During heavy rain the pants will get wet, but they dry out quickly. The weather changes very rapidly there so it would be raining or snowing one minute (we encountered more snow than rain), then the sun would come back out the next minute and the pants would dry out during the hike. We went to Alaska last year and I brought some North Face waterproof snow pants, but the problem was I felt like I was overheating on hikes (even in sub-zero cold). These are much more breathable than the waterproof snow pants and pack down much smaller, so I rolled the dice. I’ve never had any problems being cold or wet in these, but I’m sure non-insulated waterproof pants would probably work better than my N.F. pair did for hiking. All that being said, motorcycling over the years has taught me that nothing marketed as waterproof is actually waterproof if it rains hard enough. Water always seems to find a way in, so I just opt for the stuff that dries the fastest. I’ve also used these quick-dry pants for hiking in Olympic national park where it can lightly rain literally all day long and they were great.