The Evolution
It was only until the mid 20th Century, the first pair of pants was being sported by women. In 1851, Elizabeth Smith Miller was the first-ever women to wear pants who had herself designed a pattern of ballooned trousers with sealed hems on the ankles. Her inspiration for this attire came from the Turkish trousers while on a trip to Europe as a solution to her inconvenient dressing while she would do gardening or every day other tasks.
Pants when first adopted by the women were intended to be very casual in the 1920-30s. But with the growing popularity of skiing then, women began wearing ski trousers similar to those being worn by men which were commonly made from wool and had zippers in the lower legs to allow for better movement on the slopes.
With the advancement in the technology of materials, pants today are made of nylon and are extremely light-weight coupled with smart in-built features for protection against wet and cold weathers. Depending on the season in which you will be hitting the trails, thickness and breathability of the pants matters as well.
Not being restricted to men’s clothing gear, today the modern women, needless to say, has a variety of options to choose the best fit for her. A great pair of activity or hiking pants specific to women’s body helps freedom of movement with optimum comfort and increases performance in a variety of environments.
Women are Built Different.
For the right combination of trail performance and comfort, Kosha’s women pants have been designed for hiking and trekking with durability over a long haul.
Built for Unconstrained Movement
Kosha Hardshell Waterproof Pants
Made from 100% Nylon with PU Breathable coating, the Kosha Hardshell pants have been designed specifically to suit women’s trekking needs that boast a variety of built-in features. Technically designed as a climbing pant, their flexibility and feature set like the zipper on the sides makes them an excellent choice for hiking and backpacking.
Kosha Hardshell Waterproof Pants Comes in peach, purple and black colour
SPECIFICATIONS
Temperature
With Layer: Up to 5 to -20° C | Without Layer: 15 to 5° C
Weight
557 Gram
Waterproof
Waterproof up to 8000 mm & Breathable up to 5000 g/m2 per 24 hours
Design Features
Gaiters on Hem
Gaiters on the hem or the ankle prevent from snow or rainwater entering in shoes keeping your feet dry
Solution with Built-In Gaiters
Gaiters on the hem help you remain dry and thigh vents provide ventilation during long treks. These pants are ideal for trekking in the snow. They allow you to move your legs freely without getting your shoes wet.
The pants have been incorporated with intelligent small details that help improve mobility to a great extent. The bottom section of the pants has a narrow zipper that runs from the calf to leg ending transforming the section into an outer covering of gaiter that protects your legs from brush-filled trails, both in the mountains or the jungle.
Cinch cords – In addition to the protecting your boots, the leg endings are equipped with elastic cords that can be fastened on the bottom leg to prevent snow or bushes forcing its way into the boots.
Waterproof Storage Pockets –Two large leg pockets with zipper will help you store items in them like map, compass, lip balm, tissues and more without having to worry about the items getting wet.
In colder weather conditions, the trousers can be worn over a base layer and the zippers along the thighs opened for ventilation
Thigh vents allowing good ventilation and breathability
Breathability
A key feature of any outdoor gear is Breathability. As we hike up on the mountains, our bodies generate heat leading us to sweat in order to regulate our body temperature to cool back down. The accumulation of sweat in the clothing is potentially more harmful than causing odorous discomfort. Temperatures in the mountains can change quickly, and wet clothing could even lead to hypothermia.
While we tend not to sweat as much from the lower half of our body, good ventilation will help to prevent discomfort and “crotch rot” which is something many hikers are familiar with, both men and women.
Good hiking pants achieve breathability function owning to the materials used along with a combination of secondary features to allow good airflow helping to cool down the overall body.
Fabric and Fitting
Fabric is another big factor for comfort and movement. The flexibility of the pants determines your movement and so you will need a fabric that will stretch with you as you go hiking or even rock climbing. Kosha hiking pants are made from 100% nylon which is strong, machine washable, waterproof, and most of all elastic.
To make sure of the fitting, you will have to try out the hiking pants yourself with a little “squat test” by putting them on.
Women size – 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50
Girls sizes – 32 and 34
Make sure of the correct sizing while picking up the pants and check if the material pinches or stop you in any way. Bend over and check if you can go low in them.
Testing these ways in a dressing room could help select the correct size and fitting.
Waistband
Another detail for comfort is the waistband.
Elastic at the waist gives a better grip to tighten the pants without having to worry about wearing a belt, which is usually not that comfortable under a backpack.
[Elastic waistline for comfort grip]
Comes with a single jersey lining which is comfortable against our skin and reduce chaffing.
How is Women’s Hiking Gear Actually Different from Men’s
Women’s bodies differ than that of a man and are also shaped differently and so the gear needs to be designed accordingly. Women are much shorter usually, have wider hips and tapering narrow towards the heel. Owning to such physical differences, companies are making technical changes to producing apt adventure clothing gear for women. Minute details such as placement of the pockets and hem length are being constantly adjusted to revolutionize the way modern women benefit from comfort while they are participating in tough adventures.
Middle or the core: What’s the big difference?
Women have lower body temperatures than men and are always feeling a notch colder too. The gear designed to keep the men warm isn’t always best suited for women. The way to their warmth is by the core as for the women who tend to have a physiological need of the body due to their childbearing capabilities, the entire body focuses on pushing all the body resources such as blood and warmth towards the core. This is also why they are much colder on the hands and feet.
What to wear inside the hiking pants?
Inner bottom: When temperatures are below 5° C, during a hiking trail in winters, you can wear thermal leggings inside the hiking pants. Buy proper hiking pants which are breathable and dry-fast.
Also, along with thermal leggings, you can wear fleece pants when camping at night, especially if you are in colder mountains.
These Hiking Pants are also available for men, the picture shows Jayesh Morwankar, founder of Odati Adventures; wearing them on his summit to Mount Elbrus.
We have studied and designed our adventure wear specifically for women, including base layers, fleece-lined pants and waterproof shell pants keeping in mind the range of movements for a lady. Our hiking pants have travelled extensively and have been tested for months while doing a variety of activities from a day trip to long hikes – climbing, running and even biking. Each of the pair of pants was evaluated for their comfort, mobility and in-built features including water resistance and drying period. All of our efforts will help you select your next pair for hiking through mountains or snow-clad terrains; Kosha will keep you covered.