Mountain Hardwear Hellgate Pant Review
November 3, 2016
82 The Good
- 3/4 length thigh zips
- Removable suspenders
- Excellent temperature control
The Bad
- Shallow hand warmer pockets
- Only three total pockets
- Questionable durability
- Loud
The Hellgate pant is Mountain Hardwear’s premiere do-it-all ski pant, versatile enough for warm spring days and mid-winter powder charging. For those who like 3/4 length leg zips, it's the only pant in this test that has them. It doesn't quite live up to its counterparts in the durability department however.
Materials
The Hellgate pant utilizes Mountain Heardwear’s proprietary 3-layer Dry.Q Elite fabric with a nylon backer. The pant’s 40 denier durability rating leave something to be desired compared to other pants in this test.
Comfort
Soft nylon lines the thigh area of the pants but doesn’t continue down the pant leg due to the thigh zips, so the Hellgate isn’t as comfortable all the way down the pant leg as other pants in this test.
Temperature Control
The best feature of the Hellgate pant is arguably its ¾ length thigh zips. These allow for superior temperature control on warm/hot days by providing more airflow than any other pant in this test. The Hellgate is adequate for cold winter days, though other pants like the Environ and Untracked are warmer.
Features/Functionality
Button snap/Velcro gaiters are easy to adjust and fit over a ski boot. Three pockets (two hand warmer and one thigh) leave something to be desired from a storage standpoint. Adjustable Velcro waist straps and RECCO reflector round out the Hellgate’s feature set.
Fit
The Hellgate’s removable suspenders are nice for dialing in the correct pant length as they do run a little long in the legs. The pant is designed for an athletic build.
Skier, runner, and author Ben Conners has been exploring the Rockies since he was a kid. Growing up in the Vail Valley, Ben spent his winters carving turns and summers backpacking in the Holy Cross Wilderness. Ben authored a guidebook on ski mountaineering Colorado’s high peaks and lives with his wife in south-Denver.
No reviews have been posted for this product.
