For about the past 2 years I have been tossing around a few different pair of down pants around in my head… I liked certain features on some, and was a fan of certain brands on others, but once I finally had the money in hand, I could only go with one pair. So, after much debate, I decided on the GooseFeet Gear Down Pants.

Here’s why:

Custom fit . The other down pants I also considered are available in the traditional sizes that most of us are probably used to (“Small, Medium, Large and X-Large). This is not so with GooseFeet Gear. Instead, before adding these pants to my online shopping cart I had to grab a tape measure and get to measuring! Ben makes these pants to custom fit each one of us by entering in our own specific hip, waist, inseam, thigh and calf measurements before placing the order. This means no crossing my fingers hoping that I ordered the right size! (Let’s face it, finding out items such as these just don’t fit us the way we need them to is a huge bummer, so this custom sizing is a very important and welcome option.)

. The other down pants I also considered are available in the traditional sizes that most of us are probably used to (“Small, Medium, Large and X-Large). This is not so with GooseFeet Gear. Instead, before adding these pants to my online shopping cart I had to grab a tape measure and get to measuring! Ben makes these pants to custom fit each one of us by entering in our own specific hip, waist, inseam, thigh and calf measurements before placing the order. This means no crossing my fingers hoping that I ordered the right size! (Let’s face it, finding out items such as these just don’t fit us the way we need them to is a huge bummer, so this custom sizing is a very important and welcome option.) Options ! 10D (AKA: 8D or Nobul) or Pertex Quantum). I could then choose if I wanted a sewn-through construction or a baffled construction, as well as how much of the 850+ down fill I wanted in those chambers (anywhere between 2.5 to 8.5 oz in 0.5 oz increments). The last option is whether or not to add a full-length side zipper to the pants.

10D (AKA: 8D or Nobul) or Pertex Quantum). I could then choose if I wanted a sewn-through construction or a baffled construction, as well as how much of the 850+ down fill I wanted in those chambers (anywhere between 2.5 to 8.5 oz in 0.5 oz increments). The last option is whether or not to add a full-length side zipper to the pants. Price . The base price on these pants are $150, then the price is adjusted accordingly based on the which options are added to the pants. (When adding the options that I wanted in these pants, these pants were the same price as the others I considered.)

. The base price on these pants are $150, then the price is adjusted accordingly based on the which options are added to the pants. (When adding the options that I wanted in these pants, these pants were the same price as the others I considered.) Weight . Ben lists 7.5 oz on his site for the weight of these pants, however, I am not sure what options are included, which materials are used, the amount of down fill or the size of the pants that this weight represents. So, I called Ben and told him my size and what I wanted in the pants. By the time the conversation was over I was anticipating a sub 6.5 oz pair of pants, which is less than the weights of the other down pants I considered!

So, for me, when I considered the information above, I knew that I wanted these GooseFeet Gear down pants over the other down pants I considered. So, I ordered them!

It took right around 2 weeks for the pants to arrive at my door once I placed the order, which worked out great since I was leaving on a trip about 3 days after they arrived! (However, I did request them before a certain date so I could use them on this trip.)

Once the pants arrived, I tore into the box (carefully, of course). When I pulled them out I went over them to make sure that they were what I wanted and then tried them on. Dare I say, perfect?

So, here are the options that I choose (and why), as well as some more detailed specs of my particular pants:

Fit . Basically, I wanted a pair of pants with a 36″ waist and a 32″ inseam. After plugging my measurements into the little boxes on the order screen, and now that I have them in-hand, I gotta admit, they fit me good (as expected). They are what I would consider a bit of a relaxed fit in the seat area and as they go towards my ankles, they seem to taper slightly, naturally following the contour of my legs. They are roomy enough so that I can easily wear a thicker pair of long underwear bottom’s beneath them, which I may eventually do in colder weather. As far as features, there is a simple flat elastic cord with a cinch lock to easily secure them around my waist. As well, these pants also feature elastic ankle cuffs to help keep drafts from sneaking in.

. Basically, I wanted a pair of pants with a 36″ waist and a 32″ inseam. After plugging my measurements into the little boxes on the order screen, and now that I have them in-hand, I gotta admit, they fit me good (as expected). They are what I would consider a bit of a relaxed fit in the seat area and as they go towards my ankles, they seem to taper slightly, naturally following the contour of my legs. They are roomy enough so that I can easily wear a thicker pair of long underwear bottom’s beneath them, which I may eventually do in colder weather. As far as features, there is a simple flat elastic cord with a cinch lock to easily secure them around my waist. As well, these pants also feature elastic ankle cuffs to help keep drafts from sneaking in. Shell Material . I chose to go with the 10D (or Nobul) as my shell options. I went with a gray Nobul 1 (0.67 oz/sqyd) as the inner and black Nobul 2 (0.76 oz/sqyd) as the outer. I wanted this material due to both the soft hand, (so that it feels great next-to-skin) as well as the light weight. However, IIRC, there has been some talk in the past that “8D” was not very down proof, but according to the Titanium Goat website (which is where this material is sourced from), the cire finish on this material does indeed render it down proof.

. I chose to go with the 10D (or Nobul) as my shell options. I went with a gray Nobul 1 (0.67 oz/sqyd) as the inner and black Nobul 2 (0.76 oz/sqyd) as the outer. I wanted this material due to both the soft hand, (so that it feels great next-to-skin) as well as the light weight. However, IIRC, there has been some talk in the past that “8D” was not very down proof, but according to the Titanium Goat website (which is where this material is sourced from), the cire finish on this material does indeed render it down proof. Down Fill . I opted for 3.5 oz of down fill in my pants (the price is the same for 2.5, 3 or 3.5 oz of down fill). I admit, I could have went with the 2.5 oz of down fill and saved an oz in overall weight, but I decided I wanted a little extra warmth (and besides, I already cut some weight by going with the 10D material!) However, I was really excited that I could add in the extra down fill, and this option also made these pants more ideal to me over the other down pants I considered, each of which uses only 2 oz of down fill.

. I opted for 3.5 oz of down fill in my pants (the price is the same for 2.5, 3 or 3.5 oz of down fill). I admit, I could have went with the 2.5 oz of down fill and saved an oz in overall weight, but I decided I wanted a little extra warmth (and besides, I already cut some weight by going with the 10D material!) However, I was really excited that I could add in the extra down fill, and this option also made these pants more ideal to me over the other down pants I considered, each of which uses only 2 oz of down fill. Weight . The weight of these pants are 6.2 oz on my home scales, and in my opinion, this is the icing on the cake! These pants have almost twice the amount of down as the other pants I considered, yet weigh less than the “average listed weight” on them. As well, these pants are 1.8 oz lighter than the fleece long-bottom pants I was using, not to mention way less bulky.

. The weight of these pants are 6.2 oz on my home scales, and in my opinion, this is the icing on the cake! These pants have almost twice the amount of down as the other pants I considered, yet weigh less than the “average listed weight” on them. As well, these pants are 1.8 oz lighter than the fleece long-bottom pants I was using, not to mention way less bulky. Price . Last but not least, these pants cost me $160, delivered to my door! This is the same price (+/- depending on individual sites) as the other down pants I considered. However, considering the above information, I feel like these pants offer more bang-for-the-buck than the others!

Here is a video in which I talk more about the pants and show them off a little:

So far, I am really happy with these pants. I turned them inside out when they arrived and I found the stitching to be uniform with no loose stitching. As I mentioned, they fit me as I would expect them too, and the material is indeed very soft against my skin. And if you can’t tell that I am very excited about the overall weight…well, I AM! All-in-all, I am very stoked about these pants! As I said, these are my first down pants, and I am afraid that now, thanks to these GooseFeet Gear down pants, the bar on down pants have been set extremely high for me…so now I can only hope that they will have a long life so that I don’t have to measure any others up to these…

I look forward to using these pants (along with a few other pieces of down garments) this winter to supplement my sleeping system and maybe pushing some of my warmer rated sleeping quilts just a little lower than normal. As I mentioned above, I received these in time for a hike I had planned in the Roan Highlands, so I happily packed them up. On this trip we experienced temperatures as low as 36 F, plus a wind chill. I found that while wearing these I was ok to around 40 F before I felt like I needed to pull the quilt over me. (I talk a little bit more in detail about the entire sleeping set-up that I used here.)

So, in a few words: Great fit, comfortable, warm and light. What more do I need?

~Stick~

Disclaimer: I purchased these down pants at full price, using my own money that I worked hard for. I have no affiliation with GooseFeet Gear and am under no obligation to “review” these pants. However, I am super excited about my first pair of down pants, so of course I am going to write about them… The statements within this post are my own opinions. I do not expect everyone else’s opinions to match mine, so take this write-up for what it is, my opinion.

Thanks for reading!