Outdoor Research Women's Helium Rain pants-Black-XS

This was an item that I recently added to my backpack where the weight savings made a huge difference compared to what I was using. They are so light you can barely feel them, which means I throw them in much more often for other types of travel and dayhikes, as well. I find them really comfortable though it's because I sized up (I wear 10/12 pants, am fairly hippy, and chose an XL). They are large enough to wear over hiking pants. The bottoms are a bit baggy but I don't mind because it makes them really easy on/off over boots, which is huge when conditions are changing. No pockets, but I have pockets in my rain jacket so this isn't a deal breaker. I wore them on a rainy 5-day backpack, including one day of pouring rain bashing through wet brush, and they kept me ... MoreThis was an item that I recently added to my backpack where the weight savings made a huge difference compared to what I was using. They are so light you can barely feel them, which means I throw them in much more often for other types of travel and dayhikes, as well. I find them really comfortable though it's because I sized up (I wear 10/12 pants, am fairly hippy, and chose an XL). They are large enough to wear over hiking pants. The bottoms are a bit baggy but I don't mind because it makes them really easy on/off over boots, which is huge when conditions are changing. No pockets, but I have pockets in my rain jacket so this isn't a deal breaker. I wore them on a rainy 5-day backpack, including one day of pouring rain bashing through wet brush, and they kept me totally dry. I basically love them, but they have one flaw for me: not surprisingly, the weight is a trade-off with durability. I took them out of my backpack this year and found them with a mysterious tear in the rear - probably snagged on something in my pack (though nothing sharp in there) or sat on a rock or??? So now they have a bit of duct tape on that spot - maybe I'll glue it shut at some point. Their lightness/comfort makes up for it all, though.

From the first wear, these pants were leaking through the membrane. After one quick walk (less than 30 minutes) in moderate rain, the water had seeped through the membrane at the front of both thighs, leaving my pants underneath soaked. This worsened in the second and third wear. I'm hoping this can be resolved through warranty as it's clearly a defect, but I won't be repurchasing.

After many years with my Marmot rain pants and one very fun butt slide down snow, it was time for me to invest in new rain pants.I could not have been much more disappointed by these :(I wore these 4-5 times on a single backpacking trip, with no extreme or unusual use (no butt sliding this time!). The entire seat is now fraying and torn open in 2 places. I sat still on flat slabs of rock a couple times while cooking, but otherwise only wore these while lounging in camp or hiking.NOT DURABLE AT ALL :(I'd recommend Marmot instead.