Berghaus Fastrek Pant Tested

Berghaus Fastrek Pant

Price: £55.00

Weight: 485 grammes (men's 30-inch waist)

Features: Stretch Cordura fabric, elasticated waist with integral webbing belt, reoinforced double knee section, two hand pockets with mesh inserts, zipped secturity pockets, zipped thigh vents with mesh liner, ankle zips, draw-cord channel at ankle. Available in men's and women's cut and in black or stone colourways.

Good wind and water resistance plus excellent mobility at a good price. Cut maybe too loose for some tastes.

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Stretch provides useful butt-hugging fit..

The Concept The Fastreks are a brand new trekking / climbing pant due in the shops about now and part of the Berghaus Extrem range. We managed to get our paws on some pre-productions samples, so we've been using them for a couple of months now.

The cut is pretty much standard trekking pant, so you won't get those funny looks that skin tight legging seem to attract - or maybe that's just us - but the real key is the combination of fabric and some very neat features.

The material is a stretch Cordura that performs very similarly to the Schoeller fabrics we've been using recently, most notably from Mountain Hardwear. That means a combination of stretch. a dense weave that means the pants are highly windresistant, though not quite windproof, good breathability and a durable water repellant treatment that means anything short of heavy rain tends to bead and run off.

They're also manifestly tough feeling, haven't given way yet and are claimed to be resistant to 'abrasion, tears, scuffs and punctures'. The big plus is price, at £55 the Fastrek might not be cheap, but it's £35 less than the similar MHW Velocity Pant which retails at a cool 90 quid.

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Zipped vents backed with mesh run down outside of thigh

Features Like we said, the cut is like a standard trekking pant, but with some extra features thrown in. The wind resistance means that things can get warm when the weather's mild - not that we'd know about that yet - but there are a pair of mesh-backed thigh length venting zips on the outside of the upper leg, you also get ankle zips for extra venting and ease of donning and two pockets. For those of you who habitually run your knees on razor-sharp limestone or gabbro, the knees are double thickness.

Two hand warmer pockets, one incorporating a zipped security pocket, keep your pinkies warm when rolling across the tops and mercifully there's a proper fly with zip and an elasticated belt to hold things up.

On thing that we would change is the lack of an ankle draw cord. Berghaus has left a purpose-built channel so you can slip in some shockcord and make your own - we did - but we'd rather see the draw cord incorporated as stock - it's easier to remove than add after all and worth having we reckon. Construction generally feels good with double-stitched seams adding reassurance.

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Cut isn't as snug as MHW Velocity pant, but that adds to stealth values

In Action We reckon the Fastrek's going to be a big hit with walkers and climbers who want a normal-looking pant with added performance. The near windproof fabric meant that the Fastreks were superb on cold, blowy winter days and the DWR shrugged off light rain and that nasty, wet misty stuff we seem to get over here. If things get really cold, you could always team them with baselayer leggings for added warmth, but we found them adequate without at and around freezing point.

On the odd occasion when things started to get a tad steamy, the thigh and ankle vents worked well at introducing air to the quadriceps... The other big plus over standard trekking-type pants is the built-in stretch that allows easy mobility, high steps, abandoned can-can dancing etc, particularly handy for climbing and scrambling, but also excellent for evening stretches and yoga when backpacking.

If we're going to be fussy - and that is our job - we'd say that some people might prefer a snugger cut, particularly in the lower leg where the Fastrek can get a bit 'flappy' when it's breezy. The sizing's quite generous as well, so try before you buy as you may find yourself a size smaller than you thought.

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Verdict

We like the Fastrek a lot. You're getting performance which is comparable to Schoeller fabrics for significantly less money and the only downside is a slightly rougher internal finish compared to, say the Schoeller Dryskin used by Mountain Hardwear. The wind and water resistance plus breathability makes for great performance in cold, damp, windy UK conditions and maximise the time before the overtrousers come out.

The stretch is good for scrambling and climbing, as is the toughness and features like the long thigh vents are thoughtful and work well. Some users will prefer a slightly tighter fit, particularly in the lower leg, but part of the attraction of the Fastrek is that they're sort of stealth technical trousers with trekking pant looks and cut concealing superior qualities.

Great autumn through to spring all-round pant which takes winter in its stride. Like we said, the only major change we'd make would be to add a shock-corded ankle closure as stock, though the channel to add it is already there. Top pant, good value and they feel like they'll last. In the shops shortly.

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Performance
Value

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Berghaus web site

Pushed for time:Schoeller-like performance at a reduced price from the robust stretch Cordura fabric combined with stealth trekking pant looks. Highly wind and water resistant, but still breathable, these are near ideal autumnn through to spring walking and climbing trousers with mobility aided by the stretch qualities of the fabric. Thigh vents help you keep your cool when the going gets warmer and build quality and toughness both feel good. Cut may be too generous for some and lower leg can flap in breezy conditions. We'd also like to see a chick-corded ankle closure as standard, but overall a great pant at a reasonable price for the performance.

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