REASONS TO BUY
Great weather resistance
Mobile
Comfortable
Durable
REASONS TO AVOID
Not as breathable
Slim cut hard to layer under
Arc'teryx Gamma LT Pant - Women's Review
Best for cold weather hiking and wet days on the trail due to best in class weather resistance
Arc'teryx Gamma LT
Credit: Arc'teryx
RELATED: Best Hiking Pants for Women
Our Verdict
The Arc'teryx Gamma LT pants stand out in our review. The softshell material has the best weather resistance and warmth of any pant we tested, making them an excellent option for colder months and wet hikes. Despite its LT, lightweight, designation, these pants are more substantial than most hiking pants. You might overheat in this pair come summertime, and there is no option to convert them into shorts. They move with you and work well for most outdoor activities, aside from rock climbing. They have a high rise and sit uncomfortably under our climbing harness. For cold and misty hikes, the Gamma LT is a stellar pair and our Top Pick for Wet Weather.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Arc'teryx Gamma LT Pant - Women's | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  | |  | |
| Price | $190 List $180.00 at REI | $66.71 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | Check Price at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $80 List $79.95 at REI | $35.77 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Great weather resistance, mobile, comfortable, durable | Very comfortable, versatile, wind and water resilient | Incredible fit, soft and flexible fabric that doesn’t sag, dries quickly | Mobile, wide range of fit options, vents and breaths wonderfully, good pockets | Lightweight, easy to move in, breathable |
| Cons | Not as breathable, slim cut hard to layer under | Fit can be hard to perfect, not as breathable as the previous version | Does not block wind, no secure smartphone pocket | Doesn't block the wind, not a great style around town | Material pills, front pockets are small, sizing is off |
| Bottom Line | Best for cold weather hiking and wet days on the trail due to best in class weather resistance | With their endless mobility, comfortable details, and technical abilities, these are our favorite overall women's hiking pants | These comfortable and thoughtfully constructed pants fit and feel like a dream and work wonderfully on and off-trail | These 2-in-1 convertible hiking pants work wonderfully, providing great breathability and excellent value | A lightweight, breathable, and weather resistant pair of pants that perform adequately to get you out on the trails without spending a ton |
| Rating Categories | Arc'teryx Gamma LT... | Outdoor Research Fe... | Kuhl Freeflex Roll-Up | REI Co-op Sahara Co... | Columbia Saturday T... |
| Comfort and Mobility (35%) | |||||
| Venting And Breathability (20%) | |||||
| Weather Resistance (15%) | |||||
| Features (15%) | |||||
| Versatility (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Arc'teryx Gamma LT... | Outdoor Research Fe... | Kuhl Freeflex Roll-Up | REI Co-op Sahara Co... | Columbia Saturday T... |
| Measured Weight, Size Regular | 11.0 oz | 9.5 oz | 11.9 oz | 12 oz | 9.2 oz |
| Size options and versions | 0 to 14, Short, Regular, Tall | 0 to 14 | 0 to 16, Plus | 0 to 26w, Petitie, Regular, Plus, Tall | 2 to 24w Short, Regular, Plus, Long |
| Fabric | 88% nylon, 12% elastane | 86% bluesign nylon (46% recylce), 14% spandex 90D stretch woven ripstop | 50% polyester/50% new polyester | 96% recycled nylon/4% spandex | Omni-Shield Summiteer Lite 96% Nylon, 4% Elastane |
| Fabric Features | Water, wind resistant, quick dry, and breathable | Quick-dry | FreeFlex | Quick dry | Omni-Shield advanced repellency |
| DWR Finish? | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| UPF? | No rating | UPF 50+ | UPF 50+ | UPF 50+ | UPF 50 |
| Pockets | 2 hand (zip), 1 side (zip) | 2 hip, 2 back, 1 cargo | 2 hand, 2 back (snap), 2 thigh (snap) | 2 hand, 2 back, 2 cargo | 2 hand, 1 side (zip), 2 back (Velcro) |
| Zip-Off or Roll-Up? | Cinch around ankle | Roll-up cinch cuffs | Roll-Up | Zip-off | Roll-up |
| Integrated Belt? | Yes | Yes | Yes, internal drawcord | Yes, internal drawcord | No |
| Fit Features | Trim fit, straight leg, adjustable waist belt, adjustable pant cuffs, 2 inseam lengths | Gusseted crotch, articulated knees, drawstring at waist, stretch fabric, harness-compatible waist | Wide waistband with internal drawcord, mid rise, relaxed fit, straight leg | Mid rise, convert to shorts, relaxed fit, straight leg, 2 inseam lengths | Gusseted crotch, mid rise, straight leg, convertible to capris |
| Social or Environmental Certifications | 86% is bluesign approved nylon (46% is recycled) | None known | Contains materials that meet the bluesign® criteria Contains recycled materials |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The Arc'teryx Gamma LT pants are a 88% nylon and 12% elastane blend. This pair comes in sizes 0 to 14 in the regular length (32"), 0 to 10 in short, and 6 to 12 in tall.
Some fit notes:
We originally purchased this pant in our lead tester's "American" size 2, but it was way too snug. We returned it and tried a size 4 (our regular Lululemon size), and it fits much better, though still trim. If you want these on the loose side to squeeze a base layer underneath them, you may have to go up two sizes.
We originally purchased this pant in our lead tester's "American" size 2, but it was way too snug. We returned it and tried a size 4 (our regular Lululemon size), and it fits much better, though still trim. If you want these on the loose side to squeeze a base layer underneath them, you may have to go up two sizes.
Performance Comparison
The Gamma LT are a sleek pair for colder days or drizzly weather.
Credit: Scott Ring
Comfort and Mobility
The Gamma LT pants have more stretch than comfort — while they are not uncomfortable, they aren't soft and cozy either. The Gammas are comfortable for all-day wear on the trail — but you probably won't want to curl up in them on the couch afterward.
The cut on these pants is on the trim side, which always concerns us with a pair of hiking pants. We wonder if we are still going to be able to high-step and scramble with ease in "skinny" pants. We needn't have worried about the Gamma LTs.
The articulated knees give the Gammas great mobility for such a trim-fitting pair of pants.
Credit: Scott Ring
Their material has excellent stretch to it, and the articulated knees and gusseted crotch all combined to give us excellent mobility. We even wore them telemark skiing on a spring day and had no issue going deep into our lunges in this pair.
This pair breathes well and we feel comfortable hiking in it around 70 degrees, but not much hotter.
Credit: Scott Ring
Venting and Breathability
The Gamma LTs are breathable. But their thickness holds in more heat than the summer-oriented pants in this review, so they score a little lower.
If you hike in the Gamma pants in 80-degree weather, they may vent your sweat well, but you will feel hotter overall. The pockets are mesh-lined, and you can unzip them to vent out some heat.
Skiing one day, hiking the next? The Gamma can do it all!
Credit: Scott Ring
Weather Resistance
Arc'teryx calls this material moisture resistant. It's not fully waterproof, but it comes close, and on the whole, the Gamma blows away all of the other models in this review for weather resistance.
The DWR finish on the Gamma works very well - water does not want to go into the material. Once it does get wet, it dries in about 40 minutes in full sun.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
The Gamma features a DWR finish, and the material and DWR combo does a fantastic job of repelling water. It will keep you dry in a drizzle and takes a pretty sustained rain to soak through. It's usually the spot where your rainjacket drips onto your pants that will saturate first. Once wet, it takes longer for these pants to dry compared to some of the warmer weather hiking pants we tested. The Gammas also provide more wind resistance than most.
The bottom of the pants can cinch down to help keep water or muck out, and there's also a grommet on either side which lets you make your own gaiter out of the pants.
Credit: Catherine McKenzie
Features
We like the feature set on the Gamma LT. Though they seem pretty minimalistic to start, they do have a lot going for them.
Both hand pockets are deep and have zippers. The side-zippered pocket is big enough for a smartphone or a set of keys. The cuffs have a drawcord should you want to cinch them down to keep the heat in or the rain out. The internal belt is low-profile and doesn't interfere with a hip belt.
The integrated belt is one of our favorite features of this pair. It keeps the pants tight (and UP) and still works decently well under a backpack.
Credit: Scott Ring
Finally, the cuffs have grommets should you want to wear the pants over a pair of hiking boots and secure them down under the arch with some shoelace, like a gaiter.
Versatility
Most pants in this review work well in summer and the warmer parts of spring and fall. These pants work better in winter and the cooler parts of fall and spring. We can also take these pants out in wet weather. We don't love them when the temperature starts to rise, as they barely even roll up at the ankles.
Their technical nature keeps us from wearing them around town. They do have a high rise waist, and while they fit nicely under a backpacking waistbelt. We don't like rock climbing in them as much as a result. There's too much going on right at the waist.
Need something for spring skiing days? This pair is an excellent choice. There's enough mobility for active sports, and it's slightly thicker than your typical pair of hiking pants.
Credit: Scott Ring
Value
These pants ring up at twice as much as some pairs in this review. They are a specialized pair, in a league of their own. It's a lot to spend on one pair of pants, but hopefully, they will last you forever!
The softshell material is highly abrasion resistant, and the pant has impeccable construction details. The zippers are laminated, and the seams are all double stitched. We didn't have any durability issues arise during our testing period, and found little to no complaints in online reviews either.
This quality pair of pants should last a long time.
Credit: Catherine McKenzie
Conclusion
The Arc'teryx Gamma LT is a sleek pair of hiking pants. Their trim fit and smooth, stretchy material look great on just about anyone. They're the bee's knees on cold and wet days, making them our Top Pick for Wet Weather. They aren't well suited for warmer weather hiking, but if you're out on the trail no matter the weather or the season, this is a great option to have around.
—
Cam McKenzie Ring
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