Sierra Designs Hurricane Pants

One thing you should know about waterproof materials is that if they're 100% waterproof, they're not breathable. If they're breathable, they're not 100% waterproof. Their main purpose, beside from having an extremely high water repellent property, is to keep you warm by preventing evaporative cooling from making your legs cold. Unless you slow your pace way down or at rest, if you hike in the rain, you will perspire regardless of whether your clothes are breathable or not. This is the dirty little secret that most gear manufacturers don’t want you to figure out. It means you can save a little money for other clothing articles or gear where price differences actually result in better performance.

Features:

• Fully Taped PVC-Free Seams 
• Pant Stuffs into Pocket 
• 12 Inch Ankle Zipper with Storm Flap and Hook & Loop Closure 
• Articulated Knees

There's nothing fancy about my Sierra Designs Hurricane rain pants, but for the price that's less than $60, this 5 oz. piece of gear has kept my bottom dry in every journey I've been on. With the elastic waist band and drawcord adjustment, I can easily put them on when need be. The adjustable zipper cuffs are also very helpful so I get them on quickly without taking my shoes or boots off when it starts raining. I like the nice little right side pocket ( also with zipper) for a convenient access.

 

Specs:

• Inseam Length: 27 in. / 68.6 cm  (Small)
• Weight: 7 oz. (Medium/Large) or 5 oz.(XS/Small)
• Waterproof: 5,000 mm
• Breathability: 5,000 g/m² 

 

Let's talk about gear testing.

Every piece of gear I own, I trust will do its job and keep me safe when I'm in the wilderness. That being said, I still want to know how far my gear can handle and what line shall I draw based on their limitation.

Taking my chance with the waterfall

 

For my Sierra Designs Hurricane pants, I challenged them under a class-5 waterfall at Willow River State Park in Wisconsin. It was during early spring; all the ice had melted and the water level was high. If I wasn't careful, I could get very wet and cold very quickly. It would have been an extremely miserable hike back to the trail head. The flow of the water was intense and yet I stayed completely dry.

Playing in the 60 mph wind & rain storm

Joining the party tent with my camp mates.

Another journey where my rain pants did not disappoint me was when I got caught in a rain mixed with hail storm. In addition to that, were 60+ mph wind gusts. My 3 season tent was flat on the ground due to the wind & rain, and the aluminum stakes were too flexible to withhold that kind of force. I had to stand outside and physically hold the tent up with hopes that everything in my tent remained dry. For the record, the contents in my tent did stay dry. I was a very happy camper. During this vicious storm, I had worn Columbia's new Compounder Shell, the Hurricane pants, and my Montrail waterproof hiking boots while struggling to support the poor tent against gale force winds. "Beer in hand" didn't help. After awhile, as the storm was calming down, I decided to join my camp mates in a gigantic party tent. The storm finally stopped after 2 hours of sprinkling. My camp mates and I stood around our magical campfire, of which we somehow managed to start and keep going for the rest of the night. I then realized my shoulder and arm areas were wet. I unzipped and removed the jacket. The inside of my jacket was glistening in the light of our camp fire. Also, the backside of my shirt was soaked. To make sure the rest of me wasn't drenched, I took my pants off and found every inch of my body from belly button down was perfectly dry. Don't worry, I wasn't completely naked. On a side note, I'd suggest you to not waste your time or money investing in a Columbia Compounder. I was fortunately able to dry my upper body by standing around the fire.

Climbing to the summit of Wyoming's highpoint 

 

Traveling through the Dinwoody Glacier in the Wind River Range, WY.

Worn overtop insulating baselayer(s), my Hurricane pants are a great replacement for snow pants when it comes to weight reduction on long backpacking trips. In fact, I wore them during a climb to the summit of Wyoming's highpoint, the mighty Gannett Peak. 9 hours between glacier traveling and class-3 boulder scrambling, without restricting any mobility, they were so breathable that never once did I get sweaty. My butt was dry throughout the course of me sitting on the glacial snow while belaying the others over a major bergschrund.

My giddy "summit" pose on top of Gannett Peak.

 

Overall thoughts and conclusion 

 

The only downside of the Hurricane pants is that the material is very thin. They do have Ripstop technology, but that won't do much if you have a wrestling match with your highly energetic kittens. Nevertheless, just like any other waterproof, breathable shells out there on the market, after a long period of heavy use, this DWR (durable water repellent) coating will slowly begin to wear off, leaving the fabric exposed not only to water, but also several impurities like skin oil, sweat, and dirt. Once these seep into the membrane, the great benefits will quickly fade away and its waterproof property will decrease. There is nothing you can do about it. However, with proper care and treatment , they will last longer and ensure many years of dry, comfortable outdoor experiences, because, in my opinion, good rain-wear garments are the most essential items in my pack.

All-in-all, not only my Hurricane pants provide excellent waterproofing and wind resistance, but also a great balance between comfort features and light weight. The bottom line is, I love my rain pants. Will I recommend them to others? ABSOLUTELY.