UKC

So I'm about to go and walk the AV1 route across the Dolomites in September and I'm trying to decide which of these two trousers to go for. I have some waterproof over trousers which have given up the ghost - the waterproof patch I've put over the massive hole in the arse ain't waterproof! So I'm trying to understand which of these will be more suitable for the purpose. The advantage of the Firewall is it's fully waterproof at 20000 HH rather than 10000 like the Kinetic, and it has full length zips. The advantage of the Kinetic is it's more breathable and is a more put it on at the start of the day kind of garment. The problem with that is that there aren't really zips for easy off if I wanted to, which means it's more of a stop, take off boots, take off trousers type affair. I'm expecting the weather to be mixed, with some rain, some sun, possibly even a bit of snow (but unlikely). I am attracted by the claims of breathability and how potentially I could just whack the Kinetics on at the start of the day instead of conventional walking trousers, but I'm not sure if I'm going to sweat like crazy in them and whether just a conventional method of whacking over trousers on over everything else is going to work better... particularly interested to hear how comfy it is to wear next to your skin... send me your reckons please...

Undecided of Warminster.

I did the AV in September wearing light summer ploy cotton trousers, or shorts, choosing on the day.  Which were just right. Unless you’re Prince Andrew I wouldn’t be aiming to wear waterproof trousers as default.

Well I suppose I was wondering about exactly how breathable the Kinetics are, whether they are genuinely so breathable that they are almost interchangable with a standard pair of trousers, or whether I just suck it up and carry a standard pair, shorts and waterproofs.

I would follow Scraggy’s recommendation of shorts/longs and waterproofs as backup.

I have the Kinetics and they are OK next to the skin.  I have not relied on them in foul torrentially wet weather - I do wonder if that would overwhelm them.  

I use them for: 

- dog-walking on a manky but not overly cold day, with just boxers or shorts underneath

- in the rucsac on a day when the forecast means you’ll really just be in shorts all day

- over leggings on a cold and damp day, wearing them all day, but not expecting a downpour.

OK, thanks.

These are good for that sort of thing.

https://alpkit.com/products/parallax-mens?srsltid=AfmBOoqq691oxWP1xJt059nkz...

They’re stretchy so aren’t to restrictive and you can open up the short zips and pull them on over boots.

Like the other poster I’d wear thin softshell pants or light climbing trousers unless it was actually raining.

I'v only been to the Dolomites in Sep once, it snowed the day after we came down from the hills. My experience seems to match with what a few friends say. it's either: not raining, or, absolutely sheeting it down, with little in between. 

when you need them youll need them. personally, I'd go with full proper waterproofs to carry altho I'd stop short of heavy hardshell. 

OK, thanks all. I think I was just hoping maybe they were better than they are. Firewalls it is. I know shield isn't as good as gore, but overyrousers never seem to last me long whatever they're made out of... only waterproof as long as they dont have a massive hole in them 🤣

KA are nice, I use mine a lot. They are more comfortable than normal waterproofs and I have happily worn them as my only trousers on mixed weather days. The DWR isn’t great (but then all modern DWR is a bit rubbish now anyway) so the outer fabric can wet out fairly quickly. I’ve never got wet through them though. They are great for ice climbing too!

I bought a set of Firewalls to try recently too, they are more like a normal waterproof, stiffer no stretch etc, and a lot more crispy, will probably return

I use the KA for wet days in the UK, and do wear them next to skin as normal trousers.. but I do find them very warm... especially if the sun makes an appearance.. they heat up (and dry) very quickly. 
As such.. They are a great piece of kit for wearing all day in cooler/wetter/cloudier days. In Spring/Autumn.. If I am starting off in them.. I tend to have a pair of shorts in the rucksack, just in case.