Patagonia Women's Torrentshell 3L Rain Pants - Short - Black / XL

Rain pants as a concept are awful, and there is a reason most hikers forego them altogether. Most rain pants are two layer and don't breathe, so as soon as you start to sweat, the pants just turn into a permeable membrane, letting all the rain in and leaving you hiking through the bush in a sopping weight plastic bag. These Patagonia pants are three layers, which means they're as breathable and as waterproof as your good raincoat. They actually keep the rain out (I just wore them in a massive storm on top of the Bogong High Plains, the ultimate challenge), and they're comfortable enough to pass as hiking pants on cold windy days. They were so good I plan on wearing them cross country skiing next year, and they'll be a staple in my pack when hiking alpine areas. ... MoreRain pants as a concept are awful, and there is a reason most hikers forego them altogether. Most rain pants are two layer and don't breathe, so as soon as you start to sweat, the pants just turn into a permeable membrane, letting all the rain in and leaving you hiking through the bush in a sopping weight plastic bag. These Patagonia pants are three layers, which means they're as breathable and as waterproof as your good raincoat. They actually keep the rain out (I just wore them in a massive storm on top of the Bogong High Plains, the ultimate challenge), and they're comfortable enough to pass as hiking pants on cold windy days. They were so good I plan on wearing them cross country skiing next year, and they'll be a staple in my pack when hiking alpine areas. These pants made me believe in pants again, five stars.

I am really liking these pants so far. Have worn them on multiple walks in the rain and they have kept me dry. I love the zip leg with the snap buttons on the bottom. I feel they do fit true to size, though I do need to use the drawstring to tighten them at the waist. But at 5'4" and ~135-140lbs, I feel that the extra small would be too small for me. My only complaint about these pants is the lack of an inside loop to hang the pants on a hook to dry them (I am forced to throw them over a door, or hang just from the back waistband, which i feal will wear the inside material after repeatedly hanging them this way)

These pants are great at keeping me dry but the fabric is noisy when moving. I have raincoats which do the same, the price for staying dry and probably unavoidable. My only criticism of these pants relates the zippers on the legs. I wish they were longer to more easily facilitate putting the pants on with muddy hiking boots already on. Rain storms on the trail happen often in the PNW and I do not want to take my boots off to pull these rain pants on. Otherwise, these pants are great. They fit well over pants and do not cause overheating. The fabric seems tough enough to withstand years of clambering over boulders and downed trees.