I can fairly say I put these to the test: they were the shell pant I used on my 31-day NOLS course in the Wind River Range. Through that time I found them to be plainly decent - no more, no less.

Good side: Light as shell pants go, full zips are INCREDIBLY useful for taking on and off, I would never buy anything but a full zip, reasonably waterproof/breathable, and a great price.

Bad side: Zippers are pretty poor; I'm not a big fan of the precip technology, neither my jacket nor my pants perform well at all; the pant is not very durable. At the end of my course I not only had a rip in the thigh (not their fault, I did it by accident, stuff happens) but also the pants had worn through in the butt and on the knees from use on rock.

A good starter pant, but only buy them if you can't afford better.

My wife and I were on a cruise to Alaska and planned some hiking for two of the ports. We were there in Sep which is their wettest month so we needed some good rain gear.

I bought these for this trip and used them nearly every day. They performed extremely well and kept me dry on hikes as long as six hours. The full zip is the way to go; it allows easy venting when hiking and makes it effortless to get over your boots.

I had to buy the Long Inseam version as I am 6'3". These pants fit very well in the waist and the length was perfect as the pant bottom went all the way to the boot and had a little length left. I will use these in the snow this winter for a couple of events and see how they perform then, so far, I am very pleased with their performance.

Even though the full zip version is somewhat heavier, the time saved by not having to remove your boots is worth it. Very important when time is of the essence. This version seems to be more rugged than the pull-ons. Heavier duty material. Great for winter activities.

You should definitely go ahead and go for these w/the zips. The convenience makes the extra ounces/grams well worth it. These pants are easy on/off, repel water well, and the elastic waste is a nice plus.

These aren't gortex or Arc'teryx, but at $80 you can't beat 'em.

I've used these mainly for spring backcountry skiing where the only real use for any pair of pants is keeping you cool on the skin up and keeping things dry on the ski down. The fabric is very delicate, so if you crash on a rock or get too close to a tree, be prepared for a snag. My only other reservation is that the full zip, when used as a vent, requires both hands and a little too much coordination to zip up again. No gaiters means that you're better off using something more technical for powder. If I hiked in rainier weather than the Wasatch and Tetons they'd have a perminent place in my summer pack.

These are what I take backpacking, hiking or as an emergency waterproof layer on alpine climbs to go over my softshell pants. They are pretty durable for their weight and a good medium fitting pant (not tight or loose). They shed the water very well. Would like to see a waterproof zipper running down the sides to reduce bulk and weight more.

Though the pants had good breathability and waterproofness, the full length zippers are overkill and repeatedly got stuck in the underlying flap of material during the course of one year's wear in the backcountry. Made quick on/ off difficult, a true must for the Montana Rockies.

For any backpacking, this is not the right pant. Due to the full side zips, there is no good waist tightening system. No belt loops so that is not an option either. when I fist bought these pants i loved them but as soon as i wore them with my backpack on they would start to slide down. If you are not planning to be carrying a pack while wearing the i would recomend them because they are comfortable and have pockets to store things.

Great pants for easy hikes in mild weather. great for beginning mountaineers

Great light weight pants. Packs small, breathable and waterproof. I too found the zippers a little stiff. I put some lube on them and fixed the problem. I haven't tested how tough they are. I have snow pants, so the no gaiter issue is not a problem. I was just looking for a waterproof, breathable rain pant and found them.

On the positive side, these pants proved to be waterproof, lightweight, breathable and did the job on the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness for 6 days. Negatives - I'm a 33 waist and after exchanging a medium for a large I found the large was still pretty tight over even shorts. I have no idea what a larger person would do to get a good fit. If you totally unzip the legs, don't expect to get them back on fast in a rain shower (or when the mosquitoes are eating you alive!) Oh, and keep your 100% DEET away from these guys! One of our party had the DEET eat their rainpants! I also found that I had to be careful when kneeling on rocks etc - they do feel fragile. Bottom line - If I were buying again I'd try a different brand. I love my precip rain top, but can't say the same for the pants.....(as anyone who was on our trip with me will attest to!)

So these rainpants are pretty do-able for a good price. They are pretty hard to get on, and once they're on they're not easy to drop for a quick tree. They do block rain, and have ventilation, add a good pair of gaiters, Sierra Designs jacket, and gortex boots and be set for a rainy hike.

Good lightweight rain pant. Love the long size... Finally a size for tall, thin people.

These kept me dry when I needed them to; on a rain-filled 3 day backpack in Yosemite. They do seem rather fragile though. I got a small tear near the left cuff, about a 1/4 inch in size. I guess that's why you wear gaiters. I'd be careful where I kneeled and sat as well. They fended off snow while snowshoeing and survived a couple falls while xc skiing. As long as you don't abuse them, these should be fine. Pack 'em and forget 'em light. Great rain pants for people who know they need to buy rain pants but don't really want to.

Fit my 6'4" son perfectly..he is thin too, and I got an XL.
In truth, have not given them a season of rain to test that part though.

Absolutely loved these. Just got back from the Boundary Waters and used these quite a bit. Note to anyone thinking of the partial zip ones vs. these. GET THE FULL ZIP! Made things so much easier to get on & off w/ dirty/muddy boots. They were pretty durable though I didn't put them through the ringer or anything. Matched up great w/ the PreCip jacket.