Patagonia Women’s Granite Crest Rain Pants – Reviewed & Tested

The Overland Track is notoriously wet and muddy in November, which means Amy gave the Patagonia Women’s Granite Crest Rain Pants an absolute workout on the trail.

There are few places in Australia where rain pants are more essential than the Overland Track. Patagonia’s Women’s Granite Crest Rain Pants are the perfect pairing to the brand’s well-worn Granite Crest Rain Jacket – but how does it handle the tumultuous and unpredictable weather of Tasmania’s alpine country? Over six days and 80km of walking, I found out.

Admittedly, there was plenty of sun too

Why am I the right person to do this review?

I’ve been consistently multi-day hiking in all kinds of climates for over five years now, but more recently I’ve been hiking in very dry conditions without a rain cloud in sight. Seems counterintuitive I know, but it means I have very little tolerance for being wet!

In anticipation for the Overland Track, I was very keen to make sure my mates and I didn’t spend six days cold, damp, and miserable, so enlisted the help of these rain pants.

Misty but not miserable

Quick Specifications

Weight: 244g
Waterproof: Yes
Colourway: Black
RRP: $369.95

Performance

I took the Patagonia Women’s Granite Crest Rain Pants with me on an 80km trek along the Overland Track (plus side trips) in November – notoriously one of the wettest months on the alpine track. And while we got a few days of sun, we still had our fair share of rain and…mud.

Our first hiking day saw us climb to Marions Lookout at Cradle Mountain in cold, misty rain, before hail and sleet joined us on our walk to Kitchen Hut for one of the coldest lunches of our lives. The rain pants held up through it all, not letting an ounce of water in and helping keep spirits high, despite the weather.

Can’t rain on our parade

The pants and jacket combo acted as a significant wind break as well, preventing the chill I could feel creeping into my ‘waterproof’ gloves from happening across the rest of my body.

Admittedly, like most people, my legs don’t get as warm as my top half, so the breathability of the pants is probably less appreciated (and needed) than in any rain jacket that I wear. But through incredibly damp and humid conditions, particularly on a day that fluctuated between rain and sun and involved a number of ascents, I didn’t once notice the Granite Crest Rain Pants feeling stuffy or uncomfortably warm in the slightest.

Read more: Amble Refuge Long Waterproof Jacket Review

Soggy but satisfied

Durability

Now, six days on the trail isn’t quiiite enough time to properly assess the rain pants’ long-term durability. However there’s no doubt that the materials used to make these pants are of incredibly high quality.

The coated, watertight side zips are sturdy without being stiff and constricting, while the three layers of shell are lightweight, yet tough. The pants endured deep mud, rock scrambling, and plenty of foliage with barely a mark, and I found them surprisingly easy to dust and dry off after a dirty day on the trail.

I can’t imagine I’ll be Googling ‘hiking rain pants’ again any time soon.

Comfort

Despite clear skies on day two, I didn’t hesitate to slip the Patagonia Women’s Granite Crest Rain Pants on over my fitted lightweight hiking pants from the get go. If I was wearing bigger, bulkier hiking pants, the rain pants might not have been so comfy and I probably would’ve benefited from a larger size. But as it stood, they were an excellent, lightweight accompaniment to my thinner hiking pants, together (along with a knee-high pair of gaiters) keeping me locked in and warm through damp forests and atop windy alpine peaks.

Despite three days of clear skies, there was only one day I didn’t wear the rain pants.

I also appreciated the high waist on the pants. The last thing I want to be doing when walking in the cold and wet is constantly adjusting (read: pulling up) my pants. The high waist meant the pants sat directly under my hip belt, so weren’t getting pushed down by it, but at the same time, the mostly-elasticised waist prevented them from cutting into me.

Locked in

The other pair of rain pants I’ve worn in recent times were more like a heavy-duty garbage bag – they did the job, but were baggy, not fitted in anyway, and the cheaper material rustled constantly. I‘d never have considered wearing them through the entire hike.

Design

I greatly appreciated the pants’ waistline which combines elastic around three-quarters of the waist with a zip fly and press stud at the front for easy adjustment and removal.

One of the most impressive features is the length of the side zips, which open up almost to my hips, allowing for the pants to be easily and seamlessly slipped on and off when needed, without having to remove my heavy-duty hiking boots.

It was a little jarring to not have hip pockets, and I went to reach for them a few times to find nothing there. However, when it was really coming down and my rain jacket was on as well, I wouldn’t have been able to access them very well anyway.

I found the zippered pocket halfway down the thigh more accessible, as it lands just about where my hand falls, however trying to fit something rigid like my phone in there was a little uncomfortable as it really tightened around my leg whenever I bent or sat down.

The only (lonely) pocket

Sustainability

Patagonia is the gold standard of sustainability, not only in the outdoor gear industry, but in textiles in general.

The three-layer 30-denier shell is made with NetPlus®, which is essentially a nylon ripstop fabric made of recycled fishing nets, a material helping to reduce plastic pollution in our oceans.

The DWR (durable water repellent) finish is made without the use of PFCs (perfluorinated chemicals) and PFAS, human-made chemicals that are commonly used in water-repellent outdoor gear but that stay in the environment forever (and actually continue to build up, uh oh). Thankfully, Patagonia doesn’t want anything to do with them, and you won’t find them in these rain pants, phew!

On top of these ticks for the environment, the Patagonia Women’s Granite Crest Rain Pants are made in a Fair Trade Certified factory, which means the people making this gear for us to enjoy are getting paid a premium for their labour. And doesn’t that just make you feel all warm inside?

Price

Look, Patagonia is never going to have the cheapest gear on the market, and $369.95 isn’t a small amount of dosh to drop on a piece of gear that you’re not guaranteed to use on every trip.

If I was paying it myself, I would be looking for something cheaper, as they’d only find their way into my hiking pack once or twice a year. But, if you’re regularly hiking in rain, wind, and generally cold climates, these pants will be a game-changer.

Think about it

Final Thoughts

Patagonia’s Women’s Granite Crest Rain Pants deliver more than just protection from the rain. Ultimately, for my time on the Overland Track, they doubled as hiking pants. As the adage goes, the best gear is the gear you forget is there. I barely thought twice about these pants while wearing them.

The biggest barrier is certainly the price tag. If you’re not regularly hiking in adverse weather or planning a multi-day foray into the bush, these particular pants are probably overkill. But for those adventures when the quality of your gear will truly make or break the experience, the Patagonia Granite Crest Rain Pants won’t let you down.

FAQs Patagonia Women’s Granite Crest Rain Pants

Do the Patagonia Granite Crest Rain Pants have pockets?

These pants don’t have hip pockets but they do have one halfway down the thigh on the right leg.

How much do the Granite Crest Rain Pants weigh?

The pants weigh 244g.

Do the Granite Crest Rain Pants have PFCs?

Nope! These rain pants have a durable water repellant finish completely free of PFCs. Win!

Do the Granite Crest Rain Pants come in a men’s version?

Yep! Patagonia has the Men’s Granite Crest Rain Pants, also in black.

Do the Granite Crest Rain Pants come in any other colours?

No, you’ve got the choice of black or black – no decision fatigue here!

Photos by @whimsicool @rachbarwick @angebelluomo

Hiking in the rain? Read these first

• 7 Tips for Rainy Day Hiking
• Best Waterproof Hiking Boots
• 11 Best Rain Pants in Australia
• The Best Waterproof Jackets for Hiking