Mountain Hardwear Compressor Pant - Men's - 2008 BCS

First off let me just say that hese pants are very warm... I love them for being so windproof, light, and warm, along with decent compressibility. Also quite durable, with the extra re-enforcement in areas. A great buy, and fully reccomended

I have worked and played in the outdoor industry for nearly 30 years and have had the opportunity to try nearly everything companies have to offer. Keeping the head and torso warm has always been a priority, and in my younger years, I pretty much ignored the bottom half. Keep the rain and snow off and I was ok. At age 59, however, reality set in. I needed a well constructed and warm pant to keep the Southern hemisphere intact. Enter the Compressor pant from Mtn. Hardwear. I purchased this pant solely on reviews from other back country skiers and climbers, took a chance and now offer this review.
First thing I did was turn the pant inside out to look at the stitching. I couldn't find any stitching. I don't know what it's called--lap stitching or fold-it-over-and-hide-it stitching, but the point is, there are no exposed threads except perhaps on the inner elastic waistband.
The insulation, labeled Thermic Micro, insulates, compresses and feels like down. Get it wet, however, and unlike down, it still insulates. The butt and knees are reinforced nylon, and although I wouldn't slide down the side of Mt. St. Helens in them, it's a durable fabric. The legs have full zips with a hook and loop closure at the ankle, there's a full zip fly and more hook and loop closures at the waist. A nice touch is the fleece lined pockets. Fit is good. My 30" inseam demands that I use suspenders to keep the cuffs off the snow with the medium size. I've used this pant backcountry skiing and lift served skiing with the addition of gaiters to keep sharp ski edges off the pant cuffs. In cross-country ski touring in 12 degree weather, creating a lot of heat, I had to stop and vent them, even though it was just my bare legs underneath--no long johns on. What a problem to have in cold weather--being too warm. All for bit over a pound in weight. So, that's the long of it. The short of it is that these are the best cold weather pants I've ever worn, and I've worn all the brands, believe me. The label says Made in China and you can take that for what it's worth. They are very well constructed and well thought out. My final opinion: The best cold-weather pants for the money on the market.

Let me say these are a pretty good pair of pants. I recently had the chance to speak with a Mountain Hardwear Sales Rep about some of their upcoming stuff. He told me if you plan on buying a pair of these pants, do it this season ('08-'09) because next year they are switching to ECO insulation (recycled) which will be stiffer, not quite as warm, and marginally more expensive.

Wore them first time on an AT trip in January, temps in single digts. Wind chills -10, and blowing snow. Kept me warm. Bomb proof!

These pants are awesome. You need them!