I ordered Tyvek pants from US Plastics a few days ago. They'll be my go to rain/snow pants this winter.

how durable is Tyvek?

I've come across some Rab Off Limits Rain Pants for close to the same price as the Woman's Reed. The Rab is listed at 6.1 oz for a Medium, so Small might be a little less.

If it were you, would you go with the Women's Reed, or the Rab?

"They'll be my go to rain/snow pants this winter."

@Eugene - I used Tyvek overboots as camp shoes over goosefeet with some disposable hotel slippers inside recently, which worked ok, but...the snow had a tendency to stick to the tyvek. It was strange. For lack of a better analogy, it was as if the snow was statically charged, but then stuck like velcro. The more worn the tyvek got, the worse it became. After 2 nights, they were toast. Moisture content was moderate to low (~12:1) camped at 13,000'

In an BPL series about winter footwear, Will Reitveld, used Tyvek overboots, he sprayed it with silicone to keep the snow off.

Stuff like the Atsko spray found at the Walmart hunting/fishing section for $4.

Scroll down to bottom of article.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/lightweight_footwear_systems_for_snow_travel_part_2.html

Spray it with silicon and the breathability is gone.

I used to use O2 Rainwear (still wish they made them in other colors), and I've also used the Driducks/Drop Stopper brand, and compared to those Propore garments I would say Tyvek is more durable, but less breathable. I think that's OK for a pair of rain/wind pants, but I'll continue to carry my Driducks jacket - it breathes better.

I've only used my Tyvek pants for one season, but they don't look very worn at all. I'm guessing they'll be good for 2-3 seasons of trail hiking.

I'de like to get a durabale quality rain pants, so I think Tyvek is out,

I'm assuming the Reed Pants are not breathable?

I was considering the Rab Off Limits, but emailed the site that was selling them, as they had it listed at 7.9 oz vs the 6.1 oz that rab was listing, and asked about the weight discrepancy.

They said:

"Our Off Limits is the current model - manufacturers often get their weights wrong because they weigh samples not the production model - so we weigh the gear ourselves and quote our own measurements. I have re-weighed the Off Limits
pants and our weight of 7.9oz is correct."

Seems odd that there would be this big a discrepancy between Rab and this website. Who is correct?

Since were discussing tyvek, im throwing in Frogg Toggs. Been using them for the last few years, they inevitably get holes which i repair with duc tape, but so would tyvek.

These 7.2 oz pants never seem to get mentioned. Reason????
Anyone have these???

■30-denier Ballistic rip-stop nylon with 3-layer Gore-Tex Pro Shell
■20-denier Ballistic rip-stop nylon with Stretch Gore-Tex Paclite®
■Size: S/ M/ L/ XL
■Color: SHAD(Shadow)

■Weight (size med): 7.2 oz.
Compresses: 3.6’’ x 3.6’’ x 5.9’’ (stuff sack included)

My guess would be the price tag. $179 for rain pants is pretty steep in my opinion.

Just got a pair of Reeds in yesterday. Quick hike in the pouring rain that hit the NE yesterday. Awesome!!! Dry as a bone and seemed to breath quite well for a a 2 mile hike in the 50's and a lot of rain.

Me likey

Mark, was it Men's Reed? If so, how did you get your hands on one?

Roger, who is this guy?

When I lived down under, the price of rainpants like started at 170.

> Roger, who is this guy?
What guy?
:-)
Dead Spammer

cheers

I had a chance last week to try on and play with the thunderhead pants. I was amazed at the quality of the construction, and the comfort of the fit. My preference is to have reasonably lightweight clothing that will survive normal activity without needing special treatment. These pants look like they will fit the bill for my new rain shell pants. The material is tough enough for me; I won't worry a lot about where I sit. They are comfortable enough that I will be able to use them as an extra layer when sleeping in marginal temperatures for my sleeping bag. When I read the description of these pants, I expected them to be somewhat stiff like many Gore-Tex items; instead, they drape like normal pants. Mont-bell goes on sale at a few sites periodically, so I'll wait for a sale, but I do think they are worth the cost.
Jim

Where are the other places that montbell go on sale?

I am looking into something similar to the reeds or thunderhead.

What are you going combining with your pants to keep pack waterproof or boots?