my new glassing pants

[twall13]

I know this is a very old post but it came to mind this season during a few particularly cold glassing sessions so I thought I'd bring it back up. My Zip of Long Johns just weren't quite cutting it with the wind and weather this year. I've always thought a pair of zip off puffy pants would be part of my kit eventually, I guess that time has come.

I just went to Nunatak's website and noticed their Apex lines are discontinued and they are only offering 900 fill goose down. This obviously effects the price but should make for some lightweight, packable pants. I'm still considering my options but these are a contender for me.

After a bit more use, would anyone do anything different with their orders? Things still holding up?

 

[ScottB]

just received these from Nunatak (Skaha pants) new in their lineup- Apex insulated pants with side zips. I also ordered the Robic fabric as it’s light and easily sheds wind and light precip (they offer a wide variety of fabrics, including some camo). Like almost all of Nunatak’s pieces, these are fully customizable- size, length, fabric, amount of insulation, etc

I chose 2.5 Apex as that’s what my jacket is and it performs well beyond its weight.

I also chose 20” zippers (they are offered in full zip too) and very easy to get over my boots on/off.

in a 34” waist, mine weigh a very svelte 8 oz and pack very small.

I’ll be putting them through their paces in two weeks

Those pants look great. Im in the market for a pair of glassing pants. It will be good to see how you like them after a season. I'll be checking them out...

 

[mtwarden]

yeah I saw they were sticking with down only- too bad as Apex is pretty good stuff

if the option still exists in down on fabric, definitely get the Robic as an outer- it’s very wind resistant and so water resistant that it’s almost waterproof

as far as zipper length, I don’t think you need full zip, my knee high zips are more than adequate to get over boots

 

[twall13]

yeah I saw they were sticking with down only- too bad as Apex is pretty good stuff

if the option still exists in down on fabric, definitely get the Robic as an outer- it’s very wind resistant and so water resistant that it’s almost waterproof

as far as zipper length, I don’t think you need full zip, my knee high zips are more than adequate to get over boots

That's good info. I was leaning towards full zip but would like to save the weight if possible. I may have to reach out to them and see what they can do. They aren't showing robic as an option at the moment but I'd assume any fabric that is down proof is going to have some decent wind resistance. I'll have to contact them and see what they say.

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[mtwarden]

yeah definitely give them a call, they’re very helpful

 

[twall13]

Thought I'd give an update on my search for some glassing pants. There are obviously pros and cons to both synthetic and down insulation and I was honestly open to either as I searched for options. Ultimately, I've had good luck with down and like how well it compresses so I wasn't too disappointed that Nunatak is no longer offering Apex. I've been comparing a bunch of options and kind of had it narrowed down to Nunatak and the Stone Glacier Grummon pants. Stone Glacier is a bit cheaper but also weighs a bit more, only comes in Gray and uses less down, so likely won't be quite as warm. Not sure I need the extra warmth but for a comparable weight, why not?

I contacted Jan at Nunatak and all I can say is he is going above and beyond to help me out. Before I get to that I can confirm that he is willing to add reinforced knees and seat if you want. Robic isn't really an option as he says it's really only available in a bright blue right now but the Argon 15D fabric he has is really good stuff as well, I have it on a down quilt so I know it should work well for me. I'm actually going to have him order a camo option in the fabric but, again, it seems he's willing to work with you on the fabric you want/need.

Now, here's the crazy part. Mtwarden recommended I go with the 20" side zips rather than the full side zips but the more I thought about it, the more concerned I was that those wouldn't work for me simply because I wear a size 14 Crispi boot. I'd really prefer to save the weight if possible, but they need to work for me. When I asked Jan about it he said it might be a concern with my boot size and offered to ship me his personal pair of Kobuk down pants with the 20" zippers to test out before I order and then I can ship them back after I confirm which option to go with. A complete stranger who has never ordered from him before and he puts enough trust in me to make me that offer. I don't know if it's because we are both in Utah or what his thought process was but that kind of sealed the deal for me and I'm going to take him up on his offer and order whichever zipper option works best for me. Pretty exceptional offer in this day and age so I thought I'd give him a shout out on here.

 

[mtwarden]

my exact thoughts with dealings with Jan- he's great

I was looking for a product that didn't exist and he was willing to work with me and came up with exactly what I was looking for!

https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/new-offering-from-nunatak-that-might-be-of-interest.190864/

 

[carsonkeys]

Since Nunatak is no longer offering Apex, does anyone have any experience with the Enlightened Equipment Torrid Apex Pants?

 

[mtwarden]

I have one of their Torrid jackets, build quality is right up there

EE no longer does any custom work, so you'd have to go sans zippers, which complicates things in the field

it's only offered in one weight as well, but might be the weight you're looking for?

 

[wind gypsy]

That's a bummer about the Apex. The glorious thing about the apex/robic combo is they are remarkably wind/water resistant and lightweight and continuous filament apex negates concerns about delicate 7d fabric because you aren't going to lose insulation if they tear and you can just tape em up.

My one regret is ordering mine a bit short (ordered 28" inseam where my actual is 31"). If sitting they pull up to the tops of my boots and I'd rather just have constant coverage all the way to my ankles. The other thing I'd ask Jan - he uses a smaller (lighter) zipper on the partial zippers than he does the full length zippers. I'd be curious if he could do full length zippers with that smaller sized zipper or at least why he doesn't do that.

 

[twall13]

I ended up ordering some Kobuk Down pants from Nunatak awhile back and they showed up today. I got a custom camo exterior fabric (same 15d material he uses just a special order as he doesn't carry that pattern in stock) and had them reinforce the knees and seat with a second layer. In hindsight, I'm not sure the reinforcement was necessary but regardless I ended up with some warm glassing pants that come in at a surprisingly light weight all things considered. They aren't as light as the old climashield apex pants but they will certainly be warmer with about 6 oz. of 900 fill treated down.

For comparison, these have about 2 oz. of down more than the Stone Glacier Grumman pants and still ended up nearly 4 oz. lighter overall. Some of that is likely due to the shorter zippers but after testing them out I don't really need full length zippers. I had to wait a bit longer and I paid $35 more than if I'd gotten the SG pants but the value is there. The customer service was above and beyond to get what I was looking for. I'm very pleased with this purchase and looking forward to putting them to use.

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[JimGa]

I bought the Outdoor Research Tradecraft pants on sale last year. Only wore them once or twice but they are light, warm and cut the wind well.

 

[mtwarden]

@twall13 those will be ovens Jan has always been incredible to work with, one of the very folks still willing to take on custom orders

yeah half zips are more than enough to clear even large boots