This year i want to start walking in the winter i have enough kit to keep my top half warm but my light trousers will be to cold to walk in was wondering what others wear do you lare up or use heaver trousers could you give me some options before i head for the shops i will be walking in scottish highlands thanks for any help you can give
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 My leg options don't change throughout the year but then I rarely get to go anywhere seriously cold. I always carry / wear a pair of Montane Terras, a pair of merino wool longjohns and a cheap pair of waterproof / breathable overtrousers.
When it's dry and warm, the latter two don't get used, though at night I usually kip in the longjohns as they're more comfortable than the Terras, which might have got wet and need drying. So far I've found that this combo allows for plenty of options and has never failed to keep me warm. Saying that, if I had the money and a need to camp in the cold, I'd probably swap the Terras for something by Paramo (either the Velez or the Torres).
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Stretchy softshell trousers are nice for winter walking, especially the ones made from Schoeller fabric, I find, like the ME Combin pants. But longjohns under thinner trousers is a much cheaper option that works very well, as Warhippo says, or the Paramo Velez trousers. I was wearing a pair of the latter yesterday in the Borrowdale fells, where it never got above freezing and was generally well below, and I was very comfortable.
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At the risk of sounding like a broken record..... Montane Terra XT. I've worn them in the best and worst weathers and never been disappointed. After 2 years of use I still trust them to just work and these days with modern clothing that's pretty good.
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I can advice a three layer solution. 1. Long johns 2. trousers 3. hardshell Layer 2 can be replaced with a thicker trouser like a Schoeller dryskin trouser. Mucg and much warmer in this 3 layer system (polar...)
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 I met a girl in Crianlarich YH last winter who swore by two pairs of Ronhills in the winter, with waterproof over trousers when it rained or too windy. Decent fleece troos under your summer kit. Paramo cascadas with/out ordinary thermals under.
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 A pair of lined craghopper kiwis or a Berghaus Extrem windstopper w/ long johns depending on how I feel. (The Craghoppers are warm but a little scratchy...)
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 I met a girl in Crianlarich YH last winter who swore by two pairs of Ronhills in the winter, with waterproof over trousers when it rained or too windy. Decent fleece troos under your summer kit. Paramo cascadas with/out ordinary thermals under.
In the winter I either wear Rab VR trousers which are great OR Ron Hills with normal Craghopper Kiwis over the top
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 Yeah I too like Rab Vapour Rise trousers. I don't wear them nearly as much as my VR jacket but they manage to stay comfortable in a huge variety of different winter temperatures and conditions. PS I run quite cold
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| Edited: 28/11/10 18:20 |
Paramo Cascadas are good in winter.They are waterproof & are available in different leg lengths. (I find most manufacturer's waterproof trousers are far too long for my legs but the cascadas are an ideal length) Like you I also tend to run cold. They are too warm for summer, but in winter they are fine. Last winter I wore the Paramo Long Johns underneath the Cascadas whilst up in driving wind/sleet through several inches of snow on the hillside. My legs were warm & completely dry the wholetime, even after having to sit inthe snow to slide down due to the ice.
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| Edited: 28/11/10 21:34 |
 The above is all good advice, but like anything in this world it depends on you and personnel experiance. If you 'feel' the cold wear more or put on something if your stopping for a while. I tend to 'run' hot but cool down quickly. My solution is to wear fleece lined trousers and put on a pair of over trousers when stopped. If I know I won't be moving about to much, e.g. belaying, I will wear warm gear, (with full leg vents), so can let warmth 'out' if required. This has proved well, FOR ME, down to -35c, but you will , eventually, find what works bst for you. To start I'd use the 2/3 layer system, so you can add/subtract layers depending how you feel. Note I haven't mentioned any brands. It depends on what you already have or can afford. It can also depends on how often you will use gear. I think there's no point buying 'top' of the range gear till you find out what works and how often you will use it.
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Indeed huskyman with a 3 layer system you can regulate the warmth very good. 
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 I'll either wear soft shell trousers (something in a Schoeller Dryskin or clone fabric), or layer under normal walking trousers. That layer might be a simple base layer, or it might be PowerStretch tights if very cold. I also wear Pertex windproof pants over the tights sometimes, as this is less restrictive, due to the lack of binding between the Pertex and underlayer (technically, Pertex has good 'gliss'...)
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 Like others I wear softshell (Haglofs Ibex II) or my normal trews (currently Craghoppers Kiwis) with longjohns in colder weather. And if below freezing the softshell trousers plus longjohns. When it is really cold it is the extra wind resistance of the softshell trousers that I appreciate but I find normal trousers plus longjohns more comfortable. Softshell trousers tend to be quite a close fit and ideally I prefer a looser fit.
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If you are looking for a pair of winter trousers at a Budget price you could consider the Regatta Geo Softshell Trousers. They are made of the same fabric as some of the Regatta Soft Shell Jackets. Go Outdoors have them for £32.99.
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.jpg) Terra Xt2.0's were magic for a couple seasons, now upgraded to Patagonia Backcountry Guides, very, very good.
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thanks for the info. think i will go for the layer system then i canwork out what works for me thanks again
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 Paramo's Aspira trousers & if it is going to be really cold with a pair of merino leggings. I also have Paramo's Torres trousers which I find too warm to walk in but keep them in my pack to over layer if I get stuck out over night in the winter time.
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 Paramo velez. I have worn in all but summer conditions. Last week in on Coniston old man I used thermals as well. A mate had VR with thermals both of us were warm enough.
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