I bought a pair of Mountain Hardware Cohesion Rain Pants recently to try them out. They were billed to weigh 9 oz. My current rain pant is a Golite Reed pant that actually weighs 6.4 oz in a size extra large. The Reed is a very basic breathable rain pant. It sheds water but and has no venting or ankle zips. I was hoping that the Cohesion pants would be a weight efficient substitute with better breathability due to leg length side zips for venting. MH claims that the pant’s bonded inner liner makes the more comfortable than your normal clammy rain pants and I hoped that I might be able to actually dump my regular hiking pants, saving 14 oz, by just wearing these full time in black-fly zones where a full length pant is required.
The Cohesion rain pants are made with a waterproof/ breathable fabric branded as Conduit DT that is yet another multilayer laminate based on Gortex. They have an elastic waist, gusseted crotch, and taped seams. The zippers start at the upper hip and go all the way down the leg so you can get them over boots if you need to. Unfortunately, the Cohesion pants in a size extra large weigh 11.4 oz. not 9 oz. In all fairness, MH claims the 9 oz weight is "on average". I guess that’s why I feel compelled to blog actual weights.
The full length zips on the Cohesion are nice for high exertion sports like snowshoeing but have limited utility if it’s pouring rain and you want to vent your legs. If you are looking for a rain pant with side zips, I suggest you look at Marmot Precips instead. In a size extra large, the Precips weigh 9 oz. That’s. 2.4 oz. less with the same features.
For me, I’m sticking with my 6.4 oz GoLite Reed rain pants and giving up on the notion that I can substitute rain paints for hiking pants.
There is a lesson to learn here: the primary purpose of rain pants is not to keep you dry, but to keep you warm. They provide a vapor barrier that prevents the chilling effect that occurs when water or sweat evaporates from your skin. I have seen friends who don’t wear rain gear get hypothermia in 50 degree weather, so this is a very serious thing to understand. If you want to read more about this, see my post on Vapor Barrier Clothing
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1 user commented in " Mountain Hardware Cohesion Rain Pants "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackI own a Montane “Atomic DT” rain pant which weighs in size L 5.7oz. It is very similar to the Golite Reed but with ankle zips. The manufacturer uses his own breathable membrane, stating a minimum of 10,000mm hydrostatic head and a minimum MVTR of 8,000g/m²/24hrs. The pant works great but with intense hiking - like always - that breathability is something more working in a lab than in reality.
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