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Paramo Ladies' Azuma Vent Trousers
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Price:
£50
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Weight: 320 grammes
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Features:
Parameta A fabric, adjustable waist, webbing belt with buckle, zip and button fly, 2 large gusseted hip pockets, zipped pocket within a pocket for secure storage, articulated knee area, thigh zip vent, mesh-lining, UV protection - SPF (Sun Protection Factor) 50+.
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Very lightweight and quick drying.
Not that long in the leg.
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The Concept Last season's Azuma trousers have taken an upgrade, with the addition of air vents on the outer thighs to give a more technical slant. They're still marketed as 'trek and travel', rather than hiking, trousers, so we're not talking serious mountain gear here, but then UK summer hiking often doesn't require that level of technicality anyway. Low level or summmer hillwalking trousers are how the Azumas are best described.
Features We've already mentioned the vents, which allow air to flow against your legs when moving quickly. These aren't new to the world of walking trousers, but tend to be found in more technical (and more pricey) clothing, so it's good to find the extra air-flow in a lower-tech garment. These are backed-up, comfort-wise, by Paramo's Parameta A fabric, which works by drawing perspiration from your skin and spreading it out over a large surface area, so it can evaporate quickly. Hence, it's pretty breathable, and also fairly light, at 320g all in. It's also UV protected, so you can venture out into the heat wave (should it return) without having to worry about UV exposure through the fabric.
As these are summer hillwalking trousers, the features are geared towards keeping your money, keys and passport safe, as well as dealing with movement and moisture. They have four pockets, one of which is a zipped 'pocket within a pocket' for security. On the performance side, the knees are articulated (but not reinforced), and there are no cords, articulation or anything fancy at the ankles either. General comfort's more the order of the day - elasticated waist, belt, and a cut that's not too tight, but not too loose either.
In Action We've said that the Azumas felt pretty light, but what struck us most was their wicking ability. We tried them out in typical British drizzle (an afternoon full of it), without wearing over-trousers, and they dried out faster than we could order our pub meal at the end of the day. OK, so we haven't worn them in heavy rain yet, but all the signs are good. In general, we were pretty happy with the fabric, bearing in mind that the Azumas are designed for hillwalking or travelling, and nothing more extreme. It probably wouldn't help much on the warmth-front, if used later in the year, although the cut is loose enough to allow for a warmer base layer underneath in cooler temperatures. On the plus side, the lack of warmth gives greater versatility in warmer conditions and cuts down on weight.
On the subject of warmer conditions, the vents on each thigh increase air flow to the legs, which helps if it's hot and you're moving quickly. You have to be working pretty hard to feel much difference though. In the usual style of jacket pockets, the vents have a flap of material over the front, which perplexed us a little, as pocket flaps exist to protect the opening from the elements, whereas the whole idea of the vents is to let the elements in. As a result, the ventilation system isn't as effective as it could be.
The other 'technical' aspect of the Azumas is the articulated knee, which gathers in the material around the joint, allowing you to flex easily. As the fabric is non-stretch, this only has any effect if the trousers are exactly the right length. They only come in one standard length, so the chances of this aren't that great. We're not sure exactly what height of woman the design was based on, but we're just over 5'7" and the articulated knee fell on the upper part of our legs, so you'd probably want to be more like 5'4" - 5'5" for a better fit.
To give you a brief round-up of the other features, two of the four pockets have a webbing interior so they don't feel too bulky or add much weight. There are short tassles on the zips of the side pockets, vents and fly so they're quick to open, even if you're wearing gloves, although as we said, the Azumas aren't designed for really cold conditions anyway. The knees aren't reinforced, so no putting your knees down when topping out of a climb (not that we'd ever do that anyway:-). As for the cut, it's not too tight, but there isn't much extra material flapping around either, so they felt about right to us. Obviously, that one's a matter of preference though.
Light and very quick drying trousers so long as you aren't looking for anything with too much protection. The Azumas were designed for the Summer hillwalker and, bearing that in mind, they're comfortable and not too pricey. The one catch could turn out to be the fit, as the non-stretch fabric means you need to be exactly the right height for the articulation in the knee to be any good. Otherwise, we didn't have much fault to find.
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Performance
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Value
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Pushed for time
Lightweight and quick drying trousers for summer hillwalking, although if you're average height or above, you may find the features aren't cut for you.
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