Minimus Down Trousers

Lightweight down trousers. Widely used year-round for minimalist mountaineering and backpacking.
Typical Operating Temperature
Guideline minimum temperature. Sleeping Bag TOT: you should get a night’s sleep, under normal circumstances. Clothing TOT: you should feel warm enough, assuming low/moderate activity. Sleep System TOT: relates to full system. For more details, see our Technical Briefing.
-5°C / 23°F
Weight
For clothing, weight is for size: M. For sleeping bags, weight changes with selected length/width. N.B. there may be some variation in the weights of finished products.
230g / 8oz
Price
£372.00
Minimus Down Trousers

Overall Rating: Highly Recommended. These down pants are simple and light, just the way we want them.
Will Rietveld, Backpacking Light. Read full review.

Size
Compare

Features

  • Superb 900 fillpower down
  • Lightweight M1 outer and inner fabric
  • Stitch-through construction for lightness
  • Small security pocket
  • Adjustable shock cord at waist
  • Stuff sac
  • Weight: 230gm (8oz) (M)
  • Packed size: 10 x 18 cm*

 

* Please note: we make our stuff sacs big enough to allow fairly easy stuffing rather than reducing clothing to the tightest minimum.

Description:

Also available in custom sizes. We make clothing to order, so if you’re not a standard size we can make it to fit. To order a non-standard custom size, select the Custom Sizing tab and choose the waist and inside leg sizes that work for you. A custom size takes us a little longer (typically two weeks longer) to make and, because it’s personalized, it’s non-returnable and our customer loyalty scheme can’t be applied.


This featherweight item (230gm for Medium) makes a surprisingly valuable addition to many lightweight kit lists.

Ultralight down trousers ideal for many situations.

  • Extra warmth around cold camps.
  • A simple way to stretch the performance of your ultralight sleeping bag.
  • A lightweight luxury item for alpine bivouacs.
  • The trousers you might well take to 6000m when a heavier pair would be overkill.

Backpacking Light - Highly Recommended


Backpacking Light
"Highly Recommended"

 

Lightweight M1 fabric (weight: 39 gsm)

Lightweight silky microfibre. This close-weave 20 denier fabric is fully downproof, but also light and flexible enough to allow the down full loft. A reliable performer that has been the basis for much of our lightweight gear for some time.


900 Fillpower Down

European goose down of very high quality. A truly excellent down with large clusters, consistent quality and lively long-term performance. More on our down insulation.

Backpacking Light - Highly recommended

"Overall Rating: Highly Recommended. These down pants are simple and light, just the way we want them. They have the most loft and highest loft:weight ratio of the three pants we tested; I couldn't ask for more. I found that I could extend the warmth of a 30 F (-1 C) sleeping bag to 15 F (-9 C) by wearing these pants and a lightweight down jacket inside."
Will Rietveld, Backpacking Light. Read full review.

"The down trousers are just brilliant -- I wore them pretty much every single day and will never go back to Alaska without them!"
Jonathan Griffith using the Minimus Down Trousers on his trip to the Moonflower Buttress in Alaska, USA.

"The Minimus Trousers and Down Socks were absolutely brilliant! When I worked at the Everest Trail Race before I was a little cold, not this year! The trousers and socks made all the difference not only at night but in the day when standing at exposed peaks."
Ian Corless, Adventure Photographer.

"I'm currently in Wisconsin and your Minimus pants and socks are doing a great job of keeping me toasty in -14C!."
Russell H.

"The Minimus trousers and socks are amazing. The combination of weight, compressed volume and insulation properties is outstanding. With down I was able to reduce my pack weight significantly."
Thim.

"Got the pants yesterday: extraordinary quality of workmanship and well worth the wait. I'll be sure to pass the word when I get the inevitable inquiries. BTW, the Backpackinglight.com review was instrumental in my choosing your product over the Montbell pants and after receiving mine I have no doubt I made the correct decision."
Don B.

"Minimus Down pants are beyond amazing- a truly fantastic bit of winter kit. Never been so warm and cosy on top of a snowy mountain!"
Russell H.

"Just back from an 18 day trek in the region around Everest. I knew the conditions were going to be pretty cold, camping for quite a few nights at around 5000m - night temperatures fell well below minus 15c. The new Minimus down trousers were just the thing for cold dinner tent meals and for sitting around in the tent before meal times. They were toasty! I was the only one to have such luxury and my trekking companions were just a little envious of my warm glow!"
Gordon G.

"I pulled them on soon after I got camp sorted out and immediately felt the benefit. When I was wandering the crags with the camera I had the pants and jacket on and I remained comfortable all the time, so for photographers, stargazers and the like, insulated pants must be fantastic, but for winter campers they're a dream come true. There's an element here of allowing you to get out of the tent for longer after hours. The winter nights are long, and hanging about outside or exploring after dark can be bloody cold, so for me these are just the business. Add to that the weight and tiny pack size, and the PHD pants get a free pass into my rucksack. The don't look weird either, the fit is nicely tapered with a nice high drawcorded waist to overlap with a jacket, even when bending and moving."
Pete Mcfarlane a.k.a. Petesy.

"Very warm given their packed size. Useful in and around camp. Do not impede movement. Appeared to 'breathe'."
Mike Smith, on Trip to Greenland's 'North Liverpool Land', April/May.

"I've previously suffered from the cold wind on long skidoo journeys. This time I used a PHD Yukon pullover, Minimus Vest and Minimus trousers slipped on over my usual gear and was comfortable despite travelling fast into a 20kmph headwind."
Mike Smith, on Trip to Greenland's 'North Liverpool Land', April/May.