Oftentimes, the fly fishing world gets caught up with the latest and greatest gear from its core brands. These brands, like Orvis and Simms, to name a few, have made it their mission to deliver premium products designed specifically for anglers. While that leads to some excellent products, the marketing hype around fly fishing often overlooks other adjacent brands making exceptional gear. One such brand is Mountain Hardwear, a hiking and camping brand whose products fit seamlessly into the angling world.
Mountain Hardwear isn’t exactly known as a fishing outfitter, but believe me when I say the brand builds one of the best cold-weather layers in my winter fishing wardrobe. Engineered to be exceptionally warm, stretchy, and especially durable for a down garment, the Stretchdown Light Pant offers, in my opinion, unmatched performance, longevity, and versatility.
Stretchdown Light Pant
Key Features:
- 700-fill RDS®-certified down insulation
- Stretch-woven fabric provides durable stretch
- Elastic binding on cuffs to seal in warmth
- Price: $290
Pros:
- Narrow baffle size supports low-profile, easy layering
- Inherent durability, stretch, and insulation make this a super versatile pant
- Aesthetically sharp
- Available in both men’s and women’s sizing
Cons:
- Price
- Can be tedious to wash
- Limited color selection
How We Tested
I unknowingly began testing for this review about four years ago when I first picked up a pair of Stretchdown Pants and instantly fell in love. While there was no specific protocol for testing this garment, the sheer amount of hours I’ve spent fishing and running around in my Stretchdown Pants has been notably more thorough than almost any testing criteria I’ve ever followed. In short, the proof is in the pudding—I’ve tested countless garments in this vein over the past four years, and nothing has yet to replace or outlive my Stretchdown Pants.
Over the past four years, I’ve donned the Stretchdown Pant while camping, made it a travel staple for any trip I expect to combat the extreme cold, and above all else, have worn the hell out of it while winter fishing. My pair has, at this point, come along on countless fishing trips both near and far, and is performing just as strongly as it did off the rack.
While I most frequently utilize these pants as an insulating layer beneath the protective shell of my bibs or waders, they’ve also seen plenty of mileage worn on their own. My Stretchdown Pants have been my first line of defense against many different unforgiving outdoor environments and weather forecasts, and they’re still in service. Let’s get into it.
The Good
Warmth
Equipped with 700-fill RDS®-certified down insulation, Mountain Hardwear has properly prepared the Stretchdown Pant to ward off truly frigid conditions. Combine the ample natural down insulation with the elastic binding at the ankle cuffs, and you’ve got yourself a pair of pants that traps your body heat while simultaneously eliminating the entry of chilly drafts.
Stretch
You might already own a nice pair of down pants, but can you do karate in them?? Arguably, the feature that sets this garment the farthest apart from the competition, Mountain Hardwear has engineered the Stretchdown Light Pant with a degree of stretch you’ll be surprised by.
While utilizing these pants for fly fishing applications will rarely demand you to test the limits of the ultra-engineered Stretchdown™ construction, remember that these pants are designed with rock climbing in mind, so they’re more than willing to be twisted, bent, and contorted in every direction possible. At the very least, you won’t have to worry about busting a seam or tearing any stitching when you bend to lace up your wading boots or clamber out of the river up onto the bank. More active winter anglers who log lots of miles hiking into their favorite honey holes will very much find a friend in the stretch fabric here.
Durability + Lifespan
My winter wardrobe has seen quite a few down garments come and go over the last half-decade, and my Stretchdown Pants remain a staple despite the duration of their service. Built with 20D Durable Stretch Doubleweave fabric, the shell of these pants is notably tougher than what you typically see in down garments.
That being said, this is still a down garment at the end of the day, so the outer material of the Stretchdown Pant is still quite susceptible to punctures and tears; so treat it as kindly as you can.
Packability + Bulk & Layering Ability
Other endearing qualities of the Stretchdown Pant include its ability to pack compact and lightweight, as well as to layer nicely under a shell, or over a base layer (or both).
Weighing in at just 13.1 ounces (size medium) and inherently compressible due to the fact that it’s a down garment, you can easily squeeze these pants into an already full pack, so there’s no excuse not to bring the Stretchdown Pant on virtually any chilly day-trip or international fish mission.
Mountain Hardwear’s Stretchdown™ construction weaves the baffles from a single stretch fabric, resulting in narrower baffles for low-profile, easy layering. It’s easy to tell the moment you put these pants on that they are designed for high-speed/low-drag, so they work very well when worn beneath waders or bibs, while still retaining just enough room for a base layer underneath.
Aesthetics
Somehow, some way, Mountain Hardwear has engineered a down pant here that you can get away with wearing around town, to the fly shop, base lodge, and beyond. While I love the unparalleled warmth provided by down pants, the Stretchdown Pant is the only pair I feel confident enough to wear out in public without feeling like a total dweeb.
I think the Strechdown Pants avoid the aesthetic awkwardness typical of most down pants for two reasons: the slim profile, and lack of glossy sheen/shine on the fabric. Not only do these pants wear slimmer and more reminiscent of regular pants, but they also don’t catch and reflect the light like the outer shell of most down garments. Elastic binding at the cuffs also adds to the Stretchdown’s look, almost creating a kind of tapered, jogger aesthetic, which I, for one, am a big fan of.
Pockets
Let’s not forget the benefit of a solid pocket schematic. While I dominantly wear my Stretchdown Pants underneath my bibs or waders, I also frequently don them over a base layer for regular cold-weather wear. Designed with two open-top soft-brushed hand pockets and two hook-and-loop-secured rear patch pockets, there’s a stash spot for all your typical on-hand essentials.
The Bad
Price
At almost 300 bucks, this is certainly an investment purchase. Truth be told, you could pivot those fishing funds towards a new pair of waders, a reel, or a complete merino base layer set, to name just a few ideas. If you’re planning to wear the Stretchdown Pant solely as an under-wader or under-bib pant, there are options that are both more affordable and better suited to the task. The same goes for those seeking an insulated pair of general-purpose outdoor pants—there are cheaper, more rugged options on the market.
The value of the Stretchdown Light Pant lies in its ability to adapt to many different cold-weather scenarios, so anglers who purchase this pant to check multiple chilly boxes will find it’s more than worth the price. In summary, even if you’re on a tight budget, these pants are totally worth it if you plan on utilizing them to their fullest potential. As solely an under-wader pant, I’d recommend directing your budget elsewhere.
Washing
Like all down garments, the Strechdown Light Pant poses a bit of a hurdle when it comes to washing. I do my best to run mine through the wash as minimally as possible, but cleaning your outdoor garments is obviously inevitable. While we recommend using a laundry soap specifically designed for washing down garments, you may still have to go up against the Stretchdown Pant due to its construction. Because the pants use a continuous grid rather than individual pockets of down insulation, the fill tends to clump, so you may find yourself tediously redistributing it. Mountain Hardwear’s choice to stuff the Stretchdown Pant in this manner has a lot to do with the pant’s inherently awesome degree of stretch, so it’s a necessary evil that dramatically boosts mobility at the cost of added maintenance.
Lack of colors
Alright, a lack of color selection is hardly a reason to bash the Stretchdown Pant, but considering this garment is so versatile in its applications and suitable for around-town wear, it’s a shame there aren’t more aesthetics available to personalize your look. If you’re not a fan of camo or the stone green colorway, you’re out of luck.
Final Word
The key takeaway here is once again, versatility. While I recognize that the needs and preferences of no two anglers are the same, it was immediately obvious to me that the Stetchdown Light Pant was the superior option for my needs as both a fisherman and an outdoorsman in general. While I’ve added many base layers, under-wader pants, and cozy sweats to my winter wardrobe, I’ve yet to find a garment that offers this level of adaptability. A true cold-weather chameleon, Mountain Hardwear drives a hard bargain with the price point of the Stetchdown Light Pant, but we’re here to tell you that these pants have legs.