hiking pants

benoit

New Member
what is the best hiking 3/4 pants today , i sail in warm water and airprene looks ok but zhik too.
i don't want something heavy..

benoit
 
The Zhik Hybred pant with power pads is by far the best and lightest weight product on the market for warm waters.
 
I have just bought the zhik shorts with powerpads.

I previously had the zhik 3/4 pants (traditional style)

I will never go back, the powerpads are how hikers should have been designed from the beginning
 
i have queensport grey ones and zhik first generation and 2nd generation ones

personally if you want lightweight ones go for the queensport or the SEA airprene ones as i have used them both. zhik ones are good when its windy but the pads seem too bulky when its light winds

also with winter coming up i am looking to buy a longjohn hiker.
i reckon the options are zhik microfleece or superwarm, rooster shin tech or gul longjohn. anyone had any experience with any of these
oh and i sail in scotland and it does get quite cold!

thanks
 
what is the difference between the zhik shorts with powerpadsand the zhik 3/4 pants (traditional style)

i guess you have no knee pads on the shorts?

Benoit
 
The powerpads can be worn with anything as they are seperate from the pants. The traditional 3/4 pants have the pads in a pocket inside the pants
 
Question on hiking pants I'm looking at Zhik hiking shorts or pants, but

Whats the advantage in having shoulder straps?

Are most still going with the traditional 3/4 hiking pant with straps?
 
Question on hiking pants I'm looking at Zhik hiking shorts or pants, but

Whats the advantage in having shoulder straps?

Are most still going with the traditional 3/4 hiking pant with straps?

I think the shoulder straps are a disadvantage as they always slip off and/or pull down into your shoulders causing discomfort, (for me at least).

I prefer the full leg or at least 3/4 leg for the knee protection.
 
Whats the advantage in having shoulder straps?

apparently it gives you some added back support when you do them up really tight!? i dont know whether this is true though

also has anyone ever had any experience with SEA waist lock hikers or the zhik superwarm ones?
 
The SEA waist locks look interesting, just wondering if it'd be kinda annoying having some bulky thing around the waist like that.

I also think the straps might be kinda annoying, but at the same time you sure don't want these things slipping down.
 
I kept the shoulder straps tight on my hikers and they just pulled into my shoulders more. I ended up tying the straps together across the front of my chest to keep them from slipping off my shoulders. BTW the pants with the shoulder straps slide down a little too over a 1/2 mile weather leg in good breeze. The neoprene does stretch especially when wet.

The Zhik pants have a draw string around the waist that you can get pretty tight. The power pads slip about the same, (maybe a little less) over a leg as the shoulder strap model hikers do. I've only used the Zhik Hybred pant so far. I've looked at the cold weather farmer john and the mid-range fleece pant. The fleece pant is designed just like the Hybrid pant, but a little thicker with short nap fleece liner. The farmer john cold weather outfit is a lot thicker and the pads slip into the back of the pant. You do not use the power pad thigh neoprene with it. Looks like it will be very warm and the farmer john design will ad much better shoulder support and now way will it slip off your shoulders.
 
Anyone have experience with SEA Airprene Hikers or Magic Marine Competition Hikers?

Looking for something light, that I can wear during the fall and until Frostbiting. I love the Zhik stuff but really can't afford the high prices. Is there anything comparable for us starving students???
 
I have the SEA airprene short hikers. I liked them fine for warm and cool weather stuff until I got into the new Zhik stuff.

They are size XL, have fairly light use. I'll sell them for $50.00 if you're interested.
 
Rob, Thanks for the offer, I wish the XL 's would work, but I'm slim fella.

Anyone have some M they wanna get rid of??
 
Anyone have experience with the Sailing Angles hikers (I believe) from Miami? I had a pari fo magic marine that were the right price ($50 on ebay) but they never really fit right and were very hot in the summer.

Mike
 
Mike, I just e-mailed you. Also, I have a pair of SEA 3/4 neoprene hikers with very little use that I'll let go for $ 75.00. These are great for colder water. Size XL.
 
I use the rooster pros and think they are great.

I love my Rooster pros, best investment I ever made in sailing kit. The best thing about them, remove the pads and stick them in a pair of lycra shorts and you have some great lightweight summer hikers as well.
 
The pads do come seperately, that way you can purchase the correct size for your legs. They were doing a bundle a little while back where you got the hikers, the pads and the lycras. I believe the cost saving meant the pads or the lycras were effectively 'free' when buying the bundle.
 
If you go for the pros you need the hikers and the pads. The lycra shorts are an optional sacrificial layer (they wear out instead of the more expensive hikers) but it is up to you if you wear them or not. I don't have the lycra shorts.

The pads are sold separately so that you can choose the size you want and can get new pads without the expense of new hikers if you wear them out or if you get taller and need bigger pads but your hikers still fit.
 
You do but you dont have to but the rooster ones. I only got them because they came with the bundle. After 6 months of hard use on all items they still look brand new.

The thing I really notice is that fact that my legs are:

1) Not bruised to hell after a day of heavy weather

2) Not stiff or aching

So IMO they are worth every penny, there are other similar products out there though so do look round. I would still recommend the Rooster ones because they fit well are very comfy and very warm!
 
I love my Rooster pros, best investment I ever made in sailing kit. The best thing about them, remove the pads and stick them in a pair of lycra shorts and you have some great lightweight summer hikers as well.

Do they stick in place when you wear your lycra shorts with them?
 
Just received my SEA 3/4 hikers today in the mail and they fit really nice, nice flexibility at first try.

Think I'll give them a run on Sunday of the wind cooperates.
 

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