Mountain Equipment Kongur Salopette First Look

Mountain Equipment Kongur DLE Salopette - First (belated) Look

Price: £179.95

Weight: 822 grammes (men's medium)

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.

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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.

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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.

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Provisional Verdict

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.

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Mountain Equipment web site

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