walkhighlands

Trousers

Gear Review: Winter Trousers 2024

Keela: Scuffer Trousers RRP: £84.95Weight: 440g (Women’s 10S) Just about the stretchiest fabric on test, these trousers have proved to have a high level of wind resistance and good water repellency, whilst not being too hot when working hard. I’ve found them to been fairly quick drying too. The decent sized zipped side vents with mesh are easy to use while wearing. The women’s fit is on the slim side, but these trousers come in 6 sizes and 3 lengths so you should find something that suits. The design is well thought out with good knee shaping and velcro-adjustable ankles

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Posted in Gear reviews, Magazine, Trousers

Gear Review: Best summer walking trousers 2023

Walking trousers tend to get little attention in gear discussions compared to waterproof jackets or rucksacks, but they are a vital part of being comfortable out on the hill or in the woods. Here we take a look at a wide range of trousers suitable for summer wear in the UK – some very light for the hotter months, some aimed more at three season use. The big advance in recent years is the improvement in fabrics, with stretchy, quick drying synthetics becoming the norm. Most offer good wind resistance, and durable water repellent coatings on some help with light

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Posted in Gear reviews, Magazine, News, Trousers

Gear review: Waterproof trousers for women

Waterproof trousers have come a long way from the “boil in the bag”, flapping, oversized, essential but unloved items of gear I remember from the past. Whilst innovation has come with higher prices, there are now options that can be worn all day, as alternatives to regular hiking trousers and do more than just keep the rain out. Alpkit Nautilus Recommended Price: £124.99Weight: 420g (10 Short) Nautilus is Alpkit’s heavier overtrouser, made from 3-layer fabric with waterproof and breathable membrane with a nylon outer with a bit of stretch in it. This allows a slimmer fit so there’s less fabric

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Posted in Gear reviews, Magazine, Trousers

Gear review: Walking trousers for winter

Rab Spire Pants Recommended Price: £110Weight: 495g (Men’s 34″ waist) Described by Rab as ‘mid-weight softshell’ trousers, the Rab Spire are made from a double-weave Matrix fabric – 92% polyamide and 8% elastane. There’s a very tough-feeling reinforced fabric on the knees and the inside of the lower leg, great for me as this is where I find my walking trousers usually get badly abraded. Despite feeling robust, the main fabric is also stretchy, with a very soft inner face, and the design includes a diamond gusset and articulated knees – I’ve found them very comfortable to wear. On the

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Posted in Gear reviews, Magazine, Trousers

Berghaus Paclite Gore-Tex Overtrousers

Recommended Price: £110Weight: 226g (Men’s M, Regular length) Walking in the rain is pretty impossible to avoid in Scotland, even for the most fair weather of walkers. Waterproof overtrousers are in my pack all year round and for the last 5 years I’ve been using the older version of these Paclite ones from Berghaus. Paul’s now been testing the latest model over the last wet month or so, with our combined verdict below. Fit is good, with less excess material than some due to the long side zips which allow them to be put on over boots without being overly

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Posted in Gear reviews, Magazine, Trousers

Gear Review: Vaude Skomer Skort

RRP: £80 (available for less in many outlets)Weight: 115g (size XXS) The long hot summer of 2018 saw skorts enter the mainstream of Scottish hillwalking kit. A skirt with a shorts liner, skorts have actually been around for a while. They are beloved of female mountain runners and cyclists in the Alps, so I thought I’d test out the latest version from Vaude – from a walker’s perspective. The skort consists of a kilt-style wrap-around, above the knee skirt with two side pockets, both large enough for small phones, one of them with a zip. Two tiny fabric loops with

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Posted in Gear reviews, Magazine, Trousers

Gear Review: Sprayway Women’s Escape Shorts

Recommend Price: £50Weight: 175g (size 10) In recent years shorts seems to have morphed into either teeny weeny very short shorts or baggy knee length mountain biker style shorts. These Escape shorts from Sprayway are from the traditional, easy-fit school of design but in a great fabric that makes them both versatile and very comfortable. The lightweight TecWeave nylon fabric stretches in all directions, has a soft feel and a water resistant finish. In practice this means they move extremely well and can cope with scrambling without riding up. The fabric has worn well so far, has proved resistant to

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Posted in Gear reviews, Trousers

Gear review: Mammut hiking pants

Recommended Price: £79Weight: 230g (32″) Allegedly we’re now in the middle of summer, the ideal time of year for this pair of lightweight walking trousers from Mammut. The fit is athletic, but the stretchy material (94% Polyamide, 6% Elastane) and shaped knees ensures that these are extremely comfortable to wear. They are very quick drying, and have been treated with a durable water repellent coating that helps to repel light showers. The coating is PFC-free, and the trousers are bluesign certified, so you can be confident that their manufacture minimizes environmental impact. There are two front pockets, both zipped, and

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Posted in Gear reviews, Trousers

Gear review: Mammut Runbold Light shorts

Recommended Price: £69 (currently £49 on Mammut’s website) Weight: 148g When is lightweight gear too light? I’ve been trying out the light version of Mammut’s Runbold shorts both in the fine summer weather we had in Scotland, and through an Alpine heatwave. With a modern, athletic cut these shorts would need to be made from a very stretchy fabric in order to give the full freedom of movement needed for hiking and climbing in the outdoors – and they are. The super light bi-elastic material makes them extremely comfortable to wear – and so light you almost don’t notice them.

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Posted in Gear reviews, Trousers

Gear review: Columbia Silver Ridge II convertible trousers

Recommended Price: £55 My past experience, years ago, with convertible trousers was not a good one – the zips that enable them to be converted into shorts were bulky and rubbed against my legs. Designs have improved greatly, however, and like most modern convertibles the zips in the Columbia Silver Ridge II are enclosed with fabric flaps that prevent any chafing. I’ve worn these trousers now on several Munro-bagging days and found them very comfortable in both trousers and shorts mode. The Silver Ridge II are made from a very lightweight ripstop nylon, making them especially suitable for hot weather

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Posted in Gear reviews, Trousers


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You should always carry a backup means of navigation and not rely on a single phone, app or map. Walking can be dangerous and is done entirely at your own risk. Information is provided free of charge; it is every walker's responsibility to check it and to navigate safely.