Alpkit New Stuff At The Show

Jeanius Jeans,good name The fabric is Epic denim with the fibres encapsulated in silicone. I wonder if I can get the same effect by washing my jeans with NikWax TX-Direct? they might get a little sweaty though

I doubt that you'll get a nearly waterproof pair of jeans from Gap! The closest comparison is probably Rohans epic bags which are ~70,

As they are rather more of a unique product than much of their stuff they won't be as cheap. Should be fun for anyone who likes winding up people doing kit checks

(Epic is meant to be much more durable than the effect that washing in Nikwax gves.).

Hi,

Nicwax certainly used to do a fomula called Cotton Proof, that was amazing on trousers, like craghoppers, so cannot see whyit wouldn't work on jeans.

If you want to see the jeans in use have a look at the video on YouTube here

I was more interested in their alpsocks actually. I don't really wear jeans in daily life so I can't see myself buying some for the outdoors!

I'd like to know the fibre percentages as I've had very good experiences of products using wool & polypropylene in the past. Helly Hansen's Prowool socks do a very good job of balancing warmth & drying time without being too dense and restrictive; I think they were about 35% merino 65% polypro. Ah yes...  But their RRP was more like £15 for two pairs. I bought them at £3 a pair on clearance but regret that I didn't get more...

So if Alpkit are selling something similar for £5 a pair that's a good offer. I worry that people won't want to buy three pairs of something they haven't tried... but I can see why they'd want to bundle them up from a sales point of view. Perhaps I'll find two friends with the same shoesize

Only fear is that they'll do some shrinking like the infamous bleat....

I saw these at last year's show and they do exactly what they say on the tin

Be interesting to see if the breathability is affected 

Can I be a tester please

I'd prefer the long handled spoon myself, much more useful. Probably why I got one at the ALpkit stand. Also got one of the 20l dry bag sacks. Anyone used one? Are they any good.

I also like the look of the devo bivvy on their stand, it looks mor like a full bivvy than the hunka with a hood like the army ones.

Also saw the trangia-like stoves too. Looked heavy and not really what Alpkit are good at if you ask me.

For longer than I can remember, outdoor magazines have frowned on having pictures of people wearing jeans on their pages. I understand why - because cold, wet, heavy, energy-sapping jeans are not sensible hill-wear. Some magazines actually refuse to print them.

But...

People like wearing jeans. They always have, and they always will. I don't, but that's beside the point. The point is, the Alpkit Jeanius leaves the picture editor in a bit of a quandary. Surely if the person in the picture is wearing Alpkit Jeanius, then the picture is fine on the magazine page... but will they have to say it's Alpkit in the picture caption... to distinguish them from every other pair of jeans on the planet?

My my... how they've rocked the boat with yet another bit of innovative kit!

I think you have to remember that Alpkit make quite a bit of stuff for climbers/boulderers too and the likes of Prana, Ben Moon etc. already make jeans for these folks, so I think this is their target market more than general walkers. Even if you just wear them around camp or in the drizzle back from the pub though, they're a step up from regular denims I think.

By the way, if the Alpfella's are looking in, did I mention I'd like a pair in short leg length please...

DW,

I'll wait to hear what happens when you run them through the wash before running them up on my credit card!

In general, though, it's a great hybrid fabric for socks and cold weather baselayer.

Jam Man - they have a diamond critch apparently which is supposed to allow for more flexibility. Remember outdoor trousers used to all be non-stretchy and used the design/cut to achieve mobility when in use. The diamond crotch was one way, you also got articulated legs. If they are well cut and designed to allow for movement yet still look more like casual jeans than outdoor trousers made out of jean fabric then they migt be something to look at.

BTW I have looked at a lot of climber / boulderer targeted pants in the past and they all seem to be out of cotton (canvas) or polycotton type of fabric. Basically not the best fabrics for outdoors in inclement weather. They don't look to good for flexibility too, more a casual, aren't I looking good type of clobber. Sounds like Jeanius to me. Afterall the whole point of bouldering is to look good while doing it IMO. Judging by the locations it happens in (a lot are near popular tourist type of paths) means they get a lot of people watching them. A sport for the show-offs is bouldering. I much prefer proper climbing (I believe they call it "Trad" now). You know you turn up at a crag and just climb, putting gear in as you go with your mate following each pitch collecting gear as he climbs (BTW I was always the guy collecting the gear).

Time to go wrote (see)

they have a diamond crotch apparently which is....

I've had a pair of the original protos for ages now, at least a year and they're still going strong despite a lot of use. They're great for general wear in the wet, don't seem to be appreciably more sweaty than normal denim and, if you heat treat them after washing, they retain their water resistance pretty well.

I also have a pair of the new production ones which are cut surprisingly snugly - the originals were very loose, these go the other way. I think they're brilliant. Epic isn't a cheap fabric by any means, so £55 isn't excessive given what you're getting for your money. And it's the same as you'd pay someone like, say, Fat Face for a pair of bog standard denim jeans.

I don't know the proportion of wool to polypro in the socks btw. I asked, but they weren't sure. I'll try to remember to find out.

ALPKIT ROCKS!!!!!! That's a fact

Brilliant kit, well designed, well made, well thought out, (extremely) well priced & ace people to deal with (plus free p&p, which is quicker than any other retailer I've ever used!)

I've had a pair of the prototype Jeanius jeans & I love 'em. Great fit, durable, comfortable & amazingly waterproof (without being sweaty), Jeanius! No probs after washing, unlike a treatment, the proofing is integral. You can wear them for anything really; would be awesome for travelling if you needed something that you could use for various functions, for knocking about the campsite, biking to work in crapppy weather (tuck 'em in your socks mind!)

So many other excellent bit of kit; the Gourdon sacks, down gilets, Gamma headtorch, at c-razy prices.

I have bought & tried to batter all of these & they are all still smiling, & so am I

Don't just take my word for it though, check them out for yersens!

JP2 - all that Alpkit tuff you have but your profile says you don't use it and also if you won the lottery you wouldn't get any ALpkit stuff. Hmmm! How good do you really think their stuff is? Not an Alpkit employee are you?

Jeanius sound good but any coating will fail. It is made worse if you use the wrong stuff.

Alpkit goes about their business well, a good business model. However you have to be realistic with what you expect from their stuff. They take existing ideas and make them cheaper and they come up with interesting ideas that the biog boys don;t see a market for then they sell them. Both techniques work for them and I own a long handled Ti spoon and a gourdon 20l sack. I am happy with both but I would not get the gimmicky jeanius. If you want jeans get jeans if you want something for the outdoors use get that but a hybrid piece of clothing is just gimmick, a well made gimmick but still a gimmick. Still, good luck to them I say, we need more like them.

My jeans do feel cold when they get wet, but no water got onto me in the big downpour in Brum on Saturday. Everyone else was soaked, but the Jeanius worked well.

Mine don't seem to get visibly dirty as quickly as normal jeans.

I liked the look of the ideas in the pipeline at Alpkit. I'll be buying the small stove and tarp when they're available. SWMBO liked the lightweight jacket. I tried on the yellow lightweight rucksack and found the one and only pack that fits my back length, putting the hipbelt onto my hips. I was in the market for a large pack to hold family climbing gear and I would have bought the pack if it was for sale. I ended up buying a 65l pack for £20, hoping it will last me until Alpkit offer one.

Time to go wrote (see)

Another thing about Alpkit, if you want to buy their stuff and can wait a while. Wait until there is an outdoors related event whether it is the outdoors show or the numerous climbing or canoeing events that they show up at. That way save postage. I see them all the time, all over the place it seems like anyway.

Howdy Time to Go

No, I'm not an Alpkit employee (honest!) Just really, really impresed with everything about their service, products & ethics. Some awesome bits of kit, at some awesome prices. Of all their kit that I've used, I'm more than impressed.

(Did my profile yonks ago, no option for putting in Alpkit, if I won the lottery I'd be back in Peru!)

The Jeanius jeans seem to shrug off dirt & stay clean longer, so don't need to wash them that often (I'm not a soapdodger mind!) Always wash all my kit on 30 degrees, or by hand, not noticed any deterioration in proofing as yet. The jeans do fall between two camps really, great for knocking around in (esp. in duff weather) & although people may choose a more traditional pant (or maybe even breeches like everyone used to wear when I was a nipper) for walking/outdoors, one could use them no probs.

Personally, for me, they're a much better option than wearing tracksters down the pub, after a day on't fells! (Nothing wrong with tracksters for running/walking, that's what they're made for).

Just ordered my Alpsocks........

I have a decent fitting and stretch pair of trousers in Black that also look good down the pub (the ones I go in are all in walking areas in the Lakes) yet are also good on t'fell. So why need jeanius other than to look like jeans and compromise on hil performance. That is the users choice. When back in valley campsites or hostels I clean up and put on jeans if back down with access to a bag in some group member's car. At other times I am campingin the hills wearing gear appropriate and more comfortable anyway. And I have stopped wearing tracksters after stopping orienteering and realising they don't actually fit my shape and also look crap. Tracksters aren't the only on hill trousers you know just like jeans aren't the only off hill trousers.

Groan... must try harder

Interesting points all round.

I wear various types of trooosers, depending on weather & plans.

If it looks like it's gonna be a shocker &/or I've got a big day out on't fells (or wild camping), I'd probably wear my walking kegs & take leggings too.

If I was just bumbling around & the weather was iffy, I'd wear my Jeanius superjeans.

I normally wear (other) jeans around the house/out of work, so the Jeanius are sort of in-the-middle. A great idea & for the user to decide on where/when/why.....

Tracksters are tracksters, good for running, used to wear them, not now.

A cheap synthetic jacket sounds just the ticket, really competitive jacket out there these days, just treated myself to a Marmot Mica (not cheap), testing out at mo, but every time I take it the sun shines/doesn't rain, shouldn't complain though

Paddy Dillon wrote (see)

outdoor magazines have frowned on having pictures of people wearing jeans on their pages. I understand why - because cold, wet, heavy, energy-sapping jeans are not sensible hill-wear. Some magazines actually refuse to print them.

Indeed.  As some of you will know, I'm a wannabe charlatan photographer; I took some photos of myself (tripod, self timer) at the summit of a lakeland peak with a beautiful sunset behind, and sent them off to a magazine.  In the originals you could make out that I was wearing jeans, and said photos were rejected for that very reason.

So I tweaked them in photoshop (basically adjusted contrast so I became a silhouette) and re-submitted them, and they were used in the very next issue of the magazine!

jeans. indeed.

> Jam Man - they have a diamond critch apparently which is supposed to allow for more flexibility

A diamond-gussetted crotch is a good sign that the designer understands the needs of outdoor trousers, especially climbing trousers.  Such a cut allows much better leg movement, essential in climbing.

I've heard other tales of silicone encapsulation treatments being permantently affected by detergent washes.  I'm not sure what Alpkit's instructions are, but I'd probably err on the side of caution and only soap wash, and never use detergent (a different approach to what I'd use on other DWRs such as used on Gore and Event fabrics).

I have a pair of the prototype Jeanius and they're brilliant. I still wouldn't wear them for any big days out on the hill, but I have worn them for short walks and at the crag.

The prototypes fit me perfectly so it is a shame that the new ones are a slimmer cut, but I guess that this reflects the fact that the core market for this product is climbers and boulderers who are usually slimmer than the average person.

I've only had to wash them a couple of times, but I've found that washing seems to improve the water repellancy rather than ruin it. I've been lucky with the weather so I've never really tested the waterproofness in the field, but a quick test with a pint glass of water in the back garden proves that the water just beads up and runs off just as well as when they were new.