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Mountain Equipment Kongur DLE
Salopette - First (belated) Look
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Price:
£179.95
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Weight: 822 grammes (men's
medium)
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Features:Mountain
Equipment Drilite Extreme 3-ply fabric, Taslan face, stretch
panels at knee and seat, full-length, water-resistant side
zips following twisted seams, front bib with two-way zip
fly, double stretch mesh storage pockets, fully adjustable
elasticated braces, powerstretch back panel, pull aside
seat, crampon kick strip, internal snow gaiters and tethered
draw cord at ankle cuffs.
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The
Concept Somehow the winter didn't quite become the extreme cold
weather mountaineering fest we'd envisaged at the tail end of last
year. A dodgy knee and dodgy weather saw to that, and now it seems to
be spring. Too late for the Kongur Salopettes, which we found
languishing unloved in the OM gear kennel but before we send them
back to meet their makers, we thought they were worth a quick run
down on the site since even with the briefest use, they're clearly
very nice, full-on waterproof legwear.
Made, like all their legwear, from ME's own Drilite Extreme
membrane fabric rather than Gore-Tex the Kongur is the top dog in the
range aimed at full-on protection for mountaineers, climbers and
skiers. Salopettes work brilliantly with harnesses, the high bib
construction eliminating cold gaps in the waist area with the braces
stopping the dreaded downward waistband syndrome.
The Kongur's arguably over the top for most UK use, but in
situations where you absolutely need full waterproof protection in
extreme conditions, they should be spot on.
Features The drawback with most salopettes is that you
sacrifice freedom of movement for protection. ME, however, has taken
a hard look at the problem and incorporated stretch panels over the
front of the knee and on the seat. They've also reduced bulk at the
side of the legs by using water-resistant full-length zips following
a neat twisted seam pattern. There are no bulky Velcro-fastened flaps
to bulk things up and slow down use here, though the zips do get a
simple single flap back-up.
You also get a full, two-way zip fly, internal gaiters, an
adjustable ankle cuff, crampon reinforcement patch and adjustable
braces. The bib pockets are a nice touch for those times when you're
say, on a glacier with your jacket off, but still wearing salopettes.
In Action Like we said, we've only used the Kongurs briefly
due to circumstances beyond even our control, so impressions are
basic. We can tell you from past experience though, that the DLE
fabric is effective, though not quite as breathable as XCR or eVENT
in use.
The good news is that the salopettes are cut as well as ME's
well-received shell jackets with a neat but not tight fit. The real
triumph though is that mobility isn't compromised one bit. The
stretch knees and seat allow full movement from a squat to high
steps. That may sound obvious, but you'd be surprised at just how
restrictive some technical legwear actually is.
We also like the ease of use of the water-resistant zips. Full
length openings makes it feasible to put on and off over crampons or
skis and also allows for venting when the going gets hot. The twisted
seam works well when the knee is bent, reducing side projection (er,
whatever that is). Toilet access is by simply unzipping and pulling
the seat aside, which saves complication and bulk. We also
appreciated the two-way zip on the fly which allows easy access even
with a harness.
Sadly we never got to check the crampon kick strips or snow
gaiters for real, but they seem okay, though our experience with the
G2 pant suggests that the gaiter fabric may be a little sweaty. Less
important here as it won't be against the skin.
On the basis of limited use we'd say that like everything Mountain
Equipment right now, the Kongur is refreshingly functional and nicely
cut. If you need full-on weather protection for serious
harsh-conditions mountaineering, but need to retain excellent
mobility without sacrificing neatness, then take a look.
The features have been carefully thought through and have real
benefits. If you were going to be picky, XCR would be slightly more
breathable, but then the price would be higher and in the sort of
cold, dry environments these are aimed at, breathability is less of
an issue anyway. Very nice. Now can we have some extreme weather
please.
Know more or want to?
If you'd like to add your own experiences of this product check
out our user review system and post your opinions to the world. If
you have questions you can mail
us direct, ask
Richard Gear or try a posting to our gear
forum.
