Gear

Im looking at purchasing a pair of salopettes to replace my gore tex paclite overtrousers which have served their time now. Im opting for salopettes due to the fact that they will not ride down during the course of a walk but i have no experience of wearing them nor do i know anyone with a pair. 

 I'd appreciate it if someone could let me know of any pitfalls or things to watch out for when purchasing a pair, ive been looking at the mountain equipment changabang salopette and a pair of arc'teryx salopettes which cost 2 fortunes unsurprisingly. A pair of event salopettes would be great with a 3/4 length riri aquazip although i havent been able to find anything like this as yet.

 Thanks

Salopettes are great for climbing in wild weather, but possibly overkill for walking - especially if you're in the kind of UK climate that necessitates putting them on and off a few times. Plus they often need zips all over the place to allow you to go to the loo. So, if trousers falling down when you are walking is the problem, why not just use braces? Then you could use lighter, more flexible overtrousers too - perhaps something like the RAB Bergen -  which don't, in my experience, pull down much anyway.

I've alway assumed salopettes are mainly for skiing?   Got a couple of pair for skiing, a more expensive soloman's pair and a cheaper cross pair, although the cross pair are cheaper I like them as they have side vents which really let the air in to cool you down when the going gets hot.

I did consider using them for the final kili ascent but decided they would be too hot, so bought a second hand pair of patagonia super guide pants instead for about £30, which seem fine, but also have braces...

Depths of winter...salopettes are just the job...especially when the spindrift is blowing...

any other time....I use braces and trousers

I've used salopettes for years, right back to the Rohan multiflex ones in the 80s, then Ultrafleece ones, ME Kongur goretex ones, and for the last 10 years Paramo Aspiras. Funnily enough, I've just come off the phone from talking to Cioch about a made-to-measure pair .

But 90% of what I use them for is ski-touring or downhill skiing, and the other 10%  is winter walking and mountaineering. They're great in cold, wet/snowy conditions - when I expect to put them on and keep them on all day (hence the Paramo/Cioch variety).

But, as has been said, they're a faff to get on and off, and I certainly wouldn't choose a pair in place of standard waterproof trousers for regular use. Bear in mind that everytime you want to change you'll also need to remove your jacket (and possibly other layers?). Bear in mind too that you'll be encasing your torso in 2 layers of goretex / Paramo or whatever.... with the consequences that has for increased warmth, decreased breathability, and reduced venting options.

All in all, I reckon they're great for all-day use in extreme conditions, but for general walking and backpacking I'd stick with overtrousers and aim to find some with an effective drawcord and/or belt-loop arrangement. At most I'd add my own braces (which introduces the 'jacket off' issue but avoids the other complications).

I've took to wearing my Montane Event Venture 'pants' when it's wet, on their own, not over other trousers BUT, and it's a BIG but... they tend to work their way down and water gets in round the back when scrambling etc. I did think about braces, are there 'special' outdoor ones that won't damage the Event material?

I think on a day when you know it's going to be proper wet i.e. any day in Wales, then salopettes are probably the answer

Well, there are salopettes and there are salopettes...

I have too many pairs (curse TK Maxx: must put up some classifieds), ranging from a pair of lightweight Lowe Alpine Paclite, through ProShell to insulated ripstop Gore-tex.

Since I'd only wear them walking in winter, I'd only wear them over a base layer, or powerstretch tights, and wouldn't want them lined.  For walking, I'd also look at a slimmer cut pair, as I can't abide the 'swishing' you get with big pants...  I've seen a mate wearing a nice pair of slim Patagonia salopettes, but never seen them on sale.

> are there 'special' outdoor ones that won't damage the Event material?

If the waist band gets a little damaged, it's not the end of the world; after all, it should be protected from the elements by your jacket.  So any bog-standard clip-on braces should do.

Reminds me that on a UKC Glencoe meet a few years ago, I mended the adjustment clip of a friend's braces, using a bit of steel beercan.  It survived for the next three years...

A bit of a "me too" post, backing up the opinions above that in winter, and especially for skiing, they're the badger's nadgers, but for walking, unless it's real winter conditions, probably more trouble than they're worth.

I think I'd only want sloppets in a waterproof shell material if I was winter climbing a lot.  Mine are stretchy soft-shell and used in winter that means usually enough to keep out the clag (which tends to be less wet below zero) and on skis I can stop anywhere to pull on over-trousers in a way that may not work half way up a steep ice pitch!

Sloppets are a faff on and off so are really for all-day wear.  Why anyone would choose to spend all day in conventional hard shell waterproofs if the rain hadn't really set in is a bit of a mystery to me...

Pete.

Mammut make some groovy braces - see here. No metal clips to dig into you or your clobber, you just need some loops on your trousers - easy to add if they have none. You can get them here. Some mammut pants, like the champ pants on the same page, have appropriate loops already attached.