Agree with carhartts in high wind and relatively stationary chores but I get too hot in them and feel like the Michelin man. I like wind pro fleece pants like Kerrits sit tight n warm. I bought some of the material and made my own last year when I was pregnant. Toasty, wind resistant and can go right into the saddle.
Love the flannel lined jeans. Those, and a flannel shirt with a winter jacket and lined gloves and I can do almost anything. When it is REALLY cold, I’ll add those hand warmers in my gloves. They make working outside in the cold almost delightful !
LL Bean polar fleece lined jeans. Could NOT live w/o them.
Or under armor long undies and jeans.
Men’s fleece lined jeans from Walmart, or my regular jeans with long underwear. Tractor Supply also has women’s flannel lined jeans, but they are not very heavy denim. I have one pair but don’t use them for the barn as I do not think they’d hold up to hard wear.
I wear my Kerrits Sit Tight and Warm breeches all winter long whether I’m at the barn or not! Pair them with some warm sock and boots and you’re good to go. I’ve worn them, or my IRH ones to freezing cold football games and they’ve been GREAT.
The people who work at the barn fell in love with fleece-lined tights last year, beneath either their work pants or their breeches. I imagine that when placed beneath winter breeches they become quite toasty. The workers felt the tights were less bulky than long underwear, and kept them just as warm. The riders and lesson students adopted using them underneath their breeches, and loved them, as well.
I’m going to give a plug for the Schmidt Carharrt knockoffs. I tried both brands on in the store and bent over, walked around, squatted, and these were more comfortable for me (I think it was the difference in the elastic straps). I also thought the straps secured much easier on these. I paid $44 on some crazy sale at TSC and the Carhartt’s were closer to $90 something. I got them in brown.
I love them so much I wrote a Facebook post about my extreme happiness with them. Which I ironically only posted to myself, and subsequently realized I should erase because I sounded a little insane, but nonetheless, I REALLY like them and they were cheap (relatively).
I love coming home from work with seconds of daylight left and putting them on right over my suit to bring everyone in before dark.
I have Berne insulated overalls and like them really well.
Honestly a good pair of heavy sweats with leggings under them is probably one of the warmest ways to go, if not fashion conscious.
[QUOTE=mydogs;8424652]
What pants do you wear to stay warm in the winter while doing barn work?
I normally wear jeans or sweat pants, with ski pants over them. But, I would love to find other alternatives![/QUOTE]
When it’s sickly cold, insulated overalls. When it’s just annoyingly cold, I wear fleece lined jeans. (not flannel - fleece)
I like the Berne insulated overalls better than the Carhartt ones. They’re way less stiff and have ripstop nylon around the bottoms They’re SUPER warm, but if I take of my jacket, it regulates temperature very well. I’m 5’5" and the short size fits me well. Bonus: I can get them on and off without taking my boots off, so if I get too hot, they can come off easily. I think they’re $10 or so more than the Carhartts but, IMO, worth every penny. (Though for full disclosure, I work at the store where I bought them, so got a hefty employee discount.)
I’ve discovered Duluth’s Black Hills pants. They are nylon on the outside and are water and wind resistant, and they are lined with the softest material I have ever felt- almost like a silky fleece but they are not bulky. They have a little bit of stretch to them which i like. I’m in love. 
[QUOTE=Chief2;8427819]
The people who work at the barn fell in love with fleece-lined tights last year, beneath either their work pants or their breeches. I imagine that when placed beneath winter breeches they become quite toasty. The workers felt the tights were less bulky than long underwear, and kept them just as warm. The riders and lesson students adopted using them underneath their breeches, and loved them, as well.[/QUOTE]
Fleece lined tights? Do you have a source?? Sounds like a good layer to have.
Okay, so it doesn’t get really all that cold here, but I am a wimp in the winter. I have several pairs of various Athleta winter pants. They come up with new models every year, but usually a stylish cut and fleece lined as well as abrasion and water resistant. They are pricey, but they should go on sale soon so might be worth a try. I think they have winter grade tights as well.
I found fleece lined tights at Walmart for $8. YMMV
My Berne’s were only $50, half the price of local Carhartt.
[QUOTE=keysfins;8449026]
Fleece lined tights? Do you have a source?? Sounds like a good layer to have.[/QUOTE]
I bought a set at Kohl’s earlier this year to wear under a sweater dress. I will have to try them under breeches or jeans when it actually gets cold here.
Has anyone tried these from Eddie Bauer?
http://www.eddiebauer.com/product/women--39-s-polar-lined-pants/23151059/_/A-ebSku_0310996100001002__23151059_catalog10002_en__US?showProducts=222&backToCat=Pants:Rain, Snow, Ski-Sale&previousPage=LNAV&tab=sale&color=100
They are the women’s polar lined pants and they have “talls” available.
I tried the equivalent from Duluth Trading Company, but I would say their 33 inseam is actually a 32. Too short for me. Also, huge waist gap on me and too tight in the butt (I’m curvy). They were so cute until I put them on. Sadness. http://women.duluthtrading.com/store/product/womens-fleece-lined-duluthflex-fire-hose-pants-60756.aspx?processor=content
I didn’t see anything equivalent in Athleta. I would really like to find a pair of pants like this for wearing out-and-about (not so much for shoveling poo). All ideas welcome!
All the cute downtown dress shops have fleece-lined tights. I have a couple pairs for sweater dresses. Usually $10 or two for $15. The only thing I don’t like about them vs. the regular tights is that they have no support on the waist/butt, etc. Very loose and seem to stretch out too much vs. a normal tight. YMMV.
I have these, flannel lined Carhartt pants and I really like them. Pretty soon they won’t be warm enough for my Canadian prairie winter and I will wear insulated coveralls with fleece tights underneath. On top I will wear only a thin long sleeve or turtle neck under the coverall so that I can wear a freezer jacket over top of the coverall and take that off when I am inside doing stall.
Winter barn wear can get complicated around here!
I have a pair of dark Carhart over-all that are quilted that I can get over a sweatshirt, turtleneck, and jeans if it gets really cold but they aren’t that comfortable with all the layers. This year I got the flannel lined work pants along with my husbands heavy St. John’s Bay chamois shirts and a shirt or turtleneck, I am warm as ever.
For those who get warm hands, I found at Wal Mart wool gloves with flannel lining in them and little grippy dots on the palm and fingers, been wearing them this winter and they are awesome to do barn chores with as the muck rake or broom doesn’t slip out of your hands like normal gloves do!! And the gloves were only $19, to me if they work that isn’t a bad price, nor do I have to use the hand warmer packets in these either.
A quality base layer is essential, no matter what you choose to layer over it. And there IS a difference between the specialty stuff like Underarmour base layers and the cheap, mass-market stuff. It’s in the material and fit. A good base layer breaths and wicks away sweat while you are active while retaining warmth during and in between activity. Cotton is the worst for this; quality synthetics designed for the job and naturals like silk and wool blends are what you want. Choose carefully and you’ll notice the difference. Yes, not necessarily inexpensive…but the good stuff lasts a long time and keeps you warm and dry.
Yes, I have these pants and LOVE them. They are the only thing I wear in the winter for barn work. I hate being cold so will wear some sort of long underwear (i have the ones Smartpak discontinued that are great) underneath them when it’s really cold.
