Talkback: Soft Shell Mountain Trousers Round-Up

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Soft Shell Mountain Trousers Round-Up
Four top soft shell mountain pants, trousers or legwear checked out.
1 to 20 of 23 messages
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Craig H
08/06/2011 at 18:12
Softshell Trousers completely opened my eyes as far as legwear goes. Always used the old faithfull Craghoppers until I tried some Marmot Scree pants (which are great and still in use)and I've been a convert ever since.
Mr Fuller
08/06/2011 at 18:38
Yeah, I thought Craghoppers were pretty good until I got a pair of Montane Terras, which are not exactly softshell but not a million miles away. The difference in performance was enormous. I then got a pair of Schoellers off ebay and thought they were absolutely incredible. My latest pair is a pair of ME G2 Windstoppers (again, second hand). Windstopper's a fabric I've always disliked for being a bit crap. However, for winter climbing these trousers are unbelivable - they are practically waterproof, freeze stiff like armour, are warm enough with leggings on, tough as hell, stretchy, inbuilt gaiters, and you don't overheat.

If you haven't tried soft shell trousers yet... just do it.
Ashley Steadman
08/06/2011 at 20:58

If you like Craghoppers gear then its worth trying the Stretch Kiwi Trousers.  A different "beast" from the "classic" version of the trousers.  They do them in 4 styles, all using the same stretch material.  These are as follows:

Trousers

Trousers (Zip off facility)

3/4 Length "capri" ( bit like breeches)

Shorts

Check out the Craghoppers website for further details.

David James 1
09/06/2011 at 12:07
Craghoppers Stretch Kiwi Trousers - I used these last year in the Alps (above the snowline & mountaineering) and they were brilliant. No captured belt, but I used a Lowe Alpine belt and it did the job. Really good value too.
Guy Hurst
09/06/2011 at 12:35
I can recommend the Stretch Kiwi trousers too. Very comfortable and with enough wind and water resistance to be useful over a wide range of conditions. The price is good, and you can usually find them on offer somewhere -- as with most Craghoppers gear, it seems.
Grumps
09/06/2011 at 13:00
I had a pair of Crags - stopped wearing them when Bear Ghrylls started. Perhaps I should dig them out of the wardrobe.
Parky Again
09/06/2011 at 13:19

i'm a recent convert to stretchy trews (not hohn burlye's fault this time but peter clinch's)

i have jack wolfskin activate trews (designed for short fat germans as well as tall people)for colder weather which i like a lot and rohan trailblazers (designed for those of not average height) for this time of year when shorts aren't an option which are just great and can't praise them enough. i found the rohan's to be the most comfortable of all i tried on (sadly no D ring).

Mal Mawr
09/06/2011 at 13:44
I like my Marmot Scree softshell trousers. They do short leg length which suits my 31½" inside leg. Nice and stretchy and their DWR copes easily with light showers but mine have only been washed 3 times so time will tell how durable it is.
Andinista
09/06/2011 at 14:08
My Marmot trousers were a revelation after some utterly horrible Craghopper zipoffs (really uncomfortable) and heavy restrictive Salomon pants. My only grouch with them is the narrow fit on the legs, I often end up going for a nice meal mid walk (one of the joys of Italy) or down the pub straight after, and the narrow fit isn't the most relaxing look!

I'd love some pants along the same lines, but just with a slightly looser cut...
Bedouin
09/06/2011 at 16:36
Have been using the Arcteryx Gamma MX for nearly 3 years and am blown away by how good they are. Came across them completely by accident but find it hard to think of my kit now without softshell trousers.
Coopsy
11/06/2011 at 13:32
Softshell is far better suited to legwear than upper body imho. Been using 2 pairs a bit thicker for winter for a few years and they are a superb bit of kit. Echo Bedouins comments as i can't see my kit omitting a pair of troos of the softshell variety in the future. 
Ashley Steadman
11/06/2011 at 18:58
Visited Decathlon in Stockport today have their very good own brand stretch softshell trousers on sale at a discount at the moment this means you can acquire a pair for £35!  I have a couple of pairs and rate them as being as good as "named" brands twice the price.
Coopsy
12/06/2011 at 17:01
Ashley Steadman wrote (see)
Visited Decathlon in Stockport today have their very good own brand stretch softshell trousers on sale at a discount at the moment this means you can acquire a pair for £35!  I have a couple of pairs and rate them as being as good as "named" brands twice the price.

Not been there but heard a lot of good stuff about their own brands that are allegedly made by Millet from France (i think) 
GOF
12/06/2011 at 18:31
Ashley Steadman wrote (see)
Visited Decathlon in Stockport today have their very good own brand stretch softshell trousers on sale at a discount at the moment this means you can acquire a pair for £35!  I have a couple of pairs and rate them as being as good as "named" brands twice the price.
Can you give us some more details - as Decathalon now do mail order (and my local store, whilst being Stockport, isnt that local)
GOF
Ashley Steadman
12/06/2011 at 21:30
The Particular trousers I was refering to were the Quechua Forclaz 900 Trousers.  They are currently available at the reduced price of £34.99.  They also have the trousers using the same material in a "zip off" style.  Further details on website www.decathlon.co.uk.  As far as using the website for "mailorder" is concerned if the size/colour you want is not available from the store you have selected then its worth changing the "search" so that you select a different store, say Sheffield rather than Stockport. This often means it will show different stock availability.  I assume this is because they have no central web based distribution and instead use "local" stores.
GOF
12/06/2011 at 21:51
Mmm...no, they dont have a central stocking point - and all the stores I have searched are showing out of stock
GOF
Ashley Steadman
12/06/2011 at 22:57
Reference the previous post sorry to hear that the Decathlon trousers are not available in the size you require.  I also have a pair of the Regatta trousers mentioned in the review and for the price are good value for money.  My local Go Outdoors are selling them at a discount and if you want a pair of "entry level" softshell mountain trousers they are well woth considering and availability is much better than the Decathlon product.
Neil1
13/06/2011 at 12:45
The Decathlon Bionnassay Winter trousers are fantastic.

There are a few detailed discussions about them on this forum. I couldn't be happier with mine.

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/bionnassay-trousers-8279384/
Martin Carpenter
13/06/2011 at 13:01

In general, but specifically in answer to the request for a looser cut lower legs, worth remembering that Elastic (and thus stretch) doesn't have magical water resistant properties

Of course weather resistance does vary a bit by fabric, but water is mostly from the DWR which should be same on most of these and wind resistance from the tightness of the weave. Paramo style ones are of course very weather resistant, and the various lined windproofs etc plentifully so too.

In fact none of my extant trousers stretch at all, and none are at all restrictive. But then they're tailored because I need that for my leg length For most folk the fit won't be so good - but knee/seat stretch panels can I think compensate for such things as well as full stretch trousers. (See a lot of Haglofs, and a bunch of other people for that matter.).

So really full stretch trousers should be cut tight to make proper sense.

Peter Clinch
13/06/2011 at 15:03

So really full stretch trousers should be cut tight to make proper sense.

It's a bit of a waste if they're not.  What you directly gain from stretch is freedom of movement, but a suitable cut will give you that anyway, as Martin says.

Indirect gains are from a closer cut, and the closer cut is possible because the stretch means the closer cut won't be restrictive.  These gains are less surface area to catch the weather and rub off vegetation, greater thermal efficiency (less space for convection currents) and faster drying, from being closer to the heat source of your legs.

Stretchy/baggy makes no sense at all.  You're paying more for stretch, but don't use it...

Pete.

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