How important are Overpants?

[flyfisher]

Wore my previous pair of J&H G/TEX for years on all sorts of trips including buch motorbike trips, and through a nasty patch of tea tree down a creek coming from cathedral plateau to Wadleys paddocks.
On that trip the seam tapes peeled off, but still no rips or holes. Probably many small holes from scoparia and such which didn't help waterproofness.
So a new MD pair and they are tops. Together with my Aku Larorai GTX boots nothing gets wet unless wading.

[Liamy77]

How important are Overpants?

Not very important at all ... untill you're freezing cold, wet and trying not to get blown off some large rock somewhere

[vagrom]

For bushwalking in general, the lightweight, cheap, Rainbird type nylon overpants are usless as the crutch wears away very quickly. They're meant for golfing and sitting out a storm but not for extended walking. The minute you catch something sharp, that's it.
Goretex jackets are incredibly tough in the worst scrub and pants should bear up well too if they're protected by quality gaiters to the knees. I have black Mont overpants, bought 8 years ago at Scouts for $110. made of 'Hydronaut' fabric of which i've no idea what the general verdict is on breathability. I only use them on high exposed ranges but if I left them behind, the discomfort would be bearable, just. Eventually the coldness wears you down. But for regular walkers, not visitors like me, the comfort factor and shorter trips make overpants ideal. The bugger with my ones is keeping them up, which makes you want to use some braces.
South Coast Track isn't scrubby at all, in the sense that you're grinding through lengths of the stuff. Definitely no riggers gloves necessary unless to grab stuff as you negotiate the very boggy and dangerously rooty parts; Tassie's second most popular track. But I haven't done the west coast part and that may indeed involve some scrubbier parts.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Very interesting Vagrom, and i totally agree. I have both rainbird and Mont pants, the Rainbird lasted about 2 trips before the got a few holes, now I wear them when I walk around home in the rain. The mont i've had for 2 years and done many scrub bashing trips, still looking ok!!

By West Coast section, do you mean the SW Cape circuit?? Or the West Coast walk from Macquarie to the Port Davey??

[mountnman]

I was looking at the Patagonia Rainshadow Pants for $219.95 294g
Or the goretex Pallin Swift Pants for $299.95 430g

Are these high quality pants or are there better elsewhere? (excluding overseas) Or is this just a ridiculous amount to spend on overpants? Cost isn't the issue, I want a good pair that will last a long time.

[vagrom]

Thanks SWT. I mean the South West Cape region.

[vagrom]

Sorry Mountnman, i've been having a quick search myself and there's not much. There was a thread about "Mont Overpants" in Feb. this year, presumably because people feel that this bit of gear warrants around the $100 mark and Mont seems to do the trick. If you get the $300 ones then you'll be the one to comment.

[norts]

I use oringi overpants. Very tough but you will sweat in them.
I only use them when there is a howling gale and rain and only carry them when I am going to be in exposed areas ie Western Arthurs or off track. Wet bush and bare knees is awful painful.
When I walk the OT I carry an old pair of rainbirds that are torn off just above the knee. Keeps the shorts dry( can sit down anywhere) but still breathes. I am short so with my gaiter nearly up to my knees and the shorts to just above I am fairly well protected.

Roger

[ILUVSWTAS]

Thanks SWT. I mean the South West Cape region.

It's really not scrubby at all.

[flyfisher]

MD Cascade o/pants are very good after you get over the price ($270) and G/TEK performance shell wear is tough stuff and will last a long time unless abused. Well worth it in Tassie.

[Liamy77]

i just got a pair of softshell dwr treated pants.... tested ok in the back yard with the kids and a hose.... still gotta be properly tested.... i think they will eventually wet out but might make great shorts that will keep me dry enough to not bother carrying any proper overpants most of the time.... someone on this forum once mentioned an interesting waterproof "kilt" of some kind too (used with longish gaiters)

i agree with the rainbird vs scrub comments... look at them as a consumable item... not as bad with gaiters on the outside and a longer coat hem

but remember that thick scrub like scoparia will still micro-puncture pro shell goretex gear over time and leave you relying more on it's dwr integrity for waterproofing so $200-300 pants will need to last 4-6 times as long to cost you the SAME.... personal choice i guess but i have gotten allong with the cheapies so far- had some wet legs occasionally but not often and definately been cheaper so far (been lucky with not too many scrub-gauntlets i guess)

[mountnman]

Points proven!

I went on a walk today, and it was rainy, foggy, and dare I say it, cold (16 degrees ). It was nice and peaceful walking in the rain, and I was thinking there is no need for overpants.

Then I went to a lookout (as opposed to the sheltered forest) and you could feel the wind! My upper body was protected because I had a rainjacket on, but my legs were much colder. The rain itself was not a problem, it was the wind combined with the rain.

HOWEVER!!!!

I notice nobody mentioned what I consider the most important reason to wear overpants - So your backside doesn't get wet while sitting down to eat lunch!!!!

[ILUVSWTAS]

Points proven!

I went on a walk today, and it was rainy, foggy, and dare I say it, cold (16 degrees )

It's a gorgeous 26 down here in the Huon Valley today.

[mountnman]

Points proven!

I went on a walk today, and it was rainy, foggy, and dare I say it, cold (16 degrees )

It's a gorgeous 26 down here in the Huon Valley today.

You mean actual summer weather?

[Lizzy]

I also vouch for Mont Hydronaut which I have had for years (10 I think) and they have had plenty of wear especially in their first year. I just recently retreated the DWR & then wore them for the entire 4 days of my walk up to Lake Cygnus- would have been very sodden & even more freezing without them.
Cheer
Lizzy

[Bush Walker]

How important are Overpants?

I have three pairs of overpants

1. nylon, no zips, Viking (Australia) - not used by me any more and reserved for poorly equipped walking companions
2. nylon, elasticised waist, leg zips ( used when I'm trying to keep weight down and don't expect thick bush.
3. a pair of good quality Goretex overpants with leg zips

They increase in price and weight as I go down the list. The nylon ones last 3-5 seasons depending on use before the rubberised coating comes of the nylon and they leak like a sieve. Even soaking in a water repellent is not good enough.

I take a pair with me whenever there is any potential for being caught in a howling gale with hailstones, snow or sleet ie all the time in Tasmania. I consider them as my outer layer and wear them over my thermals around the "campfire" or over my shorts when the mosquitoes or midges get too thick.They are also put on when I'm setting up camp, taking it down or cooking in the rain ie when I''m not generating enough heat to keep warm without them. I use them when walking through tall bush which is wet with overnight dew or rain.

The three -layers are essential if you are ever going to walk through the bush in them, as are the zips if you want to pull them over your boots or take them off when you get hot and this is what makes them expensive.

[LeftRightShoot]

Well, we just aborted a trip due in part to lack of overpants. This combined with the fact that one of our party had gortex shoes... they keep the water out... and in! His pants acted like a water pipe and dumped water into his shoes such that it was jetting out the top with each step.

So... the decision to have overpants or not should be taken into consideration with all the other factors.

[flyfisher]

It's a gorgeous 26 down here in the Huon Valley today.

Yeah, but what was it like outside.

[ILUVSWTAS]

It's a gorgeous 26 down here in the Huon Valley today.

Yeah, but what was it like outside.

26

Sadly it hasnt been that warm for a week or 2 now though......

[flyfisher]

Looks like there are some good patches on the way, with a bit of crap in between.

[Moondog55]

I say the opposite, but that is because i do a lot of my walking above the treeline where wind is the main enemy.
wearing over or under the gaiters depends on a lot of factors but the main one is how much the overpants I'm wearing cost and do they need protecting from wear and tear and is it raining.
If it is very heavy rain i will put the overtrousers over my gaiters, if I am skiing on skinny skis i often tuck them in so I can get my legs closer together (LOL)
The main advantage to Goretex (and other WPB) is that I can wear them for longer with-out drowning in sweat and my bottom layer is often Long-johns and overpants on my legs.
The main modification i make to overpants is a very heavy wear patch on the inside of the leg at the bottom seam and it is difficult to make this too heavy, as i tend to wear the same gear on downhill skis as Telemarks or wearing snowshoes or skinny touring skis just more insulation when using the lifts.
I prefer full length side zips and bib&brace but i own about 4 pairs of overpants at the moment in various states of disrepair, and a pair goes in every time I pack, lighter in summer heavier in winter

[north-north-west]

This combined with the fact that one of our party had gortex shoes... they keep the water out... and in! His pants acted like a water pipe and dumped water into his shoes such that it was jetting out the top with each step.

Have you ever heard of gaiters?