RailRiders WeatherPants

All nylon construction mean these pants dry a lot (!) faster than cotton. Cordura reinforcement at the knees and backside add to the durability. Permethrin pretreatment helps keep ticks and chiggers at bay. Not lightweight per se, but definitely lighter than denim.

I know of no better outdoor trousers than my WeatherPants for the tick-infested, swampy hot New England summer. The main body is constructed of Supplex (a trademarked variety of ripstop nylon) and there are Cordura (another trademarked variety of nylon) patches on the knees and backside, so the WeatherPants stand up well to briars, brambles, and rocks.

RailRiders makes a lighter pant for those who run hot. I run pretty hot myself, but I find the durability of the WeatherPants to be worth the trade-off—they are still very breathable by my standards. The nylon retains absorbs less moisture than cotton and releases what it does retain more quickly than does cotton. That makes sweaty hikes more enjoyable for me and means a brief rainshower doesn’t weigh me down for the entire day.

I live in the heart of southern New England Lyme disease country, so I treasure permethrin-treated clothing. Some will say that it permethrin is not “green,” despite the fact that it is a synthetic form of a substance found in chrysanthemums. To each his/her own, I say. FWIW, the bacteria that causes Lyme is about as all natural as it gets!

My only caution in regards to permethrin is that it is toxic to cats. The dried form found in the WeatherPants should probably not harm felines at all, but just to be safe I would recommend not letting a cat into your lap while wearing the WeatherPants or leaving them on the floor where a cat might decide to use them for a nap.

I believe that as of early 2014 that RailRiders may be phasing the WeatherPants out in favor of a new model. So best get ’em while you can if you are interested.

As an outdoors professional who depends on my gear, it either performs to my expectations or it doesn't get used. I have rarely if ever given anything a perfect 5 stars...until now.

In a word, RailRiders Weatherpants are bomber! From rock climbing to ropes courses, I use my gear hard. What would've torn my previous nylon favorites don't even leave a mark on the Weatherpants.

They're built like a tank, with reinforced knees and butt, but they're "dressy" enough to put a sweater on and teach college lectures (when I'm not running ropes courses, I teach about them.)

Buy it with confidence. These may become your new favorite!

Pockets are too deep.

These are not cheap pants. I could easily get two pair for the price of one of these, but they were so highly regarded I thought I'd give them a try. I bought four items and three didn't fit right. Repeated phone calls and emails to the company went unanswered until we sent a register letter.

We returned all three items and two weeks later they resent one item in a smaller size but were completely unresponsive about the status of the other three.

The pants fit nicely and are a bit more attractive for activities outside of hiking than your typical pant with pockets all over the place. The zippers used on the back pockets, lower pockets, and fly are of a noticeably high quality.

The biggest negative and probably the reason I won't buy again is that all of the pockets are too deep. When I put my wallet in the back pocket it rides below the gluteus, making an uncomfortable lump when sitting. When I put my keys in the front pocket they ride about two inches above the knee cap and the lower zippered pockets hold items at or below the knee. Items in the front pockets swing into the knee when walking.

A great pant with too many deep flaws.

I use the Men's Winter Weatherpants for hiking and backpacking in the winter. These pants are very tough, I have fell into sharp rocks before and they didn't even tear.

My favorite for summer, spring, and fall are the RailRiders Men's Eco-Mesh Pant with Insect Shield. these are also the greatest pants I've seen for backpacking or hiking, very lightweight and tough.