For certain situations or physical activities, having membrane pants is something essential for the wearer to feel comfortable, regardless of the surrounding weather conditions.
The equipment of the average autumn mountain hiker on the trail is comfortable boots with a membrane - a prerequisite, a jacket with a membrane - similarly. And membrane pants? Well, exactly, this element of the outfit is sometimes downplayed. It is true that the upper part of the body cools off faster, but soaked legs are a feeling far from comfortable. Waterproof boots will be of no use if water penetrates them on the legs from above. Wet legs and feet during an autumn walk? This is a situation you would certainly like to avoid.
As the name suggests, membrane pants have an element that distinguishes them from "ordinary pants." This element is precisely the membrane, which is a special type of coating equipped with pores that provide an effective barrier to water droplets, while allowing water vapor to pass outside the garment. Thanks to this technology, physical activity is possible even in unfavorable weather conditions, such as wind or rain.
The most recognized membrane in the world for years has been the American GORE-TEX® membrane owned by W.L. Gore & Associates. To date, however, many other membranes have appeared on the market that also serve their purpose (such as Omni-Tech® or OutDry™ membranes by Columbia). In the case of this type of product, it is worth betting on reputable manufacturers whose range, due to the high quality of components, will satisfy the most demanding users.
To determine whether a particular membrane is "reliable," it is worth looking at the technical specifications of the product. The most important parameters are the waterproofness and breathability of the membrane.
Men's and women's membrane pants should have a water resistance of no less than 10,000 mm H2O (millimeters of water column). Many users consider just such a value "satisfactory".
Breathability of men's membrane pants is the second important parameter that will largely let you know how comfortable the garment will be. A good-quality membrane should have a value of at least 15,000 g H20/m2 - this is information about the number of grams of liquid that will escape through the membrane of a square meter area in a day.
The higher the value, the more efficient the membrane is and your comfort increases.
The breathability of the membrane can also be given by the value of the RET evaporation resistance coefficient. In this case, the smaller the value, the better for us, as this is information on how much resistance the laminate offers to water vapor.
Depending on your preferred activity, it is a good idea to adjust the RET ratio for your own needs. The higher range of values (6-13 RET) is intended for those who want to feel comfortable with moderate physical activity. For amateurs of high, intense activity, a range of 0 to 6 RET is advisable.
With both men's and women's membrane pants, their parameters should provide adequate comfort and protection, taking into account the circumstances of use. The wide selection of models offered by leading manufacturers will allow you to customize this type of clothing according to your requirements and activities. Thus, in the case of mountain trekking, for example, it is worth choosing pants that will be lightweight and easy to pack, and made of stretch fabric so that they will restrain your movements the least. Unzippable legs are also useful - this will enable you to put on or pull down your pants, even with your boots on. Such zippers should be covered with a waterproof strip or laminated (splash-proof) to prevent water from getting through, and the seams should be sealed. Pockets in such pants are not a necessity, but they will not harm us in any way either. More specialized will be skiing products, or climbing and expedition products. With this type of specialized clothing you will find additional features such as suspenders, profiled knees, heavier and more durable material.
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