For snowy winter hikes, we wanted to make a pair of pants you can wear from the moment you leave your front door, all the way up to the top of a snowy ridge. They are so comfortable, you can keep them on while you sleep in your tent!

The Winter Hike Pants are made of exceptionally waterproof, windproof, soft, and breathable Polartec Power Shield Pro, equally as comfortable and flexible as most softshell pants, and equipped with our iconic 5-pocket system.

The Winter Hike Pants are exceptionally breathable and as comfortable as softshell pants, although they have less water pressure resistance than general waterproof fabrics.

From the moment you leave home, while up on a cold mountain ridge, and even while sleeping in your tent at camp, the Winter Hike pants will keep you comfortable.

Hardshell Hiking pants are usually not so comfortable on the train or bus. Also, they are so heavy duty that they draw attention around town. But it’s a hassle to bring an extra pair and change at the trailhead parking lot, so we decided to create a pair of pants that look good both at home and at the peak of a snowy mountain.

Our Winter Hike Pants use Polartec Power Shield Pro, a soft, flexible and stretchable softshell material. They will blend in town and look just like normal pants, but they are designed for snowy mountains and shut out 99% of the wind.

Yamatomichi 5-Pocket design can neatly store your map, snack, wallet, and other items you need during hiking, without interfering with your leg movement.

Each pocket is zippered to keep snow out, and the smartphone pocket on the right has been enlarged to fit a smartphone with a waterproof case. The side pockets are lined with Polartec Micro fleece to keep your hands warm.

Gaiters can keep out snow and protect against the sharp spikes of crampons. They are, however, troublesome to attach/detach when you take off your shoes, and gaiters can restrict the movement of your ankles. For these reasons, we prefer to hike without them.

Our Winter Hike Pants come with metal hooks at the end of the hems to securely catch the shoelaces of your boots, preventing the hems from crawling up to keep out the snow. The hem is adjustable with a drawstring to tightly cover the upper part of the boot.
The hem is reinforced with 500D Cordura fabric to protect the pants from the sharp spikes of crampons.

The shoelace catchers may be unhooked when you have to keep trudging through the deep snow.

The original Power Shield is a softshell material developed by Polartec with superior windproof and breathability performance. It is less breathable when you are standing still, but becomes highly breathable when you start moving. That is, it is warm when you are resting, yet it breathes well when you are walking. The Polartec Power Shield Pro is a cutting-edge, updated version of the Power Shield with enhanced waterproof performance.

A hydrostatic pressure test (ISO811, AATCC127, JIS L1092 equivalent) showed that it has a water resistance of 5000mm, and remains water-resistant at 3000mm at a minimum throughout the usable lifespan of the fabric. This is perhaps not the best of the best, but more than sufficient for winter hiking gear.

The Power Shield Pro is composed of three layers. The water-resistant and water permeable second layer membrane is sandwiched by a facing and lining material. The Power Shield Pro can be thicker or softer depending on the type of facing and lining materials.

The facing material for the Winter Hike Pants is a snow repellant, cotton-like fabric, and the lining is a jersey material with a soft and comfortable texture. It is neither thick nor super-warm, so we recommend hikers to wear extra under tights if additional warmth is needed.

Technical features (Supplied by Polartec)

• Blocks 99% of wind, but the remaining 1% circulates within the clothes to prevent overheating.
• Excellent breathability reduces the risk of heat stress during heavy exercise.
• Water-resistant up to a maximum of 5000mm, yet always breathable.
• Surface repels rain or snow.
• Wear-resistant surface protects the exterior against abrasion, keeping the performance intact.
• Stress-free elasticity while walking.
• Relatively noise-free compared with many other hardshell materials.
• Light, warm and more compressible than conventional insulation material.
• Machine-washable.

Test result of dynamic breathability by ASTM F 2298 method (Source: Polartec)

The Power Shield Pro’s second layer blocks 99% of wind, while the remaining 1% circulates within the clothes to accelerate the evaporation of moisture. It is warm when you are resting, yet breathable during exercise without getting too hot, keeping you comfortable.

The above chart shows a comparison of materials used in winter hiking pants by various companies.

The vertical axis is breathability, and the horizontal axis indicates the circulation of air. The graph shows that the Power Shield Pro is warm when standing still, but breathable and comfortable while on the move. The results of other materials are as follows.

• Power Shield：Just like the “Pro” version, it is warm when standing by, breathable and comfortable during exercise, but it has no water resistance.
• Neoshell：It is liked for its breathability, water resistance, and water permeability, but is likely to be colder when resting and less breathable while on the move than Power Shield Pro.
• Windproof softshell：Conventional softshell material has poor breathability with no or little water resistance.
• Highly water-resistant, water-permeable material：It is used in many overpants, but the breathability is only 25% of the Power Shield Pro. It is highly water-resistant but less breathable, so it gets stuffy. The fabric is relatively thin with poor durability.