Red Ledge Elite Full Zip Pants

Initial Review
April 3, 2006

Tester Information

Name: Raymond Estrella
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Height: 6' 3" (193cm)
Weight: 210 lb (95 kg)
Email address: rayestrella@hotmail.com
City: Huntington Beach
State: California
Country: USA 

Backpacking Background: I have been hiking for over 30 years, all over the state of California. I have also hiked in Washington, Minnesota, Nevada, Arizona, and Idaho. I hike year-round, mostly in the Sierra Nevada, and put 555 miles (894 km) on my boots last year.  As I start my 4th decade of backpacking I am making the move to lightweight gear, and smaller packs.

The product

Manufacturer: Red Ledge
Web site: www.redledge.com
Product: Elite Full Zip Pants
Style: 18622
Size: Large
Year manufactured: 2006
MSRP: $60.00 (US)
Weight: 13.3 oz (377 g)
Color tested: Obsidian
Warranty: (Quoted from hang tag) “All Red Ledge products are fully warranted to the original owner against defects in material and workmanship.”

Product description

The Elite Full Zip Pants (hereafter called the pants) came with a hang tag attached to them. The tag has the model name and number, size, color and suggested retail price on the outside. It also has the warranty information on it. Inside of the tag is an insert telling about the seam sealing process used in the construction of the pants.

Surprisingly there is no mention of the 2.5 Layer water-proof breathable fabric that the pants are made of. The fabric is nylon with a polyurethane membrane on the inside face.

The pants have a snap that is surrounded by Velcro to make sure they stay closed. I like that feature. Below it is a fly with a 7” (18 cm) zipper. The 1.5” (3.8 cm) wide waistband has elastic in three areas. There are also two snaps and a 4” (10 cm) piece of Velcro on each side to adjust the fit of the pants. These are located at the top of the zippers that run the full length of the legs. Here is a picture of the attachment point and a side zipper.

Inside of the waist band at the back is a nylon hang loop, and two sewn-in tags. One has the Red Ledge name and logo. The other tag has materials and washing instructions. It is suggested to machine wash cold, gentle cycle with mild detergent, and to line dry.

On the front of the pants are two diagonal zippers that access mesh pockets. In the back right side is a rear pocket that doubles as a storage sack. To utilize it I stuff the pants into the pocket from the inside-out. The zipper has a double sided pull that allows it to close the pocket. There is also a nylon loop that is sewn on to the pocket. The stuffed size is 6.5” x 7.5” x 3” (16.5 x 19 x 7.6 cm) Here is a picture of it stuffed in this manner.

At the bottom of each leg is a snap to keep the zipper from opening unintentionally. Inside of the cuffs is a drawstring to close the leg opening.

The side zippers are double-ended, and can be opened from the top down, the bottom up, or both at the same time. By pulling the bottom slide all the way up to the waistband it can be completely separated. This will allow the pants to be put on without having to lift a foot. The zippers are protected from the elements by a flap both inside and outside of the pants. All of the zippers with the exception of the fly have pull strings attached to them. I like that.

The crotch is gusseted, and the knees are articulated for maneuverability.

From my inspection of the pants, they seem to be very well made. The stitching is all very nice. Every line of stitching has been seam-taped on the inside. I will be surprised if these pants leak.

Testing

I will take these along with me for all of this year’s hiking. We will be in the Bristlecone Pine Forest at the end of May, and will climb Mount Shasta in June. I have planned trips to San Jacinto in July, a four or five day trip in the eastern Sierra in September, and the southern half of the John Muir Trail in October. I do a lot of over-nighters during the year also.

I always carry rain shell pants and coat on each trip. Not only do I use them for protection from the elements, but also put them over a fleece to create a warm package.

Things I will be checking out will include the following.

Obviously, how well does the 2.5 Layer fabric keep out moisture? If I have to hike for five hours in a down-pour, is it going to keep me dry?

Will the waterproofing remain for the whole season of being stuffed repeatedly into my packs? Will the seams stay sealed?

I am a hard sweating hiker. Will the breathable nature of the 2.5 Layer fabric be able to keep up with me? It has side zips, which should help a lot, but are they easy to access? Will they snag? Snagging problems have made me retire a rain shell, and an arctic shell in the past.

How well do all the zippers work? Can I get them on fast when I need to? Shasta will see the necessity of gloves. Will I be able to work the zipper with them on? The full zip on the pants means that I don’t have to take off my boots to get them on. Will they hold up to being scraped by my boots going on and off?

Spring hiking means pushing through over-grown trails. Will the Elites prove durable in the long run with this normal spring-time abuse? Can they be used in winter conditions?

Will they pack down compact? I try to keep volume down as much as weight. So this will be looked at.

I would like to thank Red Ledge and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to test these pants.