Do you Need Waterproof Hiking Pants?

It can be very frustrating if you plan to go for an exciting walk and are then forced to change your plans due to bad weather.  Also, sometimes the forecast may say something like 15% chance of rain but in practice it appears to be more like 90% chance.  The weather may look great at the start of a walk but within a couple of hours the wind picks up and the sky turns grey.  On these occasions you need waterproof bottoms for hiking, to help keep you warm, dry and comfortable all day long. With 18 years of experience in the field, Agoora Outdoor are well positioned to give top quality advice on waterproof hiking pants.

Some may think that, if they wear a long coat, it will help to keep their legs dry, so they don’t need waterproof bottoms for hiking.  Well, the problem with a long coat is that it tends to catch on things when climbing over styles and other obstacles with sharp objects and barbed wire nearby.  What if you need to do a spot of scrambling over boulders up a steep hill?  I think a jacket is best, this allows freedom of movement and is less likely to get caught on things.  

If your clothes get wet, the insulation properties fall dramatically, heat is quckly lost from your body and you can get cold very quickly, especially if your high up in an exposed position.  If the rain is persistent and lasts for hours you could be in serious trouble.  Dry clothing traps air to provide insulation which keeps you warm.  With wet clothing, heat is dragged out of your body and if you get to the point where heat is lost at a faster rate than you can create it, then you face the risk of exposure and a threat to life.  The answer is to wear waterproof hiking pants and of course a good waterproof jacket.

Waterproof bottoms are also very handy for sailing, canoeing, fishing and boat trips in general especially on choppy days at sea.  Furthermore, some people wear them for difficult, dirty jobs such as mucking out the stables.

There are two types of waterproof hiking pants:  

1.    Those which look and feel like normal hiking trousers but are waterproof. These can be worn all day, whether it’s raining or not and are very comfortable and convenient to use.

2.    Those which you keep rolled up in your pack and get them out to fit over your hiking pans when it starts raining.  These are called waterproof over trousers which tend to be a little better at keeping out the rain in challenging conditions but are less convenient to use.  It can be difficult fitting them over muddy boots and it’s a good idea to put your boots in a plastic bag first to stop getting mud on the inside of the trousers.  Either that, or take your boots off, but its quicker to use a plastic bag.  These Waterproof bottoms tend to be the ones used for boat trips and mucking out the stables.

So then, for less challenging lowland walks waterproof hiking pants are best, but for more difficult mountain walks which are more exposed with stronger winds and driving rain, I think the over trousers are the better option.

Waterproof bottoms are made from waterproof breathable fabric and all the stitched seams are taped to keep out the rain.  The waterproof fabric typically consists of an outer face fabric with a layer of waterproof, breathable material applied to the inside.  The waterproof layer is then protected by a lining or protective layer on the inside.  More details about this can be found by clicking on this link to our blog: Help Me Choose Waterproof Fabrics with Breathability.

Waterproof bottoms keep you dry, warm and comfortable in difficult, wet weather conditions.
Agoora have a range of waterproof trousers for your inspection which can be accessed by clicking on the following links:

Womens Waterproof Trousers

Mens Waterproof Trousers