Soon after breaking camp in the morning a rainstorm hit and kept raining the most of the day, strong enough at times to turn the trail into a mini-stream. As soon as the rain started I put on the GoLite Whim pants. Fortunately there was plenty of time to put them on, before the rain actually broke through the canopy; I say fortunately because one of the major problems with the Whims is that I need to remove my hiking boots before putting on the Whims. Had I been outside of the canopy my I would have had soaked socks -- the rain did not start off light or gentle.

By lunchtime the rain had let up to a gentle sprinkle, and by late afternoon only the drops from the canopy above remained to let me know how the day had started. Lunch went by uneventfully, sitting under my rainfly, still wearing the GoLites. The chill of the day was noticed on my bare hands (58° F, 14° C), but the Whim pants kept the breeze from penetrating my legs -- a nice feeling. They may be light-weight, but they were every bit as effective at stopping the wind as my windproof, breathable, heavier weight jacket.

By late afternoon the temperature had risen to the day's high of 64° F (18° C), the wind had died down to almost nothing, and the rain was reduced to droplets from the canopy. This seemed a good time to sit down, remove the GoLite Whim pants, and assess their condition and performance. Buffeting from the shrubs and jagged bushes (trails are narrow in the Alleghenies), left the Whims seemed no worse for the wear. I could find no signs of rips, tears, or holes! What was even better was that my hiking pants were dry -- the GoLite Whims had kept the rain out.

The remaining hour back to the trailhead was uneventful, and my pants were only a little wet from rubbing against the bushes. All-in-all, a pleasant trip.

Saturday night it rained all night long, forcing me to don my GoLite Whims while still in my hammock -- interesting feat. After breakfast I broke camp and headed out to meet up with my hikers, the Whims were comfortable, and I was dry, for the hike out to meet them. By the time I reached the trailhead the rain had stopped so I took them off and laid them on top of my Jeep to dry. Within 30 minutes I headed out with my group and a dry pair of Whims in my back pocket. The remainder of the day was uneventful, so far as the Whims were concerned.

The next day was pretty breezy as a new front headed in, with sprinkles on and off most of the day. I wore the Whims to shed the showers, and so that I didn't have to sit down on a wet rock or log and get my hiking pants wet. For the most part I was comfortable, even with temps in the 75°F range (24°C), so long as I remained in the cover of the canopy. When I trekked into open fields the sun quickly made the Whim pants heat up to the point where I questioned if I wanted to deal with wet hiking pants or hot legs, I stuck with the Whims.

• Light weight and easy to stuff into a pocket
• Plenty water resistant for emergency wear
• Dries quickly
• Kept chilly winds off my legs

• Impossible to get over hiking boots
• Dark material heats up quickly in the sun
• A little noisy when legs rub together