 Poster: A snowHead
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So I go through about a pair of ski pants a season. I have never spent over £100 and they just either rip or get slashes in them or just fall apart.
What materials should I be looking at in a premium pair of trousers. Is gore-tex the way to go? What about soft shell materials are these a bit flimsy and what are the benefits? Any other suggestions?
I don't mind paying a decent amount for a long lasting trouser.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Gore-tex is the answer. Can't say they will last any longer than other fabrics but they will keep your back bottom dry. Look for a pair with lots of reinforcement in the areas that normally get ripped such as between your ankles.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Don't know why but 'trouser' singular looks really weird to me… 
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From Wikipedia
"Outside the clothing retail and fashion industries, the use of the noun trouser to refer to a pair of trousers is rare, and often considered pretentious."
It was a mistake I originally wrote 'long lasting pair of pants' but being aware of the childish minds that exist in this forum I changed it . The result was a typo. I never use the singular.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Goretex Pro and Performance, and TNF's HyVent are pretty damn bombproof. As I'm sure are many other manufacturers own fabrics.
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As mentioned, go for a goretex pro pant with large areas of the abrasion resistant material... I think its called cordura?
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It's down to the face fabric not the fancy membrane under it. Fabrics density is measured in Denier the higher the number usually the more abrasion resistant. High denier materials are also much stiffer so less flexible or comfortable. Higher deniers are also heavier.
So basically go look at the ski trousers in question and look to see where the reinforcements are or what material the face fabric is.
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roscoeh, Just go for climbing/ski mountaineering gear. They use hard wearing face fabrics to resist abrasion against rock.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Paramo's non-lightweight stuff is pretty tough, and has the useful property that you can sew it back together if you rip it, and it is much easier to patch or alter than anything made with a membrane.
Where does your stuff rip, just out of interest?
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Serriadh, Mostly in the groin region 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Avalanche Poodle wrote: |
| Serriadh, Mostly in the groin region |
Perhaps there's a market for goretex chaps. Maybe someone should drop Arcteryx a line.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Cordura Nylon or similar panels in high wear areas work for me, usually at the ankle area where they get damaged from ski and boot impact, I've a pair of Columbia ski trousers that have lasted very well which have reinforced regions in high wear areas.
Cheap alternative is to reinforce with Duck Tape
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You know it makes sense.
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roscoeh, huh. My last pants, 3 layer gore-tex from Mountain Hardwear lasted 11 seasons, which is somewhere around 500 days skiing. (They didn't get used every day).
We've just bought Marmot Spire which seem of similar or better quality, 3 layer GT again.
Ok, so they retail at €330 but at the moment you are paying £100 per season. If I get 11 seasons out of these, I would have paid €30 per season. Mind you, if you are doing a full season every days skiing, they'll be about equal.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Like johnE suggests above I use (to avoid owning yet more specialist clothing) my old motorbike trousers. Not leather, but more of a cordura-type fabric than standard-nylon that most ski trousers seem to use. They're waterproof, breathable, got removable thermal liners, have lasted a very long time, and I think cost a lot less than most equivalent ski gear would. The only issue I've had is that the velcro ankle strap isn't quite long enough to stretch around ski boots.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Proshell is pretty tough. 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Whatever do you do to your pants, roscoeh?
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Hi. Just bought a pair of Burton Ak freebird bib pants, but now worried as they don't have ankle protection  . Will my skis just shred them? Material is gore tex pro, but is suspect the pants are aimed at boarders so lack the ankle protection. Any suggestions for good alternatives at the £300 mark? Thanks.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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diskelly, Just get a roll of Duck Tape in a matching or complimentary colour, if the pants die at the ankles repair and reinforc with tape
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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You know I went through ski pants eveery couple of years for a while. Then I bought some arcteryx goretex shell sallopets. They have really tough crampon /ski edge patches and the fabrice seems very resilient. I've had them 7 years and they are pretty much as new. I bought them in the US when the £ was strong so probably cost me about £200. Prices are a bit more scary in UK now unfortunately
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Yes, I've see those but is it worth another £120 for those Cordura patches that Arcteryx use I'm asking myself. Tempted to buy some Cordura and stick it on myself. Or will that just look crap? Perhaps I should tie my pants with string too.. Still, £120 is a lot of money extra!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Avalanche Poodle +1. Duct tape just seems to freeze solid and fall off - so sail or tent repair tape is the way forward for repairs to he bottom of ski pants.
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FAQ
Instead of duct tape get spinnaker sail repair tape, it's a fabric tape in many colours and sticks damn well. Designed for on the spot repairs to fabric. Think it was Megamum who posted a link to the stuff a couple of years ago. They do a red the same shade as my jacket 
