Montbell Versalite Pants Review

Montbell’s Versalite Pants are 2-layer ultralight waterproof/breathable pants that weigh just 3.7 oz (in a men’s XL.) They can be used as rain pants or wind pants or when you want light layer to keep your legs warmer in camp. Montbell’s Versalite Pants have been available for many years, but the company recently switched from an in-house waterproof/breathable membrane to Gore Windstopper, resulting in a big improvement in their water resistance and breathability (more below). That, coupled with their extremely light weight and minimal features, make the Versalite Pants an attractive option for anyone wanting to reduce their gear weight.

Specs at a Glance

• Gender: Men’s and Women’s models available
• Weight: 3.7 oz (men’s XL)
• Sizing: 4 sizes available
• Water Pressure Resistance: 30,000 mm
• Breathability: 43,000 g/m²/ 24 hrs
• 2 layer Gore Windstopper with DWR
• 10 denier ballistic rip-stop nylon
• Price: $139

Fabric upgrade

The previous generation of Versalite pants was a 15d rip-stop nylon, 2.5 layer pant that used Montbell’s proprietary waterproof layer called Super Hydro Breeze (Water resistance : 20,000 mm / Breathability : 15,000 g/m²/ 24 hrs). The new Versalite Pants, reviewed here, is a 10d ripstop nylon, 2-layer pant made with a Gore Windstopper waterproof layer (Water resistance : 30,000 mm / Breathability : 43,000 g/m²/ 24 hrs). The waterproofing and breathability performance of the new pants is considerably better.

Design and construction

The Versailte Pants are black and with a grey coating on the inside to protect the waterproof/breathable membrane from oils, suntan lotion, and dirt. The interior of the pants does not feel clammy, even when worn over shorts and directly against the skin. However, the grey coating is easily scratched off, particularly near the ankles if you put the pants on while wearing shoes or boots. Gravel stuck in the shoe sole scrapes against the coating and tears it off.

The pants are cut from a single piece of fabric, which reduces the number of seams that have to be taped in their manufacture. This reduces the chance of water leakage and helps reduce gear weight. The pants do have one taped seam down the centerline, running down the crotch and up the backside.

The fit is relaxed but not baggy in the legs. The rain pants do run a bit long, though it’s hard to tell how long the legs are on the size you order since they vary and the length listed on the Montbell website is for a size medium. The pants don’t have any pockets and there are no zippers, including ankle zippers.

There is an elastic waistband, augmented by a drawstring. The drawstring does not run all the way through the waistband and is sewn in near the front, which limits your ability to tighten the waist. The drawstring itself doesn’t come with a cordlock to hold any tension, so I added one to keep them snugged tight.

Sewn-in drawstrings are also a common point of failure in pants because they tear out easily and it is quite difficult to sew them back in unless you’re skilled in sewing repairs.  While the sewn-in drawstring on the Versalite Pants has resisted my tugs, and endured field use, I’ve had such bad experiences with pants (from other brands, too numerous to list) that use this type of drawstring anchor that I avoid it whenever possible.

Field performance

Montbell’s Versalite Pants are a dream to use in wind, rain, and cool weather to retain warmth in camp. The factory DWR sheds rain very well and they breath well when worn over shorts and lightweight long pants. The legs are also wide enough that I can put them on and take them off easily without removing my shoes (size 10.5 men’s trail runners), with some room to spare.

While the legs are a little bit longer than I prefer, the elastic cords at the bottom of each leg can be used to hold them at ankle height, preventing the hems from dragging on the ground, while sealing out drafts and splash-back. You simply pull on the exposed portion of the cord, twist it once, and pull it over your shoe so it rests around your ankle. The elastic cord doesn’t restrict blood flow and is hardly noticeable. Montbell calls it the Samue Leg Closure System and it harkens back to the technique used by the Zen monks of Japan to adjust traditional work clothing using ties sewn inside clothing instead of elastic cord.

However, the Versalite Pants are easy to tear and my pair already sport tenacious tape patches on the lower legs. I wouldn’t recommend them off-trail or wearing them on trail if you had to walk through waist high vegetation. The 10 denier fabric is simply too thin to rebuff contact with the point objects you find in forests.

Comparable Rain Pants

Model	Zipper	Weight	MSRP
Outdoor Research Helium II	Ankle	5.4	119
Columbia Rebel Roamers	None	11	50
Precip Full Zip	Full	12	100
Precip Regular	Ankle	8.9	80
Mountain Hardwear Stretch Ozonic	Full	10	150
Kuhl Jetstream	Ankle	8.8	175
The North Face Venture	Half	8.1	80
REI Talusphere	Full	15	109
Arc'teryx Beta SL	Ankle	9.2	199
Patagonia Torrentshell	Half	10	99
Marmot Minimalist	Ankle	10.3	165
Outdoor Research Foray	Three Quarter	10.7	175
Montane Minimalist	Ankle	5.3	165
Frogg Toggs Ultralite Pants	None	5	25
Red Ledge Thunderlight	None	8.9	39
Red Ledge Thunderlight Full Zip	Full Zip	12.5	55
Red Ledge Free Rein Full Zip	Full Zip	13.3	80
La Sportiva Hail	None	5.9	179
Arc'teryx Alpha SL	Ful Zip	12.9	269
Helly Hansen Voss	None	14	35
Montbell Stretch Full Zip	Full Zip	10.8	149
Montbell Rain Trekker	Half	8.6	89
Montbell Peak Shell	None	4.6	119
Montbell Convertible Rain Pants	None	6.1	119
Mountain Laurel Designs Rain Chaps (Silnylon)	NA	2.2	45

Recommendation

Montbell’s Versalite Pants are ultralight waterproof/breathable rain pants that weight less than 4 oz and are made with a thin 10 denier ripstop nylon. They’re very basic with a drawstring waist, but no pockets or ankle zippers in keeping with their minimalist vibe. While pants like this are great to wear in rain or as a lightweight warmth layer, they are fragile and easily torn. If the cost of occasional replacement isn’t a barrier, the weight alone is the main reason I’d buy them. The fact that they have superb water resistance and breathability rating is just icing on the cake.

Disclosure: Montbell provided the author with pair of pants for this review.

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