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Lowe Alpine Adrenaline Tech
Pant
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Price:
@65.00
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Weight: 259 grammes (men's
M)
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Features:Elasticated
waist, inner mesh pocket, full-length outer leg zippers with
inner flap, zippered elasticated ankles,
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Light, compact, versatile.
Not as breathable as some.
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Lowe's Adrenaline Tech Pant is 'Tech' because it has full-length
zippers on the outside of the leg meaning you can put them on over
skis or crampons and, with some ingenuity remove them while still
wearing a harness - not so easy to put on in the same condition
though. For 15 quid less, you can have the standard Adrenaline Pant
which is slightly lighter but only has ankle zips.
It's a pretty basic, minimalist design with the full zips exposed
on the outside but with an internal flap to give extra protection.
That means there's no fiddly Velcro to deal with, but the down side
is the possibility of slight seepage in heavy rain. The cut is basic
too with no namby pamby articulated knees or cunning nips and tucks,
however we managed a week's ice climbing in them with no major
mobility problems and they seem to slide easily over other
layers.
Like Lowe's Adrenline jacket, the Tech Pant uses Triplepoint
rather than Lowe's more breathable Triplepoint Ceramic fabric. We've
always found it a tad sweaty, particularly when moving fast and
kicking out the heat, and the same is the case with the Tech Pant.
Our gut instinct, if you run hot, is that you'd be better off
shelling out an extra 35 quid and 150 grammes for the more
sophisticated and breathable Atom pant.
Ironically for pack and forget general walking use though, the
Adrenaline is great. It folds into its own mesh pocket, weighs just
over 250 grammes and is about half-pint glass sized. For winter use,
it's good - there might not be any crampon patches or a convenient
fly, but you can put it on over big mountain boots and crampons.
If you're the sort of person who habitually wears overtrousers as
soon as you spot a cloud, you'll be better off with a more
breathable, more finished option using heavier, tougher fabric. If
what you want is a stand-by overtrouser purely for use when the going
gets nasty that's small and light enough to pack without noticing and
won't break the bank the Adrenaline Tech Pant fits the - minimal -
bill.
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Verdict: Great for occasional use,
particularly if you need to stick them on over bulky boots,
skis or crampons. Not massively tough or hugely breathable,
but you're getting lightness, compactness and simplicity.
Cut isn't particularly sophiticated, but it didn't seem to
hinder us on the ice despite being quite slim. If the
full-length zip doesn't matter to you, save 15 quid and opt
for the standard Adrenaline Pant.
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Performance
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Value
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Pushed for time:
Simple pant with full-length zip won't win any prizes
for breathability, but it's light, affordable, compact and
you can put it on over skis or crampons without having to
mess with Velcro. Very much a pack and forget option. If you
wear your overtrousers on a regular basis, you'll be better
off with something heavier and more durable, but for more
occasional use these are fine.
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