MontBell U.L. Down Inner Pants

So warm and light, there's no reason to leave them at home!

I was looking to extend my backpacking season beyond just summer, and wanted to add a warm lower layer to my kit. And in the never-ending quest to lighten my backpacking load, it also had to be lightweight. Having had a MontBell UL Inner Down Jacket for several years, and loving it, I naturally looked at this layer. When I found it on sale, I went for it.

Even though I have short legs, the pants fit quite nicely, with elastic cuffs at the bottom. The waist has a adjustable drawcord on the inside, but a traditional fly zipper/snap in front. Minor quibble... the zipper/snap have to be open to adjust the drawcord, which is a little awkward. But I can't say how I would change it to make it better.

These pants are warm! The 800 fill-power down is distributed nice and evenly throughout the pants, with no cold spots. I have successfully used them to extend the temperature range of my 35° summer bag including several sub-freezing nights in the Yosemite backcountry in early spring and late fall. The quilted nylon fabric is soft and comfortable, and the fit is non-restricting.

These pants are super-light (8 oz on my scale), and pack down tiny in the provided stuff sack. If you are looking to extend your season, and want a lightweight and super warm layer, look no further. Love these pants!

Update March 2016: I had forgotten how great these pants are. On a recent snowy trip to the Hetch Hetchy region of Yosemite, they kept me ultra-warm from the time the sun went down, to sunrise the next morning.

Me, rocking the MontBell UL Inner down pants: