Berghaus Ortler Waterproof Trousers – £100 / 520g

Review

The Ortler Waterproof Trouser – not to be confused with the standard Ortler – looks like a conventional soft shell pant, but like Sprayway’s All Day Rainpant or the Rohan Dry Requisite Trousers, combines a standard outer with sewn-in waterproof liner made from stretch AQ fabric with a PU membrane, so you get sort of double-layer construction.

Fit is good, neat and not flappy, and while you’re aware they’re not ‘normal’ soft shell against the skin, the sensation isn’t unpleasant or obtrusive and the stretch fabric means there’s no constraint to your movement. We found them brilliant on cool, changeable days when the Ortler did a sterling job of warding off wind and rain squalls without the restrictive feel and faff of using separate overtrousers.

One drawback is that we found them slightly clammy when working hard, not helped by the lack of venting options and another is that in really heavy rain, the outer layer eventually gets saturated and soggy. Finally, if you team them with a short jacket, they will eventually leak through the zip-fly.

Where they excel is on the sort of showery days common in the UK, when you get to dodge the classic game of overtrouser roulette – ooh, it’s stopped raining now. Oh, no it hasn’t… Available in both men’s and women’s versions.

Verdict

If you want something approaching full overtrouser protection but with unobtrusive looks and feel, the Ortler Waterproof is an interesting if sometimes sweaty solution.

Mor e info: www.berghaus.com.

Back to top

Jack Wolfskin Activate 3-in-1 Pants – £110 (£70) / 800g

Review

We picked these up on a winter 2015 Jack Wolfskin UK press event and initially were slightly baffled by them. For active use the combination of the insulated liners and soft shell outer pant was both too warm and also, for us at least, bulky and restrictive.

That said, the ‘super alpine pyjama’ liner as we came to think of them, make nice evening lounging about wear and would work nicely in a trekking lodge, though a more sombre colour would help. Put that all to one side and the outer soft shell pant, based on the Activate Pants, turn out to be really rather good in a classic, rugged, non-membrane soft shell way.

They fit well, have enough stretch not to impede mobility and a decent balance of weather resistance and breathability, so while we’re somewhat ambivalent about the 3-in-1 version of the Activate, we suspect the standard issue version would be a good all-round mountain choice.

Verdict

Forget the 3-in-1 version and go for the straight Activate or a similar non-membrane soft shell trouser for a great balance of protection and comfort.

See www.jack-wolfskin.co.uk.

Back to top

Mountain Equipment G2 Ultimate Mountain Pant – £180 / 660g

Review

We’re pretty sure these are the third incarnation of ME’s G2 Ultimate Mountain Pants and we’re also pretty sure they’re the best yet. They’ve beefed up over the last incarnation of the G2 with tougher fabric and full-on Dyneema crampon patches adding almost 200g of weight, but the end result is a gnarlier, more protective-feeling pant with a bit more of a bias towards the mountaineering side of things than their predecessor.

We can’t fault the cut, the waist is higher than before with a micro-fleece lined lower back section adding a touch of luxury if your shirt rides up and the adjustable braces are intuitive in use and hard to tangle. Hurrah.

Nice too to get removable gaiters, so you can tailor things to suit your boots and preferences. Before they were bonded in place. You can also use the zipped ankle gusset to accommodate bulkier boots if necessary. Serous kick patches should hold things together there too.

And then there’s the fabric. Still fully windproof and nigh-on waterproof Gore Windstopper Softshell, but a slightly tougher grade than before we think – there’s enough stretch for easy movement in extremis, but huge amounts of weather protection.

The fabric is not only completely windproof, but also pretty much waterproof meaning snow and light to medium rain is shrugged off, though in real deluge conditions they will leak from the untaped seams eventually. They can get a little sweaty if you’re pushing on in plus-zero conditions, but two mesh-backed thigh vents give decent emergency venting when needed. They’re a couple of inches longer than before too and thoughtfully open from the bottom up to minimise any mixing with harness and rack.

Verdict

All in all, the latest G2 is a brilliant, confidence-inspiring mountaineering pant that, on most winter days, you can wear from the off without any messing about with overtrousers. And if previous versions are anything to go by, they should last a good while too.

See www.mountain-equipment.co.uk.

Back to top

Rab Vapour-rise Pant – £90  / 390g

Review

We’re familiar with Rab’s Vapour-rise system from a number of excellent jackets and the VR Pant is just the same with a breathable but highly wind resistant Pertex Equilibrium outer fabric and a microfleece lining. The cut and design is quite basic though and a little bit flappy, which is why we probably should have opted for the more technical VR Guide option.

That doesn’t mean the standard pant isn’t worth considering, but for more technical use, we’d want a little more reinforcement in key areas and a crampon patch. That said, for basic hill-walking use, the combination of breathability and weather protection works well, though you’ll need a lightweight overtrouser if things get damp.

Verdict

Great fabric in quite a basic design, have a look at the VR Guide if you like the fabric system, but want a little more versatility. Or if you want lighter, see the VR Lite (above right)

More info: rab.equipment.

Back to top

Sprayway All Day Rainpant – £75 / 360g

Review

If you’re in the market for a waterproof trouser that looks like a normal walking pant then you’re probably wondering what the difference is between these and the Berghaus alternative. The most obvious distinction is that the Berghaus version feels a bit more rugged and substantial as evidenced by the 160g difference in weight, but the Ortler also has a slightly neater cut with articulated knees and adjustable cuffs, which the All Day Rainpant lacks.

That said, the Sprayway version is a substantial £25 cheaper and, like we said, a fair bit lighter too. Available in any colour as long as it’s black.

Verdict

The waterproof, ‘non-overtrouser’ still does a capable job though like the Berghaus equivalent, it can get slightly sweaty under duress. Neat, no-frills weather protection.

More info: www.sprayway.com.

Back to top

Verdict – Our Best Buys

So which is the best option for you? There are no clear and obvious answers, all the trousers we’ve looked at work well in particular situations, but here are some of our faves.

Technical Mountaineering

For full-on, all-day, technical use, it’s hard to see past the latest version of the Mountain Equipment G2 Ultimate Mountain Pant. It’s a mouthful of a name, but the G2 is seriously well specced and developed, tough without being overly burly and weather protective enough to cope with anything short of stormageddon conditions.

If you prefer a softer feel and like the Nikwax Analogy concept, the Enduro Trousers are, we reckon, the best Paramo trousers yet with a great cut and fantastic venting options. Not as tough as the G2, but a great mountain all-rounder.

General Walking

We’d stick the Paramo in here as well, it’s just a really versatile beast, but we’re also big fans of the Fjällräven Keb Trousers as a leftfield alternative to more conventional softshell pants like the Jack Wolfskin Activate.Great fabrics, a sustainable vibe and good venting options and looks that are a little bit different.

Best Rain Protection

For ultimate rain protection, both the Berghaus Ortler Waterproof Trousers and Sprayway’s All Day Rainpant do a great job without being a conventional overtrouser. They can both get a little sweaty under duress, but in light to medium rain and generally changeable conditions, both do a good job.

For mountain use we’d have to give the edge to the Berghaus Ortler, it’s simply a nicer design, but don’t write off the Sprayway alternative, they’re lighter, cheaper and still do a decent job for all-round walking.

Back to top