Looking for Hiking Trousers that will not absorb the rain

Water repellent trekking trousers are available. They are water-repellent but not fully waterproof. So they will keep off a shower but not a sustained downpour. You can get waterproof over-trousers for when it gets really wet.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Columbia-Switchback-Mens-Pant-Inseam/dp/B0052AXXEI/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1414868095&sr=8-6&keywords=mens+columbia+trousers
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Columbia-Mens-Maxtrail-Regular-Pant/dp/B004JLNJ86/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414868095&sr=8-1&keywords=mens+columbia+trousers
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Craghoppers-Classic-Walking-Trousers-Khaki/dp/B00MWZB9XS/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1414868095&sr=8-5&keywords=mens+columbia+trousers

Craghopper Kiwi trousers are often for sale in TK Maxx for a lot less than in the outdoor shops.

If you're looking for walking trousers that are both waterproof and can be worn as normal trousers even when it isn't raining, then one option is to look at what Paramo have to offer.

They're fully waterproof (as long as you look after them) but are unlike most waterproof rain trousers in that a) they have no membrane (GoreTex etc.) to wear out or get damaged and b) are much lighter and less 'crunchy' for want of a better word. They have lots of zipped vents to allow ventilation if it gets a bit warm too.

Now, I don't have any Paramo stuff myself, but a few people I walk with do, and they swear by them. They ain't cheap though

Anything made from Goretex, expensive though. Well used to be.

A lot of regular hikers would wear a quickdrying pair of ordinary trousers (e.g. softshell, kiwis) as their normal trousers to cope with the occasional shower, and carry rain trousers for heavier/continuous stuff, the lighter the better. The ideal overtrousers are probably something like the Berghaus Goretex Paclite, but they are expensive & relatively fragile (e.g. in heather/crossing barbed wire). Berghaus Helvyllen overtrousers are cheaper & more sturdy, and the Deluge are cheaper still but not gore-tex.

A good long zip is helpful for getting them on and off over boots.

I suspect the problem with your nylon overtrousers is as much sweating from inside as it is rain getting in.

As others have said, no one pant will cover all requirements - there's always a compromise. Some are better at the compromise than others.

Craghoppers Kiwi are light, dry quickly if wet, breathe perfectly adequately, have the best pocket compliment of any pants, and can be found cheap (under €30 or so) - TK Maxxxx, and the Regatta store in Banbridge Outlet. They're a bit looser than I like, but I can handle that.

The winter-lined Kiwis are as above, but with a fleecy lining. Breathability is reduced, but I've never felt "wet" even during activity.

My faves are the Kiwi Pro Stretch pants. The comfort is unreal, they dry fast, and Regatta in Banbridge were doing them for €33 during the summer.

Regatta's own softshell pants are ****e - really sweaty, not at all breathable.

But all of these will eventually soak up rain - persistent drizzle, heavy downpour, whatever. The advantage of these kinds of pants is that they dry quickly. Washing with a DWR product renews the water repellency very effectively, but again, this eventually wears off, and the pants soak up wet again. Wash with DWR stuff regularly.

Waterproof over trousers are the only pants that will keep rain out. Different fabrics have different levels of breath-ability. Poorly-breathing pants will retain sweat vapour (like condensation on a kitchen window when you're cooking), making you feel damp/wet. IMO, the best pants (and jacket) for breath-ability has been my Rab eVent stuff. But eVent isn't cheap.

I'm sure there are plenty of reasonably breathable waterproof pants out there for reasonable money.

Sounds like the track suit pants and nylon over-trousers need to be resigned to other duties, and some investment made in more suitable stuff. Cotton is generally a big NO-NO while active outdoors.


Mark