REI Activator Softshell Pants Review
REI’s Activator Pants are softshell pants that are ideal for winter hiking with a great balance of warmth, water resistance, and stretch. They’ve been my go-to winter hiking pants for over 10 years in New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts.
- Gender: Men’s (Women’s also available)
- Pockets: 5
- Material: 63% nylon/26% polyester/11% spandex (bluesign approved)
- DWR: Nonfluorinated durable water repellent
- Closure: Zipper fly with double snap closure
- Fit: True to size.
- Weight: 15.1 oz
- Pros: Windproof to 30 mph, great pockets, water resistant, breathable
- Cons: Belt not included.
Available for both men and women, these softshell pants are highly breathable to prevent sweat build-up, with articulated knees and a gusseted crotch for freedom of movement. They’re rated windproof to 30 mph wind and coated with non-florinated DWR (durable water repellent) for moisture protection. The DWR prevents the pants from becoming soaked when you fall on snow.
The Activator Pants have five pockets. There are two side pockets and one over the knee that close with zippers, and two rear pockets that close with snaps. The women’s model has a slightly different knee pocket that zips up along the inseam and not over the knee. All five of the pockets are mesh-backed for enhanced ventilation.
The pant’s fabric is quite stretchy, which also enhances their comfort. The pants close in front with a burly zipper and two robust snaps at the waist.
The Activator Pant legs are slightly flared to fit over insulated winter hiking boots but they don’t have ankle zips or snaps. However, they do come with a drawcord adjustment at the ankle that lets you cinch your pants down over your boots to keep out debris or roll them up to ford a stream. Mind you, I find these pants too warm in anything but winter temperatures when most streams are frozen over.
Softshell Pants are Ideal in Winter
While everyone’s metabolism is different, I’ve found that softshell pants alone provide the most comfort in terms of breathability, temperature regulation, water resistance, and wind resistance for winter hiking, snowshoeing, and skiing. I can wear these Activator pants down to 15-20 degrees F before adding a wind layer on top for added protection and warmth when I’m actively hiking, snowshoeing, or XC skiing.
I usually wear my Activator Pants with 6″ Under Armour boxer shorts, insulated Oboz winter boots, and high gaiters. While none of these are considered layers in the strict sense of the word, they do significantly boost the range of the Activator Pants in cold temperatures, covering everything except my knees in a second layer of insulation.
REI Activator Pants
Breathability
Water Resistance
Ease of Movement
Comfort
Sizing
You actually want to run a little cool when winter hiking or snowshoeing because your body is generating so much heat. That’s why it’s important to have extra layers handy when you stop, like a puffy insulated jacket or a pair of rain or wind pants that you can pull over your winter hiking pants, to slow the release of body heat. The combination will warm you right up if you’re standing still.
Recommendation
REI’s Activator Softshell Pants are available in 30, 32, and 34″ lengths and in waist sizes from 30 to 50″, including women’s regular, tall, and petite sizes. If this is your first pair of winter hiking pants, I’d recommend getting them a bit shorter than normal since you’ll be wearing winter boots and gaiters: any bunching of extra pant fabric around your feet will be awkward and make your calves sweat significantly more.
I wear these pants under my waders when cold weather fly fishing. They do an excellent job of keeping me warm when standing relatively still in cold water. On a related subject, have you still been Tenkara fishing much? I was wondering if you ever published your guide to Tenkara fishing in the Whites. I haven’t tried Tenkara yet, but like the idea of hiking and fishing, so maybe next spring.
Thanks for all of your very informative articles.
Didn’t get much fishing in this year but I do plan to do a lot next year. I just had some personal projects that had to be worked on that ate up a lot of my free time. I’ve thought about publishing a guide to Tenkara in the Whites…there was a guide who published one but it only had obvious big rivers in it, not the type that a tenkara fisherman would be interested in.
First review I’ve read admitting that softshell is a Winter garment – too many influencers are commenting on their hot weather performance – which by the constructions intent is a very poor application. None PFAS is an important comment, as I haven’t seen any offered with it – that’s the job for a hard outer shell. Softshell is for a wet drizzle at best, and if moving a lot stalking game or on a steep trail, also needs a lot of venting – just like softshell jackets. So, what is the equal to pit zip venting? The more practical answer is thigh zips on the outside, down the inseam, which can act as narrow pockets, and when sewn with vented material – football jersey – control air exfiltration and also allow some more roominess. It’s like getting a size bigger so the pockets pump out air – and good outdoor pants use vented material there, too.
Hot tip: one reviewer thought softshells were a bad idea if wearing long johns as you have to completely undress to remove them during a warm afternoon. Apparently the use of zippered long underwear you can undo and slide out of easily isn’t an item they are familiar with. The military uses them in bib fleece and they are so cheap surplus it’s hard for other companies to offer them presently.
Overall, if someone is looking to add softshell pants to their outdoor arsenal, keep in mind the experience you already have with softshell jackets still applies. They block sweat and humidity from getting out just as much as rain getting in – venting is important and wearing them for the activity and climate is part of the decision making process, too. It’s important to check construction and features – the materials overall are similar at each price point, its the ability to vent and keep gear secure in them that count. A sleek trim fit, not so much.