Reviewer Information

• Name: Cora Hussey
• Age: 24
• Gender: Female
• Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
• Weight: 150 lb (70 kg)
• Email address: cahhmc "at" yahoo "dot" com
• Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
• Date: June 12, 2004

Basic Product Information

• Year of Manufacture: 2004
• URL: http://www.redledge.com/
• Listed weight: Unknown
• Weight as Delivered:
  • Pants alone: 11.2 oz (318 g)
  • Included stuff sack: 0.6 oz (17 g)
  • Total: 11.8 oz (335 g)
• Size: Unisex Medium (M)
• My Body Fit Dimensions [Waist Range] x [Inseam]: 30-31 x 32 in (76-79 x 81 cm)
• Color: Black

Preliminary Information

• Date of arrival: June 10, 2004
• Contents of package (contents were complete):
  • One pair Unisex M black pants
  • One stuff sack
• Condition upon arrival: Excellent
• The pants are easy and intuitive to use so far
• The Red Ledge website, however, is under construction so I had no idea what to expect

Product Description

General:

The Thunderlight Full Zip Pants (henceforth known as the pants) are waterproof-breathable coated nylon taffeta pants with articulated knees and a full length coil zipper to separate each leg. The coating is advertised to be waterproof-breathable by the brand name of T-Core with a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) finish. The hangtags offer a bit more information:

The four small icons with white letters have the small subtext of: W: 100% Waterproof B: 100% Breathable T: 100% Taped Seams P: Packable I am not exactly sure what 100% breathable means. Also, it seems that only useful seams are taped -- many seams are not taped, such as all the storm flap seams, but they hopefully will not matter if they leak. Other than those points, the rest of the claims seem reasonable and accurate... with further examination via testing them out in lots of beautiful places, of course.

Zippers and Hems

The zippers have a little (0.6 in / 1.5 cm wide coverage) storm flap on the outside, and a longer (1.6 in / 4 cm wide coverage) storm flap on the inside (skin-side). The bottom cuffs are straight seams (no elastic) and have one hook-and-loop flap closure on the outside. The bottom ankle cuffs can be closed smaller or wider from 14 to 18.5 in (36 to 47 cm) diameter. The waist has 1.5 in (4 cm) wide strip elastic for the waistband as well as an elastic cord with a cordlock. The waist end storm flaps have two hook and loop flaps, one on the outside, and one on the skin-side. The two pictures below illustrate the zippers on the waist and at the ankle cuff. You can see in the first picture that the waist has the two flaps that close together -- I am pulling the outside flap back so you can see. The flaps in the first picture come from the front side and attach via hook and loop to either side of the back waist. The single cuff flap (which I am also pulling back) in the second picture of the ankle cuff likewise attaches front to back.

The zippers are coil YKK zippers. The waist-end sliders have cord zipper pulls in addition to the normal metal zipper pulls. The ankle-side zipper sliders have only metal zipper pulls. The zippers attach and unattach at the waist. That is, to completely separate one leg I zip the bottom ankle zipper slider up to the waist, and separate the zipper. To reattach, both sliders must be at the waist. As a side note, you can probably see the shiny tape used to tape the seam in the cuff (second) picture above. Finally, I want to comment on the seams. Below is a picture of an unfinished seam that runs behind the storm flaps on the inside.

All of the seams are quite clean, and those that are not taped are finished by tucking and stitching... with the exception of the seams inside the storm flaps. The picture above shows the unfinished seam with some white fabric ends showing. It totally does not bother me at all, but I did wonder why, with such nicely finished pants, Red Ledge simply sewed the storm flaps on and left the ends that way. Regardless, the two unfinished seams are quadruple stitched, and are still quite cleanly cut and not obvious or worrisome at all.

Fit

On first impression, I really like the fit a lot. I do not mind baggy pants. These pants have lots of ankle room, a lot of give in the waist, and lots of knee movement room thanks to the inserted panel for articulation. I would much rather have baggy pants than pants that I cannot layer under. These pants seem to be baggy in all the right places for me (knees - for high-stepping; ankles - for bulky boots; butt - for that back-to-civilization cheeseburger). I have an athletic build, and I usually wear a size Men's Small. However, I like to size up to Medium for items I want to layer under. For that purpose (and only trying them in my apartment), these pants fit me perfectly.

Stuffing

Red Ledge provides two ways to stuff the pants. The first way, illustrated in the first picture below, is to stuff the pants in the provided mesh stuff sack. The stuff sack has an elastic draw cord at the top, and a loop with a small plastic clip for attaching the sack to something like cord. The bottom end and top rim of the stuff sack have fabric reinforcements. Stuffing the pants in the stuff sack is quite easy, and there is compression room to spare.

The second picture below illustrates the pants stuffed into their own back pocket. The back pocket is the only pocket on the pants. The pocket has a metal zipper pull on the slider on the inside of the pocket as well as on the outside, so I can use the pocket when both serving as a pocket and when turned inside out as a storage sack. The pocket also has a loop of grosgrain ribbon attached to the corner as can be seen below. Stuffing in the pocket is quite difficult. It took me a full five minutes of futzing with the legs and bulky elastic waist to get everything into the pocket, although the end result was a much more compact package than the stuff sack. I think I like the stuff sack better than the pocket so far, but being able to stuff the pants into the pocket is pretty cool.

Field Testing Plan

Trip Details:

My proposed testing of the Thunderlight pants will be over at least six backpacking trips. These trips will mostly occur in the Sierras and other mountain ranges in California, but will also occur on the ocean and various rivers. Weather will include wind, rain, and most probably some snow. Temperatures will range from hot summer swelter to just below freezing, and most trips will be in my normal abrasive and abusive mountain terrain.

Test Plan Details:

My test plan will be to use the pants instead of my current (cheap and abusable) lightweight two-layer WP/B rain pants. By far and large, I mostly use pants such as these in the wind, cold, and snow. With my current pant options, I prefer to hike in the rain in only my underwear if modesty and professionalism will allow me. However, I also will try these pants out in the rain to see if they outdo the underwear option.

Specifically, I will first look at their fit and ease of use. How do the articulated knees add to their usefulness (I love sports with lots of reachy and bendy moves) and fit? Are they baggy, athletic, easy to fit over layers, and/or constricting? How much fumbling is involved to unzip the sides and put them on? Do the bottom hook and loop tabs stay put for venting? How well do the cuffs fit around different boots, and under gaiters? Can I tuck my shirts and fleece in comfortably for warmth? Does the waist slide around, or stay up with the adjustable draw cord? Finally, how easy are the pants to stuff and pack... into their pocket, their mesh sack, my pocket (or tied on my waist as I sometimes carry wind pants), or my pack?

Next, I will examine their weather resistance. Internal weather management is important to me. Can they vent from top or bottom easily? Does the T-Core coating breathe at all? Then, the pants seem to have a plethora of outer weather management items, from taped seams, to DWR treatment, to double storm flaps. How well do the zippers and flaps buffet wind and wetness? Can I batten down the hatches in bad weather as well as open them up to vent in high exertion?

Finally, I will look at how durable they are, and how easy they are to care for and maintain. Does the material shed dirt and grime? Are they easy to wash and clean at the end of a trip? Do the insteps hold up to skis or heavy boots, and do the butt and knees hold up to sitting on rocks at dinner, kneeling while setting up camp, and generally wearing the pants around and hiking with them?

Initial Observations

These pants seem quite nice. The articulated knees are fantastic so far in my hopping around the apartment, and the fit seems to have give in all the right places. The fabric feels a bit thin, and is certainly noisy and crinkly, but at the same time I have been comfortably sitting here with the pants over my bare skin in Southern California in June as I write this, and I am neither damp nor clammy. Time will of course tell more on breathability, durability, and more, but so far I am impressed. The pants fit well over my various pairs of long underwear and hiking pants and shorts, so I am optimistic about their layering potential in the field. All in all, I am excited to take these out on a trip!

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Reviews > Rain Gear > Jackets and Pants > Red Ledge Full Zip Pants > Cora Hussey > Initial Report