I use these pants for backcountry ski touring and they work great. They have the width and flex of a soft shell, but have water resistance closer to a hard shell. There is essentially zero insulation, and just a light and very thin fleece lining on the inside for tactile comfort. This combined with the excellent ventilation for both the outside and inside of the legs make these pants great for active winter activities, such as uphill ski touring and winter hiking. I found the small to be a little small, but the stretch of the material makes them fine. The medium I tried on was a big jump in size and would be too big for me.

Have only skied in them a few days, but they seem to work well. The pants do not have a snow gaiter like some other pants, but they fit snugly around my boots and so far no loose snow has penetrated. The fabric seems pretty substantial and although I have not worn them in particularly wet weather, they have kept me warm and dry. The “4” rating is based on my initial observations and experience. After 30+ days of use, I could give them a higher rating

Skied in them down to 25 degrees, warm with good long underwear, nice stretch, and surprisingly dry in rain (frequent issue this year). It is great going back to minimalistic clothing. Eastern skiers don’t need to dress like they are heading for a bottomless powder day every day. Great for uphill skiing. Venting is fantastic. A little tight in the thigh, but the stretch works and it improves uphill skiing.

I don't think you will find any other shell pants out there with this much ventilation. These are hardshell pants without most of the drawbacks, and everything about them from the zippers to the seams feels bomber. I was initially worried that the leg opening flare might be tight on ski boots but I have found that they are the exact right size for a snug gaiter like fit on my Scarpa AT boots but they aren't overly flared for when you want to put on your mountaineering boots.

I haven't had a chance to use these extensively yet, but the first impressions are fantastic. They breath incredibly well and the feel of the fabric is really good, similar to a soft shell. The finish is also excellent. The fit is a little tight for my liking, but the fabric stretches very nicely so not a big deal. I typically wear 31x30 relaxed fit pant, and the medium in these pants fits like a 31x32 regular fit pant. I won't be able to squeeze any mid layers under the pant, but heavyweight base layers fit under them no problem.