# Need New Pants: Gore-Tex?



## powderjunkie (Jun 30, 2015)

geartrade is pretty solid. I got my wife's volcom 3 layer goretex for 100 bucks. They are about 250 normally. Nothing was wrong with them and they still had tags. My volcom pants are 2L Goretex and they work amazing too.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

Gore-Tex definitely works but you also definitely pay a premium for it. If you were only occasionally getting slightly damp on the wettest of days in 10 year old 10k pants and you're on a tight budget, I'm not sure I'd be looking for Gore-Tex unless you just stumbled across a great deal.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Jcb890 said:


> What should I be looking for?
> What is a good price to pay?
> What are the best pants for warmth / waterproofing / comfort?


That's all very relative and personal preference. E.g. my pants are pretty light, no padding, just a thin fleece and I combine them with a thin baselayer and am good to go, no matter how cold it is. Hub even has only a shell pant and wears no base layer, not even at -20°C. So this depends soleyly on how quickly you get cold legs.

Gore-Tex and air vent zips are a must for me. No worries in rain, cold, warm spring days.

If you get cold quickly, it may be worth to get dark pants. I gad black ones before, now pink-ish and it makes a big difference when the sun shines. 

Very nice feature is if pants can be zip/clipped to the powder skirt of the jacket, especially if you wear backpacks (bending down with backpack waist girth often leads to slipping up of pow skirt; zip/clip avoids this).


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

Yep, all of my outerwear is shell only. A lot more versatile that way. You can layer up underneath it as needed for the cold and still be able to use it on not so cold days without sweating your balls off.


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## Brewtown (Feb 16, 2014)

2 important questions: 
Are you looking for insulated pants or shells? 
What's your budget? 

I feel like Gore-Tex is worth it for those that need that kind of performance, which in my mind are primarily those in the PNW where you need max water protection or backcountry riders who need max breathability for hiking. I don't have any experience with it though as I've never felt it was necessary. Keep in mind your average price point 10k pants will lose their waterproofing as time goes on, so a new pair of similar pants will most likely be a big improvement over what you have now. For most resort riding I've found 10k to get the job done well enough that I can't rationalize spending the extra money. 

If you're OK with a ski brand these are the best pants I've owned and they are a great price. Really well made, never get wet, and I really like the strategic insulation. I run colder than most so shells require double layers underneath on a cold day and full insulation gets sweaty on a warmer day. With these I just wear shorts on an average day and sweat pants when it's cold. 

Scott Enumclaw Pants | evo outlet


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## Jcb890 (Dec 12, 2014)

powderjunkie said:


> geartrade is pretty solid. I got my wife's volcom 3 layer goretex for 100 bucks. They are about 250 normally. Nothing was wrong with them and they still had tags. My volcom pants are 2L Goretex and they work amazing too.


I've checked out the geartrade site once or twice. My problem is that I don't know what I need to be looking for or what a good deal is.



linvillegorge said:


> Gore-Tex definitely works but you also definitely pay a premium for it. If you were only occasionally getting slightly damp on the wettest of days in 10 year old 10k pants and you're on a tight budget, I'm not sure I'd be looking for Gore-Tex unless you just stumbled across a great deal.


Well, one of the days where it was actually raining the pants got completely soaked. But on normal days, I don't wind up too wet. I'm hoping to find a great deal, if possible. But, I don't know what a great deal even would be.



neni said:


> That's all very relative and personal preference. E.g. my pants are pretty light, no padding, just a thin fleece and I combine them with a thin baselayer and am good to go, no matter how cold it is. Hub even has only a shell pant and wears no base layer, not even at -20°C. So this depends soleyly on how quickly you get cold legs.
> 
> Gore-Tex and air vent zips are a must for me. No worries in rain, cold, warm spring days.
> 
> ...


I agree, it is based on preference. I should have been a bit more informative in my original post I guess.

I almost never get cold legs/feet. I wear a nice pair of knee-high socks (Darn Tough) and my feet are always hot/sweating, never cold. My current pants are just a shell, that's what I would be looking for.

Typically, I'll wear either shorts or like a flannel pants under them on real cold days. That is plenty to keep me warm.

I'm not too worried about color. I'm not a flashy guy and don't really care about all of my outerwear and equipment matching in color.

Like you said, vents are a must for spring days.


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## Jcb890 (Dec 12, 2014)

Brewtown said:


> 2 important questions:
> Are you looking for insulated pants or shells?
> What's your budget?
> 
> ...


Most likely just a shell.

I don't really feel the need for the insulated style and I'm guessing it would be an added cost as well. I like the freedom to pick my own insulation under my pants based on the weather and temperature.

I'm not held up on any kind of brand loyalty or anything like that.

I'm not even sure what my budget is, to be honest. It probably *should* be $0 for snowboarding equipment, but that's not going to work. I just know it isn't a ton and I know some of these pants are $300+, which I know I cannot afford.


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## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

Take a good look and determine what you really need. Being a fellow Masshole my take is that I'm not doing backcountry and as I'm really just a resort weekend warrior I'm never more than 30 minutes from a lodge.

10-15k rating is more than adequate for me. I think my 686 pants are 15K and I didn't have any issue with them on the one freezing rain day and Spring conditions.

I do know people who do the whole winter camping on the side of Mt Washington thing and need something more reliable, but that isn't me.


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## Brewtown (Feb 16, 2014)

Well there are good deals to be had especially if you start looking now. Evo and Backcountry are a good starting point. I would consider around $100 to be a good deal for quality 10K pants (look for 10k/10k and fully taped seams) and probably expect more like $200 for GoreTex. No doubt there is an improvement in quality so you'll just have to shop around and decide if the price difference is worth it to you.


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## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

Around this time last year I paid I believe $90 for some 686 Smarty pants that have been awesome for me. 15k, powder skirt ready and comes with a removable fleece liner that I've actually never even had to use on the coldest of days.


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## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

linvillegorge said:


> Yep, all of my outerwear is shell only. A lot more versatile that way. You can layer up underneath it as needed for the cold and still be able to use it on not so cold days without sweating your balls off.


Just don't try to save on checked baggage!

Rewind singer collapses after wearing 12 layers of clothing on flight - BBC News


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## mojo maestro (Jan 6, 2009)

North Face Slasher Cargo......everything you need........found a pair fer 80 bones last year.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

You may be lucky and find very good deals for your size, 
for S-L it's harder to find good deals; check your local shops for "leftovers". In the past years, I had pants in XS from peak performance as well as XL from spyder (boo-hoo, ski brand! ) for 100 instead of 500 (no joke) and 350 bucks. (Yeah, the XL was bit baggy, the XS was bit short... but who cares... I rather had a dry butt than a stylish one ). Both pants they did a great job for many years. The Spyder was still absolutely waterproof even after 10y.


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## DevilWithin (Sep 16, 2013)

Check out Sierra Trading Post. Snow Sports up to 70% off at Sierra Trading Post

Also, if you add something to your shopping cart and then don't complete checking out they typically send you an email a day or so later with an additional discount offer.


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## Jcb890 (Dec 12, 2014)

neni said:


> You may be lucky and find very good deals for your size,
> for S-L it's harder to find good deals; check your local shops for "leftovers". In the past years, I had pants in XS from peak performance as well as XL from spyder (boo-hoo, ski brand! ) for 100 instead of 500 (no joke) and 350 bucks. (Yeah, the XL was bit baggy, the XS was bit short... but who cares... I rather had a dry butt than a stylish one ). Both pants they did a great job for many years. The Spyder was still absolutely waterproof even after 10y.


That is a good idea. The only time I did this was a couple of months ago I went into a local Burton outlet store and saw some pants @ $360 and another @ $450. I got sticker shock and left.:eyetwitch2:


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## Psi-Man (Aug 31, 2009)

check out theclymb as well.


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## Jcb890 (Dec 12, 2014)

Psi-Man said:


> check out theclymb as well.


I have been checking them and WhiskeyMilitia all off-season looking for deals. Currently there doesn't seem to be much on TheClymb in terms of what I am looking for and in my price range.


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## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

At least around me most of the snow inventory at the local shops is hidden away in a closet to make room for bike season. In fact I get weird looks when I even ask about the snow stuff this time of year so have stopped hitting them for the most part until end of Sept.

If you do order online I recommend getting at least 2 sizes and returning one. Shipping is under $5 and you can have it back and refunded before it even hits your next bill.

All of the big online players have excellent return policies. For my daughter I had 5 jackets sent out for her to try for both style and size reasons.


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## Jcb890 (Dec 12, 2014)

f00bar said:


> At least around me most of the snow inventory at the local shops is hidden away in a closet to make room for bike season. In fact I get weird looks when I even ask about the snow stuff this time of year so have stopped hitting them for the most part until end of Sept.
> 
> If you do order online I recommend getting at least 2 sizes and returning one. Shipping is under $5 and you can have it back and refunded before it even hits your next bill.
> 
> All of the big online players have excellent return policies. For my daughter I had 5 jackets sent out for her to try for both style and size reasons.


Maybe if I have some time this weekend or next I'll drop in or give Eastern Boarder a call to see if they have any inventory of pants collecting dust. They're pretty close to me and tend to carry a decent amount of stuff. Nothing else I can think of is really close enough to just stop in to check out (Central MA).


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## Simon Birch (Mar 11, 2014)

Darkside Snowboards is selling a pair of XXL Volcom L Gore-Tex Pants Charcoal for $134.98.

Volcom L Gore-Tex Pant Charcoal | Gore-Tex Outerwear | Darkside Snowboard Shop


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## Jcb890 (Dec 12, 2014)

Simon Birch said:


> Darkside Snowboards is selling a pair of XXL Volcom L Gore-Tex Pants Charcoal for $134.98.
> 
> Volcom L Gore-Tex Pant Charcoal | Gore-Tex Outerwear | Darkside Snowboard Shop


Those seem like a pretty decent deal.


Does anyone have any experiences (good or bad) with Volcom or Armada pants?


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

Pretty sure snowklinger always wears Volcom outerwear and his gear seems to hold up just fine.


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## ThredJack (Mar 18, 2014)

I LOVE my Volcom jacket, don't have any experience with their pants though, so take that as you will. 

I have a pair of RPZN pants. They were like $80 when I bought them in January. They're a shell, but have a piece of thin fleece in the groin/hip/butt area, which is nice for falling. Nothing will make you colder faster than your ass plopping down in some nice cold snow! That extra layer is very nice there. I have a pair of long bottoms for colder days, but I usually don't need them. Boxer shorts underneath are good on most days, especially with the fleece there. Not sure on the water proof rating, but I've never wished I had more. They can even clip to my jacket.

If you're on a budget, avoid Burton. As with their other gear, you'll pay a premium just cause they're Burton. And unless you feel Gor-tex is ABSOLUTELY necessary, no need to pay extra for it.


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## ridinbend (Aug 2, 2012)

As a member of the pacific northwet clan, I regularly experience some seriously wet snow. I do own gore tex, but I will say the best bang for my buck that was 100% waterproof was the patagonia snowshot pant that utilizes h2no. I have used the same pants for almost 3 seasons and still love them. Got a new pair last year as I tore up the first pair. But with a low budget issue, you can find these new from $100-$150 all over the internet. Love the front cargo pockets too for holding gloves and other random stuff.

http://www.patagonia.com/us/product...regular-for-skiing-and-snowboarding?p=31118-1




Jcb890 said:


> Those seem like a pretty decent deal.
> 
> 
> Does anyone have any experiences (good or bad) with Volcom or Armada pants?


Those are great pants, but be warned the will run big. An XXL will fit a regualr XL individual like an XXXL. Almost all Volcom snow gear is at least one whole size too big.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

Can't go wrong with Volcom or GTX.

Of course if you get cheap 5k Volcom pants they will suck cuz 5k sucks.

Even if you don't require every ounce of tech to survive, every ounce of tech works to make you comfortable. The way GTX and other items with high breathability work just kicks ass.


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