Our go-to ultralight puffy pants

An ultralight classic! The Western Mountaineering Flash Pants are our go-to down puffy pants for cold weather camping when temps begin to drop below freezing. They weigh only 6.5 oz, and are filled with two oz of 850 fp down, 31% of the garment’s total weight.

• Price: $305
• Weight: 6.5 oz
• Fabric: 10D* nylon ripstop (*estimate)
• Fill Power: 850 | Fill Weight: 2.0 oz
• Percent Down Weight: 31%
• Uncompressed Down Volume: 1700 in3
• Down Volume/Jacket Weight: 261 in3/oz
• Pros: Ultralight. High warmth-to-weight ratio. Reinforced seat.
• Cons: Lower total warmth than average puffy pants. Expensive.

Features

These are some seriously packable duds. Thanks to the minimalist design and high quality materials, they compress down to about half a liter. Features include an adjustable belt, elastic ankle closures, and a reinforced seat fabric to prevent tears and snags.

For most trips during the warmer half of each shoulder season, Flash Pants are the perfect ultralight leg insulators for the job. They significantly outperform fleece pants or merino tights in terms of total weight and warmth-to-weight.

However, with only two ounces of down, they’re a titch underfilled and have a lower than average total warmth as puffy pants go. Enough for cold three season use, but we would recommend a more insulated pair if you’re expecting temps in the low 20s or colder.

Verdict

All in all, the Western Mountaineering Flash are a well rounded pair of ultralight puffy pants with enough insulation to get the job done nicely on most cold weather trips ,while still prioritizing weight savings. If you are planning to own only one pair of puffy pants, we recommend Flash since they’re what we use most often.

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Check out more great option with our guide to the best ultralight down pants.