Lowe Alpine Adrenaline Tech Pant Tested

Lowe Alpine Adrenaline Tech Pant

Price: @65.00

Weight: 259 grammes (men's M)

Features:Elasticated waist, inner mesh pocket, full-length outer leg zippers with inner flap, zippered elasticated ankles,

Light, compact, versatile. Not as breathable as some.

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.

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.

Performance
Value

Lowe Alpine web site

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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