[A self-paying comparison review without any consideration] It can also be used as a windshell and has two birds with one stone! Field test of 3 carefully selected lightweight rain pants under 200g
written by Murakami Haruki
OGZ Membership Recruitment
Unsung heroic rain pants
The rainy season, sudden downpours and the summer Northern Alps are approaching.
Many people have reviewed rain jackets, including this site, but there are very few review articles about rain pants, as they are too plain.
Which rain pants have good feet and won't get stuffy, but have a good balance of waterproofness and durability? ! It's even better if it's lighter and more compact.
In this article, we will focus on plain but unsung strong rain pants, and will field test and review three carefully selected items from the rain pants sold in 2024, with excellent balance of weight, waterproofness, durability and breathability!
table of contents
- Field test of 3 carefully selected lightweight rain pants
- Test environment and field test results
- Impressions of each model
- Overall BEST: mont-bell torrent flyer pants The best breathability and wide silhouette ventilation. Recommended for speed hikers
- Lightweight Best: Teton Bros. FEATHER RAIN PANT Recommended for minimalist UL hikers who want to reduce the weight even a little.
- Mobility BEST: OMM Kamleika Pant Stretch performance that overturns the common sense of rainwear! It is also recommended for those who go to snowy mountains as a softshell.
- summary
- Reference: Recommended lightweight rain pants that remained as other finalists
Field test of 3 carefully selected lightweight rain pants
Sales in 2024, weighing less than 200g and with a side zipper, we chose the following three items, which are excellent in waterproofness, breathability, comfort, and ease of lifting your feet, with fast packing in mind.
Teton Bros. FEATHER RAIN PANT 140g
mont-bell torrent flyer pants 147g
OMM Kamleika Pant 168g
Test environment and field test results
Which rain pants are lightweight but well-balanced?
Field tests were performed under the following conditions and verified:
Test environment
- [Period] May
- [Mountain area] Omine Okugake Trail (Nara-Mie), Hira Mountains (Shiga), Kyoto Around Trail (Kyoto)
- [Weather] Sunny, rain
- [Activity] Fast packing
- [Layering] Wearing rain pants with shorts
Field test results
The test results are as follows:
| type | Best breathability/All-round type | Minimum/Lightest Type | Softshell-like/ultra stretch type |
|---|---|---|---|
| item | mont-bell torrent flyer pants | Teton Bros. FEATHER RAIN PANT | OMM Kamleika Pant |
| image | | | |
| This is ◎ |
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| This is △ |
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| Outdoor Gearzine Rating | |||
| Breathability | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| Waterproof | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| Ease of movement | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ |
| Comfort | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ |
| Ease of putting on and taking off | ★★★★☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ |
| weight | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ |
| Storageability | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ |
| Durability | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| Specs | |||
| Outer fabric | 12 Denier Ballistic Airlight® Nylon RipStop | StretchCordura Super Durable 3L | Kamleika |
| Waterproof and breathable membrane | GORE-TEX PACLITE® PLUS Fabrics | StretchCordura Super Durable 3L | Kamleika |
| Water pressure resistant | Over 20,000mm | 20,000mm | 20,000mm |
| Breathability | 44,000g/m2/24h | 20,000g/m2/24h | 20,000g/m2/24h |
| Actual weight (g) | 147 (Size S) | 140 (Size M) | 168 (Size S) |
| Reference price (as of June 2024) | ¥15,950 (tax included) | ¥25,300 (tax included) | ¥25,300 (tax included) |
Impressions of each model
Overall BEST: mont-bell torrent flyer pants The best breathability and wide silhouette ventilation. Recommended for speed hikers
Torrent flyer pants are the ultimate in breathability and lightweight compactness for Montbell, which has unwavering confidence in rainwear.
Using Gore-Tex Pack Light Plus Fabrics, it is highly cost-effective, despite its high performance price at 15,900 yen (tax included).
The more I did waterproof and field tests, the more I liked it!
First, it's the state I put it on.
168cm, 56kg, size S, black
I was wearing sandals because I was doing field tests on a rainy day.
The long zipper and slightly wide silhouette make it easy to put on and take off while wearing your shoes. Trekking shoes were spacious, and trekking shoes were just fine.
Side zippers are located on the back where it is less likely to hit the rain. It gives you a sense of functional beauty.
Next, I liked the breathability and ventilation.
The Gore-Tex Pack Light Plus Fabric has excellent breathability, and the spacious silhouette makes the air more and more as I walked, creating a synergistic effect of breathability.
It is outstanding of the three items this time.
At 147g (actually measured in size S), it is extremely lightweight and compact, so it goes very well with fast packing styles.
If used as a windshell, it's two birds with one stone! It would be a shame to put it in your backpack.
Finally, we tested the shower in the bathroom for a long time and the wet bathtub, and the test was that it was waterproof and water-repellent. The water repellency was outstanding out of the three points.
As expected of a Rain champion, Montbell. I was also impressed by the function beauty that shines everywhere.
The only things that caught my eye were the all-black colours and the fluttering in strong winds. However, the cost performance and functional beauty surpassed that, and the rain pants were amazing.
These rain pants are recommended for you, a fast packing style that allows you to perform double functions with just one tool and require high breathability and ventilation.
The long side zipper is 21cm long, making it easy to put on and take off. Low-cut trail running shoes are easy! I managed to wear the middle-cut trekking boots while still wearing them. The accent reflector is also good.
Montbell's unique Samue System. The elastic threaded through the hem can reduce flickering at the hem
There's no harm in opening the front. It weighs 147g but is amazing!
Gore-Tex Pack Light Plus is a risk that it will disappear from the sales line due to environmental reasons. Should I buy it now?
Storage is as compact as a 500ml plastic bottle. Of the three, it is the second most compact.
Black is easy to match with any wear
I love the wide silhouette
Lightweight Best: Teton Bros. FEATHER RAIN PANT Recommended for minimalist UL hikers who want to reduce the weight even a little.
Very lightweight rain pants at 140g (actual measurement of size M). And yet it's three layers.
The weakness of lightweight rain pants is durability, but this season, the weakness was overcome by updating the material to the "StretchCordura Super Durable 3L".
First, let's start with the state you put it on.
168cm, 56kg, size M, light gray
I was wearing sandals because I was doing field tests on rainy days.
Beautiful silhouette with three-dimensional cutting. The side zipper is at a minimum of 18cm. Low-cut trail running shoes can be attached and detached while still wearing them. However, the sole gets a little caught around the knee, so be careful when putting on and taking off. It's a trade-off with a beautiful silhouette. It's difficult to put on and take off the middle-cut trekking boots while still wearing them.
The silhouette is neat even when viewed from behind. As expected from Teton. bros.
The three-dimensional silhouette with full Teton.bros personality is beautiful, and it feels easy to lift your feet from the moment you put them on.
The lightweight 140g is thanks to ingenuity, such as the minimal drawstring at the waist.
However, the material itself does not compromise and is breathable and durable, so it is not just light rain pants.
We tested it in the bathroom to check for waterproofness, and it was also waterproof and water repellent. It can also be used as a windshell when the temperature is low.
What's great about this is the wide range of unisex colors available. With a large number of rain pants with high saturation, I think light gray is rare.
One thing that bothers me is that there is a slight catch when putting on and taking off while wearing trail running shoes. But if you do it calmly, you can put it on and take it off smoothly.
These rain pants are recommended for minimalist UL hikers who want rain pants that have the same performance as all the time, but also want to make them lighter.
Minimal elastic waist with only a drawstring!
Drawcord at the hem
You can tighten the hem firmly
Durable CORDURA material
Beautiful silhouette. The pale colors are also one of the charms of Teton.boros.
Storage is as compact as a 500ml plastic bottle! Of the three points, it's the most compact, though narrow.
Mobility BEST: OMM Kamleika Pant Stretch performance that overturns the common sense of rainwear! It is also recommended for those who go to snowy mountains as a softshell.
Made of durable nylon, the OMM Kamleika Pant is made for 4-way stretch, excellent breathability and mountainous running.
The moment you put them on, you'll be surprised by how soft and stretchy it feels, which is hard to believe is rain pants. I was really surprised. Rather than rain pants, the phrase "waterproof softshell" is more appropriate.
First, it's the state I put it on.
168cm, 56kg, size S, Gray
Just the right fit. It has a distinctive side zipper that goes from the side to the front
Functional silhouette. Integrated orange lines and side zippers
Brand names are arranged in a balanced manner as reflectors
To repeat, the stretchability in four directions is excellent, and even when wearing long pants as an inner layer, it doesn't feel cramped at all.
And yet, the silhouette has a slim fit so there's no need to worry about it getting flapping even if it gets blown by strong winds on the ridge, so I think it's one of the ideal rain pants.
Above all, it gives you a sense of "sexiness" that is typical of OMM.
It was also waterproof.
One thing that bothers me is that it feels a little sticky when exercising under high loads. However, wearing thin, loose pants underneath will make you feel comfortable.
It is also perfect as rain pants when walking around snowy mountains, making it a perfect pair of birds with one stone.
These rain pants are recommended for hikers during the snowy season, as well as those who go to snowy mountains.
Feels like a softshell
Side zipper that goes in at an angle
The zipper length is 16.5cm, which is the shortest of the three items, but low-cut trail running shoes can be attached and detached while wearing them, and there was no snag on the sole. Middle-cut trekking boots are difficult to put on and take off while wearing them.
Zipper pull with hook that can be hooked onto shoelaces, etc.
It's compact storage, about as much as a 500ml plastic bottle, but it doesn't fit in the stuff sack of the torrent flyer pants. It is third in terms of compactness, but it is within the acceptable range.
4-way stretching means no stress from lifting your legs!
summary
After field testing three lightweight rain pants, the one I wanted most this season was the mont-bell torrent flyer pants.
The key points are the best breathability, high ventilation, and the ability to put on and take off without stress. Personally, I think it's important to be able to wear rainwear right away and keep wearing it so that it's not uncomfortable, and the torrent flyer pants are beautifully clear. At the same time, it has high waterproofness and excellent water repellency, so you don't have to worry about its durability.
The feather rain pants and Kamleika Pant's sexiness were attractive, but I felt it had a functional beauty that surpassed that.
However, my best for me was the mont-bell torrent flyer pants, but when I carefully compare the other two, each one has different characteristics and appeal, such as the lightest feather rain pants with beautiful three-dimensional cutting, and the Kamleika Pant, which stretches so hard to believe they are rainwear, I think the model that is suitable will vary depending on the mountain range, season, and activities used. We hope this comparison review will be helpful when making your own judgments.
Reference: Recommended lightweight rain pants that remained as other finalists
For your reference, we have the "rain pants weighing less than 200g and with side zippers" that remained a final candidate in this comparison review.
Salomon BONATTI TRAIL 95g
MONTANE Minimus Nano Pants 100g
THE NORTH FACE Future Light Trail Peak Pants 115g
Salomon BONATTI WATERPROOF 123g
THE NORTH FACE Strike Trail Pants 125g
mont-bell storm cruiser pants 195g
Murakami Haruki
He has been climbing for five years and two years at UL. He's still a hiker who's still trying to get trial and error. I like long hikes. I love traveling and go out both domestically and internationally. We will focus on what we feel from a beginner's perspective, and will explain it in an easy-to-understand manner so that readers can feel, "Let's go to the mountains again next week!"
