Sometimes, we do get what we pay for. I was skeptical of the claims and wary of the price. No more. It does its job exceptionally well and stays out of my way.
Extremely lightweight, put on and forget.
Extremely generous cut for a large guy like me with muscular hard-to-fit thighs and calfs. Put on and never noticed again.
Excellent fit with pre-shaped bent at knees. I could walk uphill in snow shoes all day and not one instance of snagging or catching anywhere.
Excellent material in repelling water and snow and ice. Not one single spot after some splashing crossing snowmelt and a lot of kneeling in snow.
Tough material because it looks new after four days out on the snow walking, sliding and forging streams and slug through some brush. This is the most amazing. I do not know if the surface is GoreTex or some other material Arc'teryx uses.
Efficient at maintaining warmth while venting moisture. Had only a thin Polartec under layer in ~23-F (-5 C) temperature but I was warm and comfortable. After a long 6 hours slug, not one drop of sweat formed anywhere on my lower body. This has never happened before.
I believe the pants can easily last 10 years with proper care. I also believe they are tough enough to use in winter desert conditions (e.g. Death Valley). It definitely is light enough to pack into the mountains.
If it takes over US$400 to get qualities such as these and I can use every morsel of its performance capabilities, then it is worth every single penny. If you do not need the world class combination of waterproofing, breathability, toughness and warmth maintenance, there are actually other more value-conscious products from other brands.
I will be buying another pair as back-up and trust them to last at least 10 years under challenging trail conditions.
Backcountry did a fantastic job shipping this out to us in time for our trip. We appreciate the fine service.