he first thing you notice when you get the pants is that they pack into a very small space, about the size of two fists with no effort. This is thanks to the thin 2.5 layer Gore-Tex Paclite fabric. The outer layer is made from lightweight ripstop nylon. A membrane made out of oleophobic substance and carbon protects the Gore-Tex layer from inside. All seams are sealed for complete waterproofness. The pants are overall very streamlined and weight next to nothing. There are no pockets or any adjustment straps. Only little details are the 2” belt loops, snap waist closure with a zipper, shaped knees and loops for suspenders (inside the waistband). My pants are Alpha Green colored which is kind on greyish green color close to foliage green. A bit too light color for woodland environments in my opinion.
In use
Waterproofness of the pants is great. The outer ripstop nylon fabric is hydrophobic so water beads up and flows away instead of absorbing into the fabric. Breathability is at basic hard shell level. Meaning you stay dry during light physical activities, but anywhere up from there sweat keeps accumulating inside. Only thing that annoys me is the lack of adjustment straps/shock cord in the cuffs. Because the cuffs are pretty wide water gets in especially when kneeling down and of course it would look better if the cuffs could be tightened properly. For 250$ I would expect more features. Other than that the pants are of excellent quality. The fit is snugly in the hip region and more roomy on the legs. My pants are size small and they are just right with my 31-32” (about 80cm) waist but the legs could be inch or so longer (my height: 5’ 10”/177cm).
Comparison to ADS Inc. Level 6 Pants
ADS Inc.is the other company producing the official PCU system and I happen to own their version of the same pants in Multicam. The ADS Inc. Gen III military version pants differ in many parts compared to Beyond’s commercial ones. ADSInc. pants have a lot more details and are more adjustable. Because of that they don’t pack into as small space as the Beyond pant. The Paclite fabric is very similar but the ripstop grid is bigger and not so prominent. There are also lightweight Cordura reinforcements in the knees and bottom. Other details include shock cord waist, adjustment straps and half knee zippers at the cuffs.
Conclusion
If you want high quality rain gear and you need it to be ultralight and packable, theBeyond S6 Rain Pant is a very good candidate. These pants are perfect for carrying with you every day or on long patrols in case it rains. They take next to no space in your backpack. Because of that there are also some cuts on other features, but if you can live without small details like cuff adjustment I can highly recommend these pants.
Any questions or comments, send them over to us.
- M16
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