patches at inner ankle and knees, high waist, detachable suspender straps...all that I find are expensive Gore-Tex or comparable or insulated pants (too bulky and not adaptable enough for layering).
The long johns I have found the most comfortable are the grid fleece, light and not too clingy.

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I hate waterproof/ breathable pants for winter activities- I find that within about 1/2 hour the pores are totally frosted up, making them no better than rubberized rain-pants. I also find them too delicate for heavy use in the bush with all the hidden sticks, razor sharp ice layers and abundance of sparks and embers from campfires, I've yet to have a single pair last longer than a single trip without damage.
For overpants in high wind I have an old school pair of snowboard pants that have ankle to waist 2 way zips, reinforced patches on the butt and knees, and ties on the ankles. only the butt and knee patches are waterproof, the ties remove the need for gaiters, and the zips allow you to fully open the sides without removing your boots while also allowing you to vent anywhere you need to, usually a couple of inches at the hips are plenty when hauling a sled

Wool pants shine for heavy activity in the bush. Even on high wind days, if you are pushing through snow in the bush, the wind will be cut by the surrounding vegetation. Having said that, with a pair of long johns, I have used mine for ski-dooing and ice fishing with success. I haven't forgotten you Alan, just need to get to the post office.

scoutergriz said:

For overpants in high wind I have an old school pair of snowboard pants that have ankle to waist 2 way zips, reinforced patches on the butt and knees, and ties on the ankles. only the butt and knee patches are waterproof, the ties remove the need for gaiters, and the zips allow you to fully open the sides without removing your boots while also allowing you to vent anywhere you need to,

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I have a pair of snowboard pants as well. I'm sure they have some sort of breathable membrane in them but, despite sharing your dislike of waterproof/breathable fabrics, I've never had an issue with them; presumably because of the amount of air leakage past the full length leg zippers.

I appreciate the sturdy construction. I never worry about tearing them. I had them out walking this weekend at -5* (and windy) over heavy weight thermal underwear and flannel lined pants. The combination was slightly overkill.

Alan

I am a big believer in wool with a thin synthetic or merino wool base layer, at least down to 0°f. That's for outdoor activity - not necessarily for sitting or laying in one place. I started out back in the '70's with army surplus wool, but upgraded as my waist um...matured. I have heavy Codet pin-striped pants, Codet bibs, and - believe it or not - some that I think were maybe supposed to be pleated dress pants from Lands End that are my favorite ski pants until the temps get extreme.

The degree that wool allows wind to penetrate depends on the weave. Those light Lands End pants are actually very wind resistant. They're my favorite.

Chip said:

Question for you wool pants guys--Many of the wool pants described in the above-linked vendors' sites are to be dry cleaned. Do you take your wool pants for dry cleaning? That's probably a deal breaker for me.

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memaquay said:

My favorite pair of wool pants have never been washed in 20 years. Don't tell my wife.

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Make that forty years for me. I've gotten them muddy and bloody (as in gutting-elk-bloody), and I just hang them to dry and then brush and shake them out. You can't even see any blood stains - they all still look new. And they smell like.....wool. If there was a hint of foul smell, my wife would be letting me know - trust me.

I do have a Woolrich shirt that was advertised as "washable wool" that gets washed but with no special treatment other than hanging to dry.

Merino wool socks also get the wash and hang treatment.

Back when I was swinging a spike maul every day, I came to dislike insulated coveralls. Too restricting and too hard to regulate. If I'm going to be doing something like ice fishing or mechanic work outside, I wear insulated bibs with jacket that are entirely synthetic. It has to be extremely cold to go without zippers open.

When skiing, I wear the wool pants, socks, shirt, and a fleece vest. Just that with synthetic base layer until it gets below 0°f or the wind comes up. I put on a puffy or wind shell when taking a lunch break.

As others have mentioned, I have no use for breathable membrane shells once the temps are much below freezing. The drysuit being the obvious exception, of course. Wool is more comfortable, and it's quiet.

Woolrich wool pants with wool long under wear.

Steve in Idaho said:

When skiing, I wear the wool pants, socks, shirt, and a fleece vest. Just that with synthetic base layer until it gets below 0°f or the wind comes up. I put on a puffy or wind shell when taking a lunch break.

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Steve, This is interesting. At the risk of thread drift, I'm curious about what kind of skiing you do in wool and fleece without any shells.

I'm an avid alpine and backcountry skier and I've always considered shells to be the best universal-conditions garment because they're slick enough to shed snow, rather than retaining it on the surface of the fabric, where it eventually melts and moistens the garment. At least heading downhill, my woolen pants would be covered in snow very quickly, and so too would my upper body, depending on the conditions.

I concede that even breathable shells retain more sweat moisture than I would like, but I'm strategic about dumping heat and vapor through the pit zips, side leg zips, etc. and it's always seemed like a necessary concession to avoid accumulation of snow on the garment surface, so I can stay out all day without getting my outer layers too wet.

That said, if I'm skinning uphill, then breathability is priority #1. I suppose that during that condition, I'm less likely to spray snow up into the air and onto my upper body, but my lower leg would still likely pick up a lot of snow in a wool outer layer. Perhaps you wear gaiters?

My favorite skinning jacket is a Patagonia Nano Air Hoody. It absolutely dumps vapor but is a little more wind resistant than most of my woolen uppers and is slick enough to shed falling snow unless the snow is extremely wet. On the downhill, I'll put a thin rain shell over the Nano Air, which cuts out the wind at speed and keeps the snow spray off. It's a synthetic, but because it's separated from my body with a base layer, it doesn't tend to smell or need washing too often.

memaquay said:

Wool pants shine for heavy activity in the bush. Even on high wind days, if you are pushing through snow in the bush, the wind will be cut by the surrounding vegetation. Having said that, with a pair of long johns, I have used mine for ski-dooing and ice fishing with success. I haven't forgotten you Alan, just need to get to the post office.

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I'm with Mem!
I'm a Land Surveyor and spent decades working outdoors in all weather, including many years in Northern Alberta and NorthWest Territories. Best outdoor winter pants i ever owned was a pair of heavy wool Bundeswehr (West German Army) surplus pants. At Minus 40 and below, with a pair of Stanfield long johns, i was still snug inside. The added beauty of the wool was the insulation when you were kneeling on the ground digging through frozen muskeg...

Bruce

I don’t know if anybody has an Eddie Baurer warehouse store near them but there’s usually good deals there. More than just the EB brand. There was one near me in Columbus that on saturdays would have a garage sale room and I’ve seen La Sportiva boots at 75%, Suunto Core watch for $50, Avalanche Beacons for $100 and plenty of wool blend layers for around $5-20. I have no idea how many of those stores are around but there are some good deals on both outer and under layers