It’s a been a bit quiet around here for a few weeks so time to kick off again this time with a kit review of a very good product.
Last year I was looking for new pair of lightweight waterproof trousers. I was tempted by many of the new and obscenely light designs from Rab and Montane and even from Jack Wolfskin. These over-trousers are certainly light but when looking at them in shops I was worried that they might not be robust enough to handle rough terrain, heather bashing and so on. Then the reports from owners started coming in and aI realised by fears were warranted; some of these products were tearing out in the field and a couple of people I know managed less that two weeks wear out of them before they teared.
I talked this through with Bob Cartwright who told me that he always came back to his trusty Pac Lite trousers — they were lightweight, worked well and pretty tough.
Berghaus is not the most trendy brand and Gore Tex Pac Lite not the most fashionable material but I decided to take Bob’s advice and have been very happy.
My X Large Pac Lite trousers weigh in at just 250 grams and that includes a stuff sack. You can get lighter but you probably won’t fund a fabric that looks as robust.
I’ve been using these Berghaus trousers for almost a year now and they have performed superbly. They are more than breathable enough for a trouser and have stood up to a lot of horrible undergrowth. The design is simple but efficient. A long three quarter length zip makes these easy to slip on over your shoes or boots. A pretty effective gaiter system has proven to be very effective at working with trail shoes. And, of course, they are very waterproof!
Shop around and you can get these trousers for a very reasonable price, certainly a to less than the ultra lightweight but fragile equivalents. One of the advantages of buying Berghaus trousers is that they come in a full range of waist sizes and leg lengths which means it is pretty easy to get a very good fit especially the leg which helps those ankle gaiter cuffs work well.
These won’t have many gear heads running away with the superlatives, but they are simply a great piece of kit. You can’t got wrong at the price.
