What Winter hillwalking trousers?

Have a look at Mountain Equipment Ibex Pro pants - thicker than standard Ibex and room for extra layers underneath and available in longer leg length

Haglofs are long too, certainly worth a look.

Montane super terra pants.. lots of nice features and really rugged

Mammut Basejump have been my normal trousers for some years. Thermals under if really cold, overtrousers if astonishingly cold (or wet).

I've a pair of the Montane ones and they're not great.

They're a weird fit (tight waist and arse but baggy thighs and lower legs) and the zips are a bit crap. If they hadn't been a gift then they'd have gone right back.

FYI I'm 5'11" and weigh 80kg and wear 32" waist jeans.

Order online from a shop with free returns or go to a shop and try some on. I wish I had.

Im a freak of nature/gangly and have the following for mega mountain stomps with doggo.

Fjallraven Barents - they come raw length to be hemmed to your size. Durable and not uncomfortable when wet through.

Fjallraven - Abisko (iirc) ventilated, full length side zips for dumping heat. Thinner material than my Barents, dry quickly.
Don't get drawn into the Fjallraven waxing hype - it doesn't work.

Costco various work pants. They do lined winter versions and convertible summer zip off ones. Plenty of pockets, dry quickly, cheap, durable.

Whatever 'softshell' type trousers fit you and are in the price bracket.

Alpkit do some. The fabric is good but as often happens with Alpkit the fit is a lottery.

I know they are slightly over 100, but Paramo trousers are have always worked well for me for winter activities... they also have other options, not just there full on waterproofs.

Yeah…you’ll totally get a pair of fjallraven trousers for £100. Ha, good one!

Currently I've got a couple of pairs of Berghaus which Just Work. They fit really well, stretch nicely, are windproof enough and dry well. Couple with a nice set of merino or capeline long johns for proper cold. They are often very well priced.

I find that Montane long is not long enough, and so while I love my cosy Terra Extreme's I don't wear them enough as they're too short and too warm.

I found ME trousers didn't go over my thighs.

I used to wear Patagucci all the time, and they were bombproof - but the prices got silly for no tangible benefit.

Depends how tall you are. Most of the brands seem to think a long leg is 33" which isn't long enough for me. That rules out the likes of Montane, Rab and ME.

Mammut is my go to for a good range of trousers with a decent leg length. Also got some winter weight Arcteryx ones but they will be over budget.

Another option is to wear Powerstretch tights with a pair of shorts over the top.

Another one to look at is Keela Scuffer

Check the size charts carefully, manufacturers change fit and style over the years so some of the comments above are not always true. Eg Montane XL long used to fit me about 15yrs ago, then they changed the cut and sizing. It fits me again nowadays

Be careful with styles too, the same brand can have leg length variants by waist size but other styles can have one leg length that varies by waist size, eg Haglofs

I have the Montane Mode Mission pants as my winter WFH trousers - they're slim fit - like tracksuit trousers, but warm and stretchy.

If you get the ME Ibex you may need a different belt as the grippy buckle thing isn't very grippy so slackens off as soon as you breathe / move thus defeating the purpose of having a belt.

I'm still using some Sprayway rainpants from years ago which work really well for my winter hillwalking.

They're in no way cool or trendy, but the couple of pairs of Craghoppers winter lined trousers I have have stood up to use far beyond their remit.

The non-stretch Kiwis have been beaten soundly for many years of trail building work in all weathers. If its properly hoofing it down they wet out, but so do my silly expensive ME softshell ones (not one of my better purchases); the stretchy Kiwi pros aren't far off windproof (not Beast of the East gales, but anything up to that) seem to take ages to wet out in general cloud/dreich/UK mank and are lovely and warm.

ME Ibex trousers are very good.

Big Mountain Equipment fan for trousers but also have great life out of the better Decathlon/Simmond gear.

ME Ibex are good but quite slim in the legs and not that windproof (I agree on the crap belt), hence I recommended the Ibex Pro pant. It's a beefed up version of the standard Ibex without going to ME's much more expensive offerings

https://www.mountain-equipment.co.uk/products/ibex-pro-pant

Had a chuckle about the ibex belt. When the buyer for ME was buying belts, he/she only really had to check it would perform one task, they failed. As ElShalimo the ibex (none pro) def isn't a winter pant IMO and it's probably a bit too slim cut to add longjohns under. I'd also be a bit wary of at least some of the Paramo, I found my Paramo trousers way too warm for anything other than full on winter conditions.

What's the feeling on waterproofness for hillwalking, in the rain?

Do some of the fleece-lined softshell trews not end up drenched and plastered to your legs?

I'm looking to spend closer to £50 - so probably Regatta, Craghoppers or Berghaus rather than ME.

@chakaping - softshell are fine for light showers or drizzle but if it's heavy rain or just drizzle all day stick waterproofs on top of any troos. Otherwise you'll get soaked and have very cold legs. That's just miserable, we've probably all done it and regretted it

Thanks all, I'll have a look around, but the ibex pro are taking my fancy most at the moment. Liking the keela scruffers too.

I've got a pair of original kiwi lined trousers and they're great for general wear in the cold or standing around, but a bit hot, baggy and wet out too easily for hiking. Normal kiwi pro are my go to day to day trousers, think the lined version probably too warm too.

I've got some regatta questra trousers that are actually pretty nice, but sadly too tight to be comfortable. Another pair of regatta that are bursting at the crotch but we're great for winter walking. I'd replace them like for like but they are no longer available.

softshell are fine for light showers or drizzle but if it’s heavy rain or just drizzle all day stick waterproofs on top of any troos. Otherwise you’ll get soaked and have very cold legs. That’s just miserable, we’ve probably all done it and regretted it

Last year up Ben Challum I decided I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of putting my overtrousers on. It was a long, cold miserable day on the hill and I haven't made that mistake again.

Softshell with merino long johns.

Yer getting wet, but you'll be warm. 🙂

I swallowed my brand snobbery and bought some Brasher lined trousers in a sale. Pleasantly surprised by how much I like them, prefer them to my old montane trousers. Under £50 at Millets.

What’s the feeling on waterproofness for hillwalking, in the rain?

Separate them out.

My experience is similar to @dufresneorama @ElShalimo - marketing claims and clever water runs off (due to DWR) mean nothing when faced with a bracingly wet day on the hill...

Layers also mean more adaptability in the wet - mrs_oab has had to put up with me stripping to boxers on the hill only to put over trousers on over them, equally on very cold days my overtrousers are an extra layer of warmth.

What’s the feeling on waterproofness for hillwalking, in the rain?

I wear waterproof shorts over leggings and just let my shins get wet......

mrs_oab has had to put up with me stripping to boxers on the hill only to put over trousers on over them

Quite often end up doing that by accident as I hold off putting waterproofs on until it's too late and I'm soaked to the skin.....

Slightly off from the OP's requirements, but my favourite dry weather outdoorsy trousers are Kuhl Freerydr.

Lovely cut and material, with a really nice texture and hard-wearing

For waterproofing decent overtrousers. I have a variety of softshell trousers with DWR - great in a bit of drizzle, useless in proper rain

I have some Montaine winter trousers which are very good and I particularly like the way they have a hook to hook into your laces. However the cut is a bit odd with not enough material for my arse

I tend to use the OEX softshells I have - with thermals underneath if its going to be cold and waterproofs over the top for rain

Scuffers are OK but have little inherent warmth. I wear the Roadrunner variant throughout the year but they're not warm enough for a cold winter day so you're going to need a baselayer and/or waterproofs too.

My Mrs swears by her Montane Powerup pants. I'm after something very similar but I'd prefer a pocket in mine.

@Scotroutes - as I said above, powerstretch tights with a light pair of shorts over the top works well. All the benefits of the fabric plus then you have pockets.

Pulled the trigger on a pair of ME ibex pro. Taunton Leisure were doing them for £75 which to me is still a lot of money for a pair of trousers (not pants!) but hopefully they'll last many years.

👍

Had a chuckle about the ibex belt. When the buyer for ME was buying belts, he/she only really had to check it would perform one task, they failed.

Sounds like the Columbia Belt - for decoration only.