KayakGearReviews.org

Reviewed by Coy Starnes
Edited by Ken Bigelow and Chari Daignault

Last updated on April 9, 2010

Review Status: This review is now complete

Product Info
Manufacturer:    Kokatat
Website:    http://www.kokatat.com/
MSRP:    N/A
Material:    T3 (Tropos 3 layer fabric)
Color:     Grey
Sizes available:  Unisex – S to XXL
Test Size:  XL
Weight:  my XL weigh 1 lb 2.8 oz (0.53 kg)

Product Description
The Tempest pants are designed to keep a paddler dry from the waist down, including the feet. They are intended primarily for kayaking but will work for canoeing or any similar activity that requires protection from the water. The pants are also designed to work with a dry top if complete protection is desired. Such a combination would be more flexible than a full dry suit in my opinion, especially when it comes time to go to the bathroom.

The Tempest pants are basically a pair of pants made from a waterproof and breathable material called Tropos T3 which is also said to be durable, comfortable and supple. So far I have to agree with this assessment. All seams are taped and factory sealed. The pants have a neoprene waistband to seal the water out if I happen to step in an unseen hole or get dumped from my kayak. The waistband is pretty form fitting but there is also a set of flaps on either side with hook and loop type fasteners to secure the pants even tighter. The pants are designed to be worn over an under layer such as thermals or some type of fleece pant. I could also just wear them over jeans if I were so inclined The sock portion of the pants is integrated into the pants and are designed to be worn over socks and then under a water type shoe. The gravel guard section laps some 8 in (20 cm) over the lower end of the pants and will allow the use of fairly tall water shoes.

Initial Impression and Use
As a Sit-on-Top kayak user, I had been looking at the Tempest Pants before I got my test pair. They seemed like an ideal solution to my winter time paddling needs. After examining and then using the pants on a 14 mile (22.5 km) paddle I am not disappointed. First of all, I had to pick a size. My measurements fell on the low end of the XL size using the online fit guide. Well, everywhere but in the inseam. I wear size 38 jeans with a 32 in (81 cm) inseam. The inseam is listed at 34 – 35 in (86 – 89 cm) for the XL. So obviously, my pants are quite a bit too long for me. Kokatat offers custom sizing for full on dry suits but not for these pants. That said, I didn’t have any trouble wearing them and actually didn’t notice the inseam being too long as I wore them. The pants just look bunched up from the knees on down.

For my first use, I wore the Tempest over some sweat pants and a pair of wool blend socks. I don’t have any dedicated kayaking shoes and my Muck boots are too tall for the gravel guard so I used some low top mesh shoes which turned out to be too short for the gravel guard. But other than that, the shoes worked fine. I met a group of local paddlers for a 14 mile (22.5 km) paddle from just below the Guntersville Dam to a marina in Huntsville. The morning was cool at around 45 F (7 C) and the water temperature was 57 F (14 C). The first test was helping one of the paddlers get his new spray skirt on his kayak. I was able to wade all around his kayak to make sure it was on properly. Then I got on my SOT kayak and away we went. I always get a little water in the seat area of my kayak but this time it was no problem. I checked my sweat pants just as soon as we stopped for our first break and they were completely dry. I did notice my lower belly was slightly damp from sweat where the neoprene waistband was located. I also decided this was a good place to really test the waterproofness of the pants so I waded out until I was in water to just below the top of the pants. Since the water was fairly cold I didn’t go on out and test the seal at the very top of the pants but they did not leak a drop. Perhaps when I get a dry top I will be braver…. Here is a photo of the test.

The paddle lasted about 4 and a half hours and it was 61 F (16 C) when we finished However, the pants still felt fine at the level of exertion I was putting out. In other words, we paddled at a nice relaxed pace. Every once and awhile we would open it up a bit but we were not racing or training to race. When I got home I took the pants off to examine my sweat pants and socks and see if any water had leaked in. I was pleased to find both were dry.

Summary
One use does not give much data for comment, but if the initial use is any indication of how they will perform, I am excited at the prospect of using these pants all winter. They met every expectation I had on the first paddle. I found they were very comfortable while paddling and also when walking around on the shoreline when we stopped for several breaks. And of course, I was really pleased that they kept me warm and dry for the entire paddle. I realize that kayaking in the winter is inherently dangerous but the use of proper clothing and gear is the first step in limiting said danger. I used a set of waders last winter but the Tempest pants have already shown me they are much better suited for cold weather paddling. I was just too hot in the waders on all but the coldest days and the mobility in these pants is much better. Stay tuned for updates as I continue to use the Tempest pants.

Field Review

Testing Locations and Conditions
All testing was here in Northeast Alabama on a local creek and on Guntersville Lake. Since the long paddle in mid November, the weather has cooled of dramatically.  In fact, many parts of Guntersville Lake froze completely over for the first time in my memory. This cut into my paddling opportunities but I did managed a 4 mile (6 km) kayak outing; plus, I used the pants for a walk in the woods to a creek down below my house and another short hike in snow.

Test Results
I am extremely pleased with the Kokatat Tempest pants so far. On the paddling trip in early February, we had a nice 2 inch (5 cm) snow the day before so I was hoping to get some pictures of the snow around the lake and then up a small creek before it melted.  I was at the lake by 8:30 AM and the sun was shining very brightly.  I guess it seemed even brighter then it really was with all the snow on the ground.  The air temperature was 28 F (-2 C) and the water temperature was 37 F (3 C) but there was quite a bit of ice on shallow places around the lake edge. A friend and I paddled about a mile and a half to reach the inlet where Honeycomb Creek enters the lake. We were not going fast and stopped a lot to take pictures.  Once we got as far as we could paddle we stopped for a rest break and to stretch a little.  I was a bit apprehensive about getting out of the kayak in the cold creek water but it really was not that bad once I took the plunge so to speak. I waded around a few minutes then went up on the bank.  I was very careful not to get in water any deeper than the top of the pants but I did get the bottom of my coat wet. Thankfully, no water entered into the pants. We paddled back out a little faster since we had already taken our pictures but by the time we headed back the wind had picked up quite a bit and we had to paddle hard to make any headway.  I noticed my hands were getting cold and put on my gloves for the first time during the trip. But the Tempest Pants kept my legs nice and warm.  My feet did get a little cool because my shoes had water in them from wading around but no water entered into the integrated socks of the Tempest dry pants.  I verified this when I got home by examining my wool socks that I had on under the pants’ integrated sock. And for the record I had on a pair of sweat pants under the Tempest pants, which is pretty much my standard wear during cold weather.

I know these pants are not made for hiking but I used them in this manner on two different occasions.  The first was on a 2 mile (3 km) hike down to the creek behind my house, and instead of packing them to put on once I got there, I just put them on before leaving.  For one, it was very windy and cold and also spitting snow so I needed a good windproof bottom.  I always enjoy wading around in the creek in the summer but this was the first time I did it on purpose in the winter. Don’t ask about the few times I waded when it was not on purpose…. Anyways, I was really surprised at how comfortable they were for the 2 mile hike.  And warm, well they were fine for the hike down and even while wading around. But once I went just a little ways back up the side on the mountain I was hot in the pants.  Here is a video of the Creek Crossing which shows me wading across, and if you look closely at around 49 seconds, you can see where I stepped in a hole about knee deep.  But the key point was, the integrated socks kept my feet dry because water did get inside my Teva Cherry Bomb water shoes.

We had another snow a few days later and I got out for another hike in the pants.  This time I had on my Edgewater Muck Boots with the 8 inch (20 cm) top.  I have a pair with a 16 inch (41 cm) top that are too tall to go under the mud guard.  This pair proved to be just about the perfect height for going up under the mud guard on the Tempest pants. I did not go down to the creek but did managed to wade in a small branch with some fast moving water and did not even get water inside my shoes this time.  Of course I did not stay in long and I imagine that if I had, some water would have eventually worked its way up inside the mud guard and over into the shoes. But regardless, these shoes are big all the way around and this seemed to help them seal the water out.  The image on the left shows the Tempest pants with these shoes.

One other thing I noticed was that I really preferred socks on under the built in socks. I found this out when I wore my Teva Cherry Bombs which are snug fitting shoes to start with.  The first time I tried this combination without socks was the hike down to the creek, but after walking just a little ways, I was back in the house to put some socks on.  The reason being, the built in socks on the pants are big on my feet, so of course they wrinkled when I put my shoes on.  Even a thin sock makes the wrinkles more comfortable and when I wore the Edgewater boots with my thick socks it was even better.

That’s it for now, I was hoping to get some more seat time (as in paddling) in the Tempest pants by now, but maybe with spring just around the corner I can get out more. Stay tuned for my final analysis on these pants in a couple of months from now.
Wrap-Up

I have used the Kokatat Tempest Dry Pants on three more kayaking trips. All three trips were in different locations but all were right at 6 miles (10 km) long. The water temperatures have slowly been climbing but the air temperature has been climbing even faster, so much so that I did not wear the pants on my last paddle. But on the trips when I did wear them, they were great at keeping me warm and dry, not only while sitting in my kayak, but also when I needed to get out for a landing, or to pull my kayak past an obstacle in the way.  I have waded in water up to waist deep but so far have managed to keep from getting any water inside the pants.  Partly because the water would have to be pretty deep, considering the neoprene waist band on these pants comes up to mid-belly level, but the key point being, the pants do not leak.

One very positive thing about wearing these pants has been the ability to stop and go ashore in places I would have been reluctant to land without a pair of dry pants on. I was with a buddy on a recent fishing trip and we wanted to stop at an island on the lake to check out a possible camping location.  The water where we needed to land was well over knee deep. He had on tall rubber boots under some rain pants and after wading around a few minutes he commented that his feet were getting wet and that the water was cold. I, on the other hand, had no such problem.  After this, there were other similar places where I got out but he just stayed in his kayak. I guess this was good and bad.  Good in that I could get out without getting wet, but bad because I had to do most of the scouting.

To sum this report up, I’d have to say the Kokatat Tempest Dry Pants with socks have made my fall, winter and spring time paddling much safer and more enjoyable, especially since I use a sit-on-top that lets some water in the seat area.  I could wear whatever I needed to under the pants to stay warm on some really cold trips.  I also appreciate that these pants were good for trips when the air was not real cold but the water still was.  I managed to remain comfortable by removing layers up top but kept the pants on due to the wet seat in my kayak and needing to get in the water for launching and landings.  Based on this alone, I can not think of a more versatile clothing item for the type of paddling I do.

Tester Information

Name: Coy Starnes

Gender: Male

Age: 47

Height: 6 ft (1.8 m)

Weight: 240 lb (109 kg)

My Measurements:  Waist 40 in ( 102 cm), Hips 44 in (112 cm), Inseam, 32 in (81 cm)

Email: starnescr@yahoo.com

Location: Grant Alabama

I have been canoeing for around 27 years but just recently got the Kayaking bug. I purchased a used Perception Carolina 14.5 kayak in the summer of 2008 but found the cockpit was a little cramped for my taste. I bought an Ocean Kayak Prowler 15 which is a Sit-On-Top and found it much better suited for my needs. I kayak on local waters here in Northeast Alabama which includes Guntersville Lake as well as many rivers and creeks. So far I have not done any whitewater kayaking but have tackled a few class II streams.  I consider myself a strong paddler but still need to work on my technique as I am slower than a few of the locals I paddle with.

Read more posts by coyboy.

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 29th, 2009 and is filed under Dry Layers.