Winter pants for hiking and skiing

[vla]

Hey!

I want to buy "winter pants" but I don't know what to buy. I want something that I can use for xc-skiing and winter hiking. I have asked in the stores but they advice me to buy two different pants. Is there anything that is versatile enough?

[harakka]

Xc-skiing specific clothing tends to be too slim-fit and lightweight to be much use for anything else in the winter, but at least it's often windproof. I'd go for something that can double as outdoor wear in the spring and autumn.

For winter hiking, I'd recommend looking for "kevyttoppahousut" which are much like "toppahousut" (ski pants), but with lighter padding. They're not too common in sports stores these days, you may have better luck at Prisma or such.

But if you want just one pair to use in the winter, I guess you could look for softshell pants with a warm fleece lining. Try to find a pair that's slim enough for skiing, yet roomy enough for a layer or two of long underwear. I have a pair by Icepeak which is adequate if it's not freezing outside.

[FinnGuyHelsinki]

Depends on what you mean by cross-country skiing and hiking. Is it more leisurely moving around (mostly need warmth), or sports or carrying heavy loads when you sweat a lot (need something that breathes and transfers moisture away from your skin). If the former, the previous post by harakka has valid points, for winter you will want something that you can add layers to, depending on the outside temperature. If the latter, you will want a warm jacket and trousers to wear afterwards, unless going indoors straight away.