Montane Man ? – Part Two

As Maz pointed out to me the other day he has more Montane kit than me ! The second post on Montane focuses on leg wear. I have the Montane Terra Pants and to compliment the Atomic Jacket  a pair of over trousers – the Atomic DT Pants.

Montane Terra Pants

Montane Terra Pants

These are currently my favorite walking trousers, which I have had about 18 months now. They are a lightweight (320g) tough four season walking trouser made from Tactel and are reinforced in the seat, the knees and inside ankles with Cordura Mini- Rip fabric.

Tactel is a synthetic fibre derived from nylon and is said to dry eight times faster than cotton and has a very soft feel. The fibre is lightweight and breathable, with a resilience three times that of comparable natural fibres.  Cordura is well known for its strength and abrasion resistance.  The trousers have wind resistance and are water repellent.

The Terra Pants have an elasticasted waist with a webbing belt utilising a snap buckle.

I find the trousers very comfortable to wear and the mesh lined venting system to the thighs mean that unless it is a very hot day, you do not need to carry shorts.  You also have zips at the ankles which provide ventilation.  There are 2 zipped mesh lined pockets and a zip pull out security pocket where I keep a credit card and a few bank notes.

As the trousers feature articulated knees, I never feel that the trousers are pulling even when scrambling.  As an added bonus , the fabric has a UPF of 40+ protection.

Atomic DT Pants

Montane Atomic DT Pants

Waterproof over trousers, are a piece of kit that I feel stay in the pack more than come out. Therefore it is important to cut down the weight of them as much as possible without compromising performance too much.  This is where the DT Pants come in.  Originally when I started hill walking again three years ago after a very lengthy period  away, I bought a pair of  Berghaus Deluge over trousers.  I must say that they are pretty good and at a very reasonable price.  They have a full length zip and have kept me dry in some fairly rough weather.  The main problem being pack size and weight (400g) – as I said previously they tend to spend most of the time in your pack.

The DT pants are made from the same material as the Atomic Jacket (see previous post) and weigh in at 200 g  half the weight of the Deluge trousers and have much the same features.  In fact they are pretty much the lightest fully featured over trousers available.   The DT pants have an elasticated waist with a draw string and half-length side zips, whilst not as long as the Deluge, I have not found a problem getting the trousers on and off, even with winter boots – certainly not a problem with trail shoes.

Easy movement is ensured with articulated knees and a high lift crotch. All the seams are taped and although I have not been out in very wet weather ( generally it has been so dry this year – until very recently), I have remained dry, with little in the way of moisture on the inside.  They packed down to almost nothing and combined with the light weight means they can stay in my pack until I need them without any weight penalty.

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